By Andy | May 27, 2008 - 1:42 am - Posted in Insomnia, Sleep Habits
Your “sleep hygiene” describes your sleep habits. By boosting your sleep habits, you can increase your possibility of falling asleep fast, staying asleep and sleeping between seven to nine hours each night. A good night’s sleep has many health benefits. Most importantly, you will feel great.
- 1. Keep a regular bed and wake time schedule including weekends.Our sleep-wake cycle is
regulated by a “circadian clock” in our brain and the body’s need to balance both sleep time and wake time. A regular waking time in the morning strengthens the circadian function and can help with sleep onset at night. That is also why it is important to keep a regular bedtime and wake-time, even on the weekends when there is the temptation to sleep-in.
- 2. Create a Bedtime Ritual. Create a nightly ritual to signal that it is time to sleep. Start the ritual about 30 minutes before you lie down to help release stressful thoughts and be ready to sleep when you lie down. A little quiet reading (not in bed) or a warm bath can be great. Avoid watching TV, since it stimulates your brain.
- 3. Do not use alcohol or tobacco products close to bedtime. Use of these products may calm you at the time of use, but they can have disrupting effects on your sleep during the night.
- 4. Do exercises daily. Daily exercise will improve your chances of falling asleep quickly and sleeping deeply. Try to exercise early in the day and never within three hours of bedtime. Exercising too late in the day can make it difficult for you to fall asleep. A daily exercise habit will not only improve your sleep hygiene, but it will also improve your overall health.
- 5. Only Sleep and Have Sex in the Bedroom – No TV. The bedroom should be used only for sleep and sex. That means no reading in bed and no TV in bed. Doing these things (or anything else) confuses your body, making it difficult to fall asleep. Give yourself about 15 minutes to fall asleep. If you haven’t fallen asleep by then, get out of bed until you are sleepy. You can do some quiet reading (pick something boring), but avoid TVs and computer screens. Remember, your goal is to train yourself to fall asleep quickly. Reading a stimulating book, watching TV or doing anything else undermines that.
- 6. Finish eating at least 2-3 hours before your regular bedtime. Eating or drinking too much may make you less comfortable when settling down for bed. It is best to avoid a heavy meal too close to bedtime. Also, spicy foods may cause heartburn, which leads to difficulty falling asleep and discomfort during the night. Try to restrict fluids close to bedtime to prevent nighttime awakenings to go to the bathroom, though some people find milk or herbal, non-caffeinated teas to be soothing and a helpful part of a bedtime routine.
- 7. Make Your Bedroom Dark. The contrast between light during the day and dark at night helps reinforce your body’s natural rhythms. By making your bedroom dark at night, you will be able to fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer. Closing drapes and doors can help reduce the light in your bedroom.
- 8. Have a warm drink. Supposedly warm milk contains melatonin and trytophan and so helps
induce sleep, but in fact, a glass of milk doesn’t contain enough to have any effect. But it’s still a soothing drink. My nighttime favorite: 1/3 mug of milk, add boiling water, one packet of Equal, and a dash of vanilla. A real nursery treat.
- 9. Avoid medications to help you sleep. Medications become ineffective over time, and may affect daytime alertness. They may also wear off during the night, and cause night wakings. Some medications may cause nightmares or other types of sleep disturbance.
- 10. Avoid napping. Think about your napping policy. Naps can be great in helping some people improve performance. But for others, napping is an invitation to night-time insomnia. Figure out which category you are in. Don’t nap during the day if you have trouble sleeping at night. If you must, take a brief nap 10 to 15 minutes about eight hours after waking.
At last, if these lifestyle changes don’t help, contact your doctor. You may have a sleep disorder or just may need some temporary help getting yourself in good ‘sleep shape.’
