13 Tips For Better Sleep Hygiene*
1. Keep regular sleep habits.
2. Avoid going to bed after midnight. Many people get their “second wind” after midnight.
3. Avoid vigorous exercise shortly before bedtime. Exercise in the afternoon or early evening may actually be helpful, but should be completed no later than 3 hours before bedtime.
4. Avoid late afternoon/evening naps and do not allow yourself to doze off while reading or watching television prior to bedtime. Even brief episodes of sleep may interfere with subsequent sleep. Naps early in the day should be restricted to less than one hour.
5. Bed should be used for sleep and sex and not for reading, watching television, working on a laptop, or other activities that may keep one awake.
6. Learn to associate your bed with relaxation and not with activities that will keep you alert for prolonged periods.
7. Avoid large meals and excessive fluid intake. Any bedtime snacks should be small and consist of non-spicy foods with sedating potential. Examples include peanut butter and dairy products, both high in tryptophan which increases sleepiness.
8. Avoid caffeine, alcohol and cigarettes several hours prior to bedtime.
9. Try to wind down the latter part of the evening. Take a warm bath, listen to calming music or a self-hypnosis tape.
10. Do not allow yourself to lie in bed worrying about problems or challenges of the upcoming day. If necessary, set aside a “worry time” some hours before bedtime and tell yourself that any difficulties you cannot resolve during that allotted time can be put off until the next day.
11. Make sure that your bedroom is conducive to good sleep. Keep the room dark and cool. Overly warm rooms are not conducive to quality sleep.
12. Ensure a quiet environment. Block out outside noise either with a white noise generator or earplugs. Utilize an answering machine and unplug the telephone in the bedroom.
13. Avoid oversleeping and lying in bed for prolonged periods after your sleep is completed. Excessive sleep tends not to be refreshing, and leaves people feeling worse, and that may interfere with the following night of sleep.
If you can’t fall asleep or you awaken and can’t return to sleep within 20 minutes, get up and do something relaxing. Don’t engage in activities that will render sleep unlikely or impossible such as doing laundry, cleaning house, reading an interesting book, playing computer games or going shopping.
If you are still excessively tired or your sleep is disturbed despite all of the above measures, consult your physician or mental health professional. Explain to them what is happening in your life. While certain types of drugs may not be useful, mild sedation to prevent exhaustion and severe insomnia may be therapeutic.
*Adapted from Sleep Hygiene, Robert W. Clark, M.D., www.thesleepsite.com