TEN TIPS FOR BETTER SLEEP
If you're
having trouble sleeping, change your sleep habits for a
better night's rest.
Feeling
crabby lately? It could be you aren't getting enough sleep.
Work, household responsibilities and child care can make
sleep difficult to come by. Factor in other unexpected
challenges such as financial worries, layoffs, relationship
issues or an illness, and quality sleep may be even more
elusive.
You may not
be able to control or eliminate all of the factors that
interfere with your sleep, but you can create an environment
and adopt habits that encourage a more restful night. Try
these ten tips for better sleep if you have trouble falling
asleep or staying asleep:
-
Go to
bed and get up at about the same time every day, even on
the weekends. Sticking to a schedule helps reinforce
your body's sleep-wake cycle and can help you fall
asleep better at night.
-
Don't
eat or drink large amounts before bedtime. Eat a light
dinner about two hours before sleeping. If you're prone
to heartburn, avoid spicy or fatty foods, which can make
your heartburn flare and prevent a restful sleep. Also,
limit how much you drink before bed. Too much liquid can
cause you to wake up repeatedly during the night for
trips to the bathroom.
-
Avoid
nicotine, caffeine and alcohol in the evening. These are
stimulants that can keep you awake. Smokers often
experience withdrawal symptoms at night, and smoking in
bed is dangerous. Avoid caffeine for eight hours before
your planned bedtime. Your body doesn't store caffeine,
but it takes many hours to eliminate the stimulant and
its effects. And although often believed to be a
sedative, alcohol actually disrupts sleep.
-
Exercise regularly. Regular physical activity,
especially aerobic exercise, can help you fall asleep
faster and make your sleep more restful. Don't exercise
within three hours of your bedtime, however. Exercising
right before bed may make getting to sleep more
difficult.
-
Make
your bedroom cool, dark, quiet and comfortable. Create a
room that's ideal for sleeping. Adjust the lighting,
temperature, humidity and noise level to your
preferences. Use blackout curtains, eye covers,
earplugs, extra blankets, a fan, a humidifier or other
devices to create an environment that suits your needs.
-
Sleep
primarily at night. Daytime naps may steal hours from
nighttime slumber. Limit daytime sleep to about a
half-hour and make it during mid-afternoon. If you work
nights, keep your window coverings closed so that
sunlight, which adjusts the body's internal clock,
doesn't interrupt your sleep. If you have a day job and
sleep at night, but still have trouble waking up, leave
the window coverings open and let the sunlight help wake
you up.
-
Choose
a comfortable mattress and pillow. Features of a good
bed are subjective and differ for each person. But make
sure you have a bed that's comfortable. If you share
your bed, make sure there's enough room for two.
Children and pets are often disruptive, so you may need
to set limits on how often they sleep in bed with you.
-
Start a
relaxing bedtime routine. Do the same things each night
to tell your body it's time to wind down. This may
include taking a warm bath or shower, reading a book, or
listening to soothing music. Relaxing activities done
with lowered lights can help ease the transition between
wakefulness and sleepiness.
-
Go to
bed when you're tired and turn out the lights. If you
don't fall asleep within 15 to 20 minutes, get up and do
something else. Go back to bed when you're tired. Don't
agonize over falling asleep. The stress will only
prevent sleep.
-
Use
sleeping pills only as a last resort. Check with your
doctor before taking any sleep medications. He or she
can make sure the pills won't interact with your other
medications or with an existing medical condition. Your
doctor can also help you determine the best dosage. If
you do take a sleep medication, reduce the dosage
gradually when you want to quit, and never mix alcohol
and sleeping pills. If you feel sleepy or dizzy during
the day, talk to your doctor about changing the dosage
or discontinuing the pills.
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