Good Sleep Hygiene

Good sleep hygiene is very important for your health. Check the below tips for better sleep:

1. Create a regular sleep-wake routine

• Try going to bed at the same time every night
• Go to bed only if sleepy
• If not sleepy, engage in a relaxing activity
• NO daytime naps

2. Turn your bedroom into a place where you can escape and enjoy “Perfect Sleep”

• Keep your bedroom quiet, dark, and cool
• No children or pets sleeping with you
• Treat your partner’s snoring problem
• Use a fan to create soothing ‘white-noise’
• Use black-out curtains/blinds or an eye mask
• Avoid temperature extremes – between 54 degrees and 75 degrees
• Use the bedroom ONLY for sleep and intimacy
• NO television or computers in your bedroom
• Leave work in the office
• Make your sleeping environment a Five Star experience
• Waking up with a cramp in your back or a sore neck? Flip your mattress – or is it time to purchase a new one?
• A common misperception is that an ultra-firm mattress leads to better sleep — experiment with different levels of mattress firmness
• Test several pillows to discover the one designed for your favorite sleep position and that provides proper supports
• Turn your clock around
• Avoid “watching the clock” – this creates anxiety as you think about how much time is passing without falling asleep

3. Change your daytime routine to create a better nighttime experience and a good sleep hygiene

• Regular exercise improves sleep quality
• Just do not exercise within six hours of bedtime or your body might be too stimulated
• Avoid large meals within 3 hours of bedtime
• Especially heavy or spicy foods that cause indigestion, which worsens as you are laying down
• Especially fatty, rich food which takes a lot of work for your stomach to digest and may keep you awake
• Avoid stimulants
• NO caffeine – its effect can last up to 10 hours
• Remember — hidden sources of caffeine include chocolate, caffeinated sodas, and teas
• NO smoking – nicotine increases the time it takes to fall asleep and causes poor-quality sleep, as smokers actually experience nicotine withdrawal as the night progresses
• Avoid alcohol
• A cocktail may help you fall asleep, but it will cause frequent awakenings later in the night and disrupt REM (dream) sleep
• Avoid drinking too much fluid before bedtime
• Frequent bathroom visits interrupt a good night’s sleep

4. Relax before you sleep

• Read a book or listen to music
• Avoid any activity that creates stress or requires significant mental efforts
• Take a warm bath 90 minutes prior to bedtime
• Set a “worry-time” during the day to resolve important issues and allow your mind to be free to relax at bedtime

5. Don’t Lie in Bed Awake

• If unable to fall asleep within 20 minutes, get out of bed and engage in a relaxing act
• Return to bed when sleepy
• Repeat as necessary

6. Sleep Diary

• Brodner will ask you to complete a log documenting your sleep habits for the next two weeks
• TRY to be as accurate as possible
• Repeat as necessary

David C. Brodner, M.D. is a double Board-Certified Sleep Medicine specialist who has lectured both locally and nationally on Sleep Apnea and CPAP therapy, serves as Medical Director for Sleep Labs in Boca Raton, Lake Worth, and Deerfield Beach, and runs an Insomnia Management Clinic in Boynton Beach, Florida. These tips for better sleep can help you make an idea about what you need to do but Dr. Brodner established the Center for Sinus, Allergy, and Sleep Wellness in 2009 and offers the latest cutting-edge technology and techniques to patients from Wellington to Palm Beach, Jupiter to Delray Beach, and beyond to help them establish good sleep hygiene.