The inability to fall asleep and wake up feeling
refreshed is an exceedingly common problem.
The reasons behind it are multiple, and often it is a combination of
things that interfere with our ability to get good sleep.
Just like everyone else, I have to balance the demands of
work and my family.
I get home late, so
I eat dinner right before bed.
I drink
caffeine throughout the day.
And, there
is a TV going in the bedroom and books/journals on the nightstand.
There are many ways to try and improve our sleep habits
and get more restful sleep besides starting medication for a sleep aid:
Set up a Pattern
– Try to stick to a schedule as best you can.
Get into a rhythm so that after a couple of weeks your body knows that
at the same time each day it is time to start winding down.
The same routine of trying to relax and
perform the same tasks like brushing/flossing right before you climb into bed help
train your body for the arrival of sleep.
Just as important as the
nighttime routine is the idea of getting up at the same time.
A little bit of sleeping in on the weekend is
fine, but grabbing 4 extra hours of sleep is disruptive to establishing and
keeping your body trained for sleep and in a rhythm.
Tone Down
the House & Your Activity - Try to turn the TV off for a while before
bed and let the house get quiet.
Read
something that while interesting, doesn’t get your heart racing.
Tune the radio onto a station playing
something relaxing and keep the volume low.
Do regular exercise a few days a week, but early in the day or afternoon
so your body can calm down and relax after the exertion.
Eat at a reasonable hour so your body isn’t
working to digest the food while you are trying to get comfortable and off to
sleep.
Be mindful to avoid caffeine late
in the evening whether it comes from coffee, tea, chocolate, or soda.
No Daytime
Naps – Sleeping during the day may be necessary for infants and young
children, but not adults.
Excessive
daytime sleepiness can be a symptom of something more significant like sleep
apnea and should be discussed with your doctor.
Keep the Bed
for its Intended Purpose – Too many of us use the bedroom as a multipurpose
room.
We keep the TV on watching late night
television, read books or magazines in bed, do homework, fold the laundry and
so on.
This teaches the brain that the
bed is for more than just rest.
The standard teaching is the bed is only for
sleep and sex.
If you want to watch TV, get out of the bed.
If you want to read a few pages from a book
or magazine, get out of bed.
Keep your mind on the idea that once you get
into bed, it is time to sleep.
Still not
Sleepy? – Don’t lie in the bed and keep checking the clock.
Peeking at the clock and calculating “how
much sleep you can get if you fall asleep right now” only increases your
anxiety and keeps you from falling asleep.
Get up out of bed, leave the room and go back in after 15 minutes to try
again.
If you still aren’t asleep in 15
minutes, get up and out of bed again and again until you fall asleep.
If you wake up early in the morning the same
rules apply, don’t lie in bed if you are not sleepy.
When Discussing
it with your Provider - Before you see your provider for trouble sleeping,
try to keep a diary of your sleep habits for about 2 weeks.
The diary should note the time you last had
anything to eat, the time you laid down, approximately when you fell asleep,
any naps you took throughout the day, any alcohol intake, cigarette smoking,
any pain you may have, and all medications, vitamins or supplements that you
are taking.
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