8 TIPS TO SLEEP BETTER NOW

0 Comments

Do you have trouble falling asleep and then waking up and not being able to fall back to sleep?  Are you experiencing this now?  
Here are 8 Tips to Sleep Better Now.

Good quality sleep improves mental and physical health, including mood, alertness, metabolism and your immune system

Here are 8 Tips to Sleep Better Now

  1. Finish Eating & Drinking at least 3 hours before bedtime
    -Set regular mealtimes
    -Limit night caps as alcohol affects your ability to get into deep sleep and you wake up less refreshed
    -Limits indigestion which can keep you awake
    -Limit caffeine intake to 2 p.m.  Use decaffeinated after 2 p.m.
  2. Keep the bedroom dark and cold (temp between 15-19 C – 60-67 F)
    -Wear a blackout mask or put up blackout drapes if you need it darker
    -Use a rotating fan to cool the room and block out other noise
  3. Take melatonin
    – Start low and increase slowly
    – most doctors recommend to take less than 5 mg 2.
    The National Sleep Foundation found “Between two tenths of a milligram and five milligrams taken 60 minutes before bedtime is a typical dose for adults, while children should take a smaller dose. Too much melatonin can disrupt your sleep cycle, so start with the smallest dose of two tenths of a milligram and increase it as needed.”
    –Melatonin helps you fall asleep faster, increases sleep quality and how long you sleep
  4. Reduce Blue light
    -No electronics 1 hr before bed -Use blue blocking glasses
    -Use nighttime in settings on your electronics it changes the blue light to orange light or install f.lux app
    – Research has shown that electronics have a negative impact on sleep and daytime alertness.  Blue light suppresses melatonin, your sleepy hormone, melatonin 1.
  5. 20 minutes of morning sun boosts your sleep quality3.
    – fall asleep faster and less waking
    -Go for a brisk walk in the morning light
    -Use a wake up light3. to enhance morning cortisol and reduce melatonin
  6. Exercise during the day
    -30 mins 5 times a week is recommended to maintain your physical fitness
  7. Fix sleep apnea
    -Sleep Apnea interferes with your deep restorative sleep as you wake yourself up multiple times an hour when you stop breathing and your oxygen levels drop
    -Ask your doctor if you can be referred for a sleep study if you think you may have this
  8. Go camping
    – go to bed when its dark and get up when its light
    – within 2 weeks you can reset your sleep-wake cycle (circadian rhythm)

If you think your friends/network would find this useful, please share it with them – I’d really appreciate it.”

1.Chang AM, Aeschbach D, Duffy JF, Czeisler CA. Evening use of light-emitting eReaders negatively affects sleep, circadian timing, and next-morning alertness. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2015 Jan 27;112(4):1232-7. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1418490112. Epub 2014 Dec 22. PMID: 25535358; PMCID: PMC4313820.

2.Ferracioli-Oda, E., Qawasmi, A., & Bloch, M. H. (2013). Meta-analysis: melatonin for the treatment of primary sleep disorders. PloS one8(5), e63773. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0063773

3.Effects of light on human circadian rhythms, sleep and mood Christine Blume, Corrado Garbazza, Manuel Spitschan Somnologie (Berl) 2019; 23(3): 147–156. Published online 2019 Aug 20. doi: 10.1007/s11818-019-00215-x, PMCID: PMC6751071

Categories:

1 thought on “8 TIPS TO SLEEP BETTER NOW”

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *