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Sleep Hygiene...Helpful Hints - zonk - 02-27-2012
[parts of this thread were copied from our old forum]
Sleep Hygiene: Helpful Hints to Help You Sleep
watching television at night
Poor sleep habits (referred to as hygiene) are among the most common problems encountered in our society. We stay up too late and get up too early. We interrupt our sleep with drugs, chemicals and work, and we overstimulate ourselves with late-night activities such as television.
Below are some essentials of good sleep habits. Many of these points will seem like common sense. But it is surprising how many of these important points are ignored by many of us.
* Your Personal Habits
* Your Sleeping Environment
* Getting Ready For Bed
* Getting Up in the Middle of the Night
* A Word About Television
* Other Factors
Your Personal Habits
Personal Habits
* Fix a bedtime and an awakening time. Do not be one of those people who allows bedtime and awakening time to drift. The body "gets used" to falling asleep at a certain time, but only if this is relatively fixed. Even if you are retired or not working, this is an essential component of good sleeping habits.
* Avoid napping during the day. If you nap throughout the day, it is no wonder that you will not be able to sleep at night. The late afternoon for most people is a "sleepy time." Many people will take a nap at that time. This is generally not a bad thing to do, provided you limit the nap to 30-45 minutes and can sleep well at night.
* Avoid alcohol 4-6 hours before bedtime. Many people believe that alcohol helps them sleep. While alcohol has an immediate sleep-inducing effect, a few hours later as the alcohol levels in your blood start to fall, there is a stimulant or wake-up effect.
* Avoid caffeine 4-6 hours before bedtime. This includes caffeinated beverages such as coffee, tea and many sodas, as well as chocolate, so be careful.
* Avoid heavy, spicy, or sugary foods 4-6 hours before bedtime. These can affect your ability to stay asleep.
* Exercise regularly, but not right before bed. Regular exercise, particularly in the afternoon, can help deepen sleep. Strenuous exercise within the 2 hours before bedtime, however, can decrease your ability to fall asleep.
Your Sleeping Environment
* Use comfortable bedding. Uncomfortable bedding can prevent good sleep. Evaluate whether or not this is a source of your problem, and make appropriate changes.
* Find a comfortable temperature setting for sleeping and keep the room well ventilated. If your bedroom is too cold or too hot, it can keep you awake. A cool (not cold) bedroom is often the most conducive to sleep.
* Block out all distracting noise, and eliminate as much light as possible.
* Reserve the bed for sleep and sex. Don't use the bed as an office, workroom or recreation room. Let your body "know" that the bed is associated with sleeping.
Getting Ready For Bed
* Try a light snack before bed. Warm milk and foods high in the amino acid tryptophan, such as bananas, may help you to sleep.
* Practice relaxation techniques before bed. Relaxation techniques such as yoga, deep breathing and others may help relieve anxiety and reduce muscle tension.
* Don't take your worries to bed. Leave your worries about job, school, daily life, etc., behind when you go to bed. Some people find it useful to assign a "worry period" during the evening or late afternoon to deal with these issues.
* Establish a pre-sleep ritual. Pre-sleep rituals, such as a warm bath or a few minutes of reading, can help you sleep.
* Get into your favorite sleeping position. If you don't fall asleep within 15-30 minutes, get up, go into another room, and read until sleepy.
Getting Up in the Middle of the Night
Most people wake up one or two times a night for various reasons. If you find that you get up in the middle of night and cannot get back to sleep within 15-20 minutes, then do not remain in the bed "trying hard" to sleep. Get out of bed. Leave the bedroom. Read, have a light snack, do some quiet activity, or take a bath. You will generally find that you can get back to sleep 20 minutes or so later. Do not perform challenging or engaging activity such as office work, housework, etc. Do not watch television.
A Word About Television
Many people fall asleep with the television on in their room. Watching television before bedtime is often a bad idea. Television is a very engaging medium that tends to keep people up. We generally recommend that the television not be in the bedroom. At the appropriate bedtime, the TV should be turned off and the patient should go to bed. Some people find that the radio helps them go to sleep. Since radio is a less engaging medium than TV, this is probably a good idea.
Other Factors
* Several physical factors are known to upset sleep. These include arthritis, acid reflux with heartburn, menstruation, headaches and hot flashes.
* Psychological and mental health problems like depression, anxiety and stress are often associated with sleeping difficulty. In many cases, difficulty staying asleep may be the only presenting sign of depression. A physician should be consulted about these issues to help determine the problem and the best treatment.
* Many medications can cause sleeplessness as a side effect. Ask your doctor or pharmacist if medications you are taking can lead to sleeplessness.
* To help overall improvement in sleep patterns, your doctor may prescribe sleep medications for short-term relief of a sleep problem. The decision to take sleeping aids is a medical one to be made in the context of your overall health picture.
* Always follow the advice of your physician and other healthcare professionals. The goal is to rediscover how to sleep naturally.
http://www.umm.edu/sleep/sleep_hyg.htm
RE: Sleep Hygiene...Helpful Hints - zonk - 02-27-2012
PaulaO wrote:
^^I have insomnia and one of my long-time habits is this. ^^
When I am having a bout of it, I go to bed at the same time, if I cannot fall asleep within half-hour, I get up for an hour and try again. No matter how much sleep I got, I get up at the same time.
I've also tried some "white noise" stuff. I like ocean sounds and the like, too.
And I really agree about the television in the bedroom thing. Whoever thought that was a good idea and started this habit?!
zimlich wrote:
My roommate needs the TV on to go to sleep. We have compromised and she sets the sleep timer on the TV. I don't watch it- it's just like white noise to me. She can't sleep without it so as not to make her miserable we have come on this solution.
zonk wrote:
Sleep Hygiene Tips
(Source: MetroHealth)
Good sleep hygiene is anything that helps maintain your health by keeping your mind and body rested and strong.Good sleep hygiene is anything that helps maintain your health by keeping your mind and body rested and strong. Just as you get in the habit of brushing, flossing, and visiting your dentist regularly, you must implement a nightly routine of healthy habits to improve your sleep hygiene. Follow these tips to help ensure a good night's sleep.
1- Wait until you are sleepy before going to bed. If you're not sleepy at your regular bedtime, try to relax your body and distract your mind by reading, listening to music, or some other activity.
2- Pre-sleep rituals help to initiate relaxation each night before bed. A warm bath, light snack, or a few minutes of reading or listening to music can initiate good sleep. Avoid eating heavy meals near bedtime.
3- If you're not asleep in 20 minutes, get out of bed. If you are not asleep after 20 minutes, leave your bedroom and find something else that will relax you enough to help make you sleepy.
4- Try to keep a regular sleep/wake schedule. Wake up at the same time each day, even on weekends and holidays.
5- Keep a regular daily schedule. Maintaining a regular schedules for meals, medications, chores, and other activities helps keep your body's clock running smoothly.
6- Get a full night's sleep on a regular basis. Get enough sleep every day so that you feel well-rested.
7- If possible, avoid naps. If you have to take a nap, try to keep it to less than one hour and avoid taking a nap after 3 p.m.
8- Do not read, eat, watch TV, talk on the phone, or play board games in bed.
9- Avoid caffeine after lunch.
10- Avoid alcohol of any type within six hours of your bedtime.
11- Do not smoke or ingest nicotine within two hours of your bedtime.
12- Exercise regularly, but avoid strenuous exercise within six hours of your bedtime. Regular exercise is good, but do it earlier in the day. Also, remember to talk to your doctor before starting an exercise program.
13- Avoid sleeping pills, or use them cautiously. Always use sleeping pills as prescribed by your physician.
14- Try to clear your mind of things that make you worry. Find ways to relieve stress and aggravation before you go to sleep. The bed is a place to rest, not a place to worry about the day's problems.
15- Maintain a quiet, dark and cool bedroom environment. Every person has his or her own personal preference as to the ideal sleep environment. Extreme heat or cold should be avoided. If you need noise, use white noise or soft music. If you need light, use off-light such as a night light in the bathroom or hallway.
RE: Sleep Hygiene...Helpful Hints - zimlich - 06-25-2012
It's always good to review sleep hygiene from time to time. One thing I have found is chronic pain makes for very restless, fragmented, uncomfortable sleep. I am always sure to take my prescriptuion pain medicine before bed.