Many things can interfere with sleep, ranging from anxiety to an unusual work schedule. But members who have difficulty sleeping often discover that their daily routine holds the key to nighttime woes. Below are some common enemies of sleep, and some tips for dealing with them.
- Cut down on caffeine. Caffeine-drinkers may find it difficult to fall asleep. Once they drift off, their sleep is shorter and lighter.
- Stop smoking or chewing tobacco. Nicotine is a potent drug that speeds your heart rate, raises blood pressure, and stimulates brain activity. In people addicted to nicotine, a few hours without it is enough to induce withdrawal symptoms. Cravings can even wake a smoker at night.
- Use alcohol cautiously. Alcohol affects sleep in two different ways. Because it makes you sleepy for an hour or two, a nightcap can help some people doze off. But after that, alcohol can cause frequent awakenings as it suppresses deep sleep, reducing the quality of your sleep.
- Avoid a sedentary life. Aerobic exercise like walking, running or swimming promotes restfulness by helping you to fall asleep more easily and to sleep more soundly.
Timing is important: Exercising five or six hours before bedtime will encourage drowsiness when it's time to go to sleep. But strenuous activity within two hours before bedtime can keep you awake.
- Improve your sleep surroundings. An ideal sleep environment is quiet, dark and relatively cool, with a comfortable bed and a minimal amount of clutter from daytime responsibilities. Reminders or discussions of stressful issues should be banished to another room. Removing the television, telephone and office equipment from the bedroom is a good way to reinforce that this room is meant for sleeping.
- Keep a regular schedule. People with the most regular sleep habits report the fewest problems with insomnia and the least feelings of anxiety and depression. Experts advise going to sleep at the same time on most nights, and getting up at about the same time every day, even after a late-night party or fitful sleep. Napping during the day can also make it harder to get to sleep at night.
- Keep a sleep diary. Keeping a sleep diary may help you uncover some clues about what's disturbing your sleep. If possible, you should do this for a month, but even a week's worth of entries can be beneficial.
- If your goal is to sleep longer at night, napping is a bad idea. Because your daily sleep requirement remains constant, naps take away from evening sleep.
- If your goal is to improve your alertness during the day, a scheduled nap may be just the thing. If you're anxious about getting enough sleep, then a scheduled nap may help you feel better at night by helping you feel less anxious. If possible, nap shortly after lunch and no longer than an hour. Even a 15- to 20-minute nap can make you feel more alert.
I hope there is something posted here that will help you with your sleep. Reference: The Faculty of Harvard Medical School, The Harvard Medical School Advisor.
Take Care,
Kitt