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1.
Get up and go to bed at the
same time every day, even
on weekends.
We are creatures of habit,
and our sleep is no exception.
By consistently going to bed
and getting up at the same
time, we condition our body
to follow a regular pattern
of sleep. This allows our
body’s natural clock,
called a circadian rhythm,
to help initiate and maintain
our sleep.
2. Make sure your
bedroom is quiet, dark, cool,
and comfortable.
Studies find that sleeping
in a cool environment is most
conducive to sleep. By eliminating
excess noise and light, we
can minimize the disruptions
that might wake us up. In
addition, the bedroom should
be a relaxing place and not
a source of stress.
3. Bedrooms are for
sleeping and sex, not for
watching television or doing
work.
Somehow we have managed to
make the bedroom a multipurpose
room. All electronics must
be removed! Televisions, gaming
systems, computers, telephones,
and various other gadgets
are stimulating and disruptive
to sleep. Don’t allow
them in your bedroom and don’t
use them in the brief period
before going to bed. Even
the small amount of light
from a computer screen in
the evening hours can stimulate
your brain into thinking it
is time to be awake. Moreover,
do not use the bedroom to
do work as these activities
are likewise stimulating and
will disrupt your sleep.
4. Avoid caffeine,
alcohol, and nicotine 4-6
hours before bedtime.
Caffeine can be found in expected
places like coffee, soda pop,
or tea, but also in unexpected
foods like chocolate. As a
stimulant it will keep you
awake, even if used nearly
six hours before bed. Likewise,
nicotine will disrupt your
sleep. And contrary to common
practice, an alcoholic “nightcap”
can actually make your sleep
worse. Though it may cause
you to become drowsy, alcohol
fragments the stages of your
sleep and makes it more disrupted.
5. Don’t take
naps.
The period of time that you
are awake adds to something
called “sleep drive.”
The longer we stay awake,
the more we want to go to
sleep. By taking a nap we
can relieve this desire to
sleep, but it will also make
it less likely that we will
be able to easily go to sleep
later. Adults should have
a consolidated period of sleep
at night without additional
naps. If there is excessive
daytime sleepiness and desire
to nap, in spite of adequate
sleep time, this might suggest
a sleep disorder warranting
further evaluation.
6. Exercise every
day, but avoid doing it 4
hours before bedtime.
Staying active and physically
fit is an excellent way to
ensure a good night’s
sleep. However, exercise too
close to bedtime may actually
cause difficulties in getting
to sleep as your body will
still be revved up.
7. Develop sleep rituals which
include quiet activities,
such as reading, 15 minutes
before bedtime.
Just like we maintain for
children, adults need daily
sleep rituals prior to going
to bed to allow us to unwind
and mentally prepare for going
to sleep. These rituals should
include quiet activities such
as reading, listening to relaxing
music, or even taking a nice
bath.
8. If you are having
trouble getting to sleep,
don’t struggle in bed
or you will train yourself
to have difficulties there.
Individuals who have difficulty
initiating sleep often toss
and turn in bed and try to
force sleep to come. As this
is repeated, night after night,
this sets up a situation where
we associate our bed with
the anxiety of not being able
to sleep. If you are unable
to get to sleep within 15
minutes, go to another quiet
place and lie down until you
feel ready to fall asleep,
and then return to your bedroom
to sleep.
9. Avoid eating or
drinking in the few hours
right before going to bed,
as these might lead to disruptions
of your sleep.
Discomfort with heartburn
or acid reflux as well as
needing to get up multiple
times to urinate can be very
disruptive to a good night’s
sleep. It is best to avoid
setting up these situations
by not eating or drinking
in the few hours just prior
to bedtime.
10. Make sleep a priority:
don’t sacrifice sleep
to do daytime activities.
The most important advice
is to respect that your body
needs to sleep. Too often
we are likely to allow our
sleep time to be infringed
upon when our daytime obligations
take longer than we expect.
Additionally, opportunities
to engage in pleasurable activities—visiting
friends, watching television,
playing on the internet, eating
out, and any number of others—quickly
cut into our sleep time if
we allow them to. It is important
to schedule your sleep time
and keep to that schedule,
no matter what might come
up during the day.
Learn
more about symptoms and types
of sleep disorders
Learn
more about diagnosis and tests
for sleep disorders
Learn
more about treatment and care
available at North Medical
Learn
more about coping with sleep
problems
Learn more about helpful resources
for sleep support |
Sleep
Disorders 
