By Terry Orr
Most baby boomers have considered sleep over-rated – as I
have for decades – only to learn just how important getting a good nights sleep
every night for your entire wellbeing. If you are having difficulties getting
consistent sleep, try these tips below and see if they help. Also be sure to talk with your doctor! The
aim of Better Sleep Month is to encourage people to establish better sleeping
patterns.
Mayo Clinic offers these seven tips for better sleep:
No. 1: Stick to a sleep schedule
Go to bed and get up at the same time every day, even on
weekends, holidays and days off. Being consistent reinforces your body's sleep-wake cycle and
helps promote better sleep at night. There's a caveat, though. If you don't
fall asleep within about 15 minutes, get up and do something relaxing. Go back
to bed when you're tired. If you agonize over falling asleep, you might find it
even tougher to nod off.
No. 2: Pay attention to what you eat and drink
Don't go to bed either hungry or stuffed. Your discomfort
might keep you up. Also limit how much you drink before bed, to prevent
disruptive middle-of-the-night trips to the toilet.
Nicotine, caffeine and alcohol deserve caution,
too. The
stimulating effects of nicotine and caffeine — which take hours to wear off —
can wreak havoc with quality sleep. And even though alcohol might make you feel
sleepy at first, it can disrupt sleep later in the night.
No. 3: Create a bedtime ritual
Do the same things each night to tell your body it's time to
wind down. This
might include taking a warm bath or shower, reading a book, or listening to
soothing music — preferably with the lights dimmed. Relaxing activities can
promote better sleep by easing the transition between wakefulness and
drowsiness.
Be wary of using the TV or other electronic devices as part
of your bedtime ritual. Some research suggests that screen time or other media use
before bedtime interferes with sleep.
No. 4: Get comfortable
Create a room that's ideal for sleeping. Often, this means
cool, dark and quiet. Consider using room-darkening shades, earplugs, a fan or
other devices to create an environment that suits your needs.
Your mattress and pillow can contribute to
better sleep, too. Since the features of good bedding are subjective,
choose what feels most comfortable to you. If you share your bed, make sure
there's enough room for two. If you have children or pets, set limits on how
often they sleep with you — or insist on separate sleeping quarters.
No. 5: Limit daytime naps
Long daytime naps can interfere with nighttime sleep —
especially if you're struggling with insomnia or poor sleep quality at night. If you choose to
nap during the day, limit yourself to about 10 to 30 minutes and make it during
the midafternoon.
If you work nights, you'll need to make an exception to the
rules about daytime sleeping. In this case, keep your window coverings closed
so that sunlight — which adjusts your internal clock — doesn't interrupt your
daytime sleep.
No. 6: Include physical activity in your daily routine
Regular physical activity can promote better sleep, helping
you to fall asleep faster and to enjoy deeper sleep. Timing is important, though. If you exercise
too close to bedtime, you might be too energized to fall asleep. If this seems
to be an issue for you, exercise earlier in the day.
No. 7: Manage stress
When you have too much to do — and too much to think about —
your sleep is likely to suffer! To help restore peace to your life, consider healthy ways to
manage stress. Start with the basics, such as getting organized, setting
priorities and delegating tasks. Give yourself permission to take a break when
you need one. Share a good laugh with an old friend. Before bed, jot down
what's on your mind and then set it aside for tomorrow.
All of these are good tips!
From a physical perspective, I have Sleep Apnea, Attention Deficit
Disorder (ADD), exercise too little and over weight – all of these contribute
to nightly challenge of getting a restful night sleep. All of those are being addressed with the help of my doctor, nutritionist, and
physical therapist.
For those who are interested in learning more about sleep
and its various topics, I highly recommend visiting the National SleepFoundation. They have a very handy tool
to search for specific topics, disorders and polls to assist you in your
research.
References and Links:
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