Getting a Good Night's Sleep
Most adults need 7-8 hours of sleep per night and should feel refreshed after that much sleep. Unfortunately, Americans are sleeping less. Insufficient or disrupted sleep may contribute to decreased energy and fatigue, decreased alertness, and weight gain. Poor sleep increases the risk of developing depression and having a serious accident. This handout details good sleeping habits that may help improve both quantity and quality of sleep.
Get into a good routine
- Leave enough time for at least 7 hours of sleep per day.
- Go to bed and get up about the same times every day.
- Try to sleep as soon as you feel sleepy, but don't stay in bed staring at the clock if you don't fall asleep with in a half hour. Get up, read until you feel sleepy, then try to sleep again.
- Don't do anything in your bed except sleep or have sex. All other activities (reading, TV watching, eating, etc.) should be done elsewhere.
- Don't nap during the day—it makes it harder to sleep at night.
- If you have to get up during the night, to go the bathroom for example, try not to turn on any bright lights. Return to bed and try to fall asleep quickly.
Prepare well for bed
- Don't start anything that wakes you up near bedtime.
- Don't exercise or increase physical activity near bedtime.
- Don't get into difficult or challenging conversations near bedtime.
- Don't do stimulating mental activities near bedtime.
- Limit smoking near bedtime.
- Consciously prepare for sleep with a set a regular activities beginning about 30-45 minutes before trying to sleep.
- Practice a short relaxation exercise.
- Use a set of calming yoga poses.
- Take a warm bath. Add lavender or other calming essential oils to water to enhance the relaxing effects.
- If you get anxious and have many intrusive thoughts or make lists when you lie down to sleep, consider drawing for 10-15 minutes before bed.
- Write down a short list of things that are bothering you, promise yourself you will address these issues in the morning and then put the list away—mentally and literally.
- Read something relaxing or even boring for a few minutes to distract you and allow you to get sleepy. No scary or stimulating books!
- Consider listening to a tape of relaxing music or tapes designed to help induce restful sleep.
Create an environment conducive to sleep
- Invest in a good bed with a comfortable mattress, but make sure it is firm enough to give adequate support to the back.
- Keep the room cool.
- Make the room as dark as possible.
- Decrease the sound in the room or wear ear plugs.
- Consider a white noise or relaxing noise machine.
- Use relaxing essential oils (lavender, geranium). You can put them on a tissue on your pillow or use a diffuser.
Eat to promote a good sleep
- Don't eat a heavy meal within two hours of bedtime.
- Limit the amount of caffeine—you may need to limit caffeine all day, not just after dinner. Try having no more than two caffeinated beverages during the day, even if you feel tired after a poor night's sleep.
- Alcohol may make you feel relaxed and seems to help you fall asleep, but it disrupts normal sleep architecture, leading to fracture or disrupted sleep. Alcohol is not recommended.
- Sugary or spicy foods before bed may be stimulating and interfere with sleep.
- Eating a small snack containing foods high in carbohydrates or tryptophan (like turkey, tuna, soy, whole wheat crackers, yogurt, banana, milk) may increase a neurotransmitter in the brain making it easier to sleep.
Treat other medical conditions that can interfere with sleep
- Maintain a normal weight. Obesity can contribute to sleep apnea.
- Treat chronic painful conditions so that pain does not interrupt sleep.
Supplements to aid sleep
- Valerian 600-900 mg nightly 30 minutes before bedtime. Take daily for at least 2-4 weeks to see benefit.
- Relaxing tea such as Celestial Seasons Sleepytime® tea (chamomile and spearmint).
- Melatonin can be very helpful for some people. Try 1 mg at bedtime to start. Do not use if this supplement stimulates you or if you have a seizure disorder.
- Hyland's Calms Forté™ is a homeopathic preparation that can help you fall asleep. Take 4-6 capsules into a clean mouth (nothing to eat or drink for 30 minutes before or after this dose). This medication does not make you groggy or hung over so it is a good thing to take if you wake up with only a few hours left in the night, if you are elderly, or if you are very sensitive to medications.
When to get medical follow up
- If you snore loudly or stop breathing briefly during sleep.
- If you fall asleep suddenly during the day, especially if you are doing activities like driving or other activities that should keep you awake.
- If you have abnormal movements in your legs at night.
- If you think one of your regular medications is interfering with sleep. Drugs that can interfere with sleep include: selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors like Prozac® (fluoxetine hydrochloride), decongestants, corticosteroids, and some asthma medications.
- If you are very anxious or depressed. These medical conditions can interfere with sleep.
Understanding Sleep
Until the 1950s, most people thought of sleep as a passive, dormant part of our daily lives. We now know that our brains are very active during sleep. Moreover, sleep affects our daily functioning and our physical and mental health in many ways that we are just beginning to understand.
At least 40 million Americans each year suffer from chronic, long-term sleep disorders, and an additional 20 million experience occasional sleeping problems. These disorders and the resulting sleep deprivation interfere with work, driving, and social activities. They also account for an estimated $16 billion in medical costs each year, while the indirect costs due to lost productivity and other factors are probably much greater.
Almost everyone occasionally suffers from short-term insomnia. This problem can result from stress, jet lag, diet, or many other factors. Insomnia almost always affects job performance and well-being the next day. About 60 million Americans a year have insomnia frequently or for extended periods of time, which leads to even more serious sleep deficits. Insomnia tends to increase with age and affects about 40% of women and 30% of men. It is often the major disabling symptom of an underlying medical disorder.
Mild insomnia often can be prevented or cured by practicing good sleep habits. For more serious cases of insomnia, researchers are experimenting with light therapy and other ways to alter circadian cycles.
Source: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health. Available at: www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/brain_basics/understanding_sleep.htm. Accessed on June 18, 2007.
Most adults need 7-8 hours of sleep per night and should feel refreshed after that much sleep. Unfortunately, Americans are sleeping less.You have reached your article limit for the month. Subscribe now to access this article plus other member-only content.
- Award-winning Medical Content
- Latest Advances & Development in Medicine
- Unbiased Content