Sleep Fundamentals

Good habits that will improve your sleep!

Feeling chronically sleep deprived is one of the worst feelings in the world. I know it and have been there big time. Pricking eyeballs and just yearning to have a nap in the day time; snapping at one's spouse for no good reason; dragging oneself through the day knowing that your work out is not representative of your true capacity; feeling you could just break down and weep for lack of sleep; does any of this sound familiar? As someone who has suffered greatly over the years, but has seen a vast improvement in my quality of sleep in recent months, let me share with you all some tips which I know actually work.

STRESS REDUCTION AND RELAXATION

• We live in the world of the Internet, but working on your computer late at night is stimulating for most of us and not a "winding down activity" before bedtime. Try to stop at least 2 hours before bedtime, otherwise you may well find your mind racing when you least want it.

• Each of us needs to discover what healthy activities we need to develop on a routine basis to unwind at night. This can include a long whirlpool bath, aroma therapy , massage , sauna, a gentle stroll in your garden, listening to relaxing music to name some of my favorites. I have found that watching the TV news is often too disturbing late at night, so I watch it earlier in the day.

• Relaxation, biofeedback exercises, or meditation with or without music, can be extraordinarily helpful in clearing the mind of all the worries left over from the day. What is important is that by the time you go to bed, that your mind be clear of stressful clutter.

• Make notes on a list of what you need to do tomorrow, so that you can stop telling yourself that you need to remember to do something important the next day, or worse still, rehearsing how you are going to handle it.

• Most of us experience times in our lives when extra stress occurs because of some life event such as divorce, or death in the family. In those times, if your sleep deteriorates, support from a professional psychologist for rational emotive cognitive behavior therapy, or consulting your physician for medication to help you for a short time is advisable.

THE ROLE OF DIET AND EXERCISE

• The vast majority of Americans are overweight, and being overweight exacerbates sleep disturbances that are due to sleep apnea, arthritis, back pain, and other ailments that interfere with sleep .Losing weight is an incredibly difficult thing to do especially as we get older and trying to do it alone is often bound to fail.. Speaking from personal experience, every 10 pounds that you lose will help with your sleep and I highly recommend a group support program like Weight Watchers.

• Too many of us use food to produce a soporific feeling to knock ourselves out in the evening, which ends up causing unwelcome sleep disturbances later on during the night. Over eating at night while making you sleepy, produces other undesirable effects like extra weight, which can contribute to sleep disturbances like Sleep Apnea.

• Stopping eating at about 7:30pm is a good rule of thumb as those late night snacks and meals will sit heavy in the stomach, and your body does not have time to digest them properly before bedtime, and can cause a gassy, uncomfortable stomach during the night. I have found that any fried, fatty foods as well as meat, to be the worst offenders, but if you truly need to eat later at night, a small bowl of cereal and fruit is more easily digested.

• As you get older, there is tendency to get up and go the bathroom at night which disturbs your sleep pattern. Getting enough water in your dietary regimen is important, but stop three hours before you go to bed.

• Caffeine is a known stimulant, so it stands to reason that drinking coffee or caffeinated beverages is not a smart thing to do in the evening .However, most people are not aware of the long lasting effects of caffeine in their system which can last by most accounts for up to 12 hours. My rule of thumb is no caffeine after 12 midday, as even that caffeinated soda at 4pm can keep you awake later that same night.

• Smoking is also a stimulant, so smoking in bed is not very smart, but I know that some people do it.

• The role of alcohol at night is often misunderstood, as many people think that since alcohol makes them sleepy, that it is a good night cap. It may make you fall asleep faster as it is a depressant, but when your metabolism clears the alcohol from your body, you will experience withdrawal and are more likely to wake up.

• Exercise especially aerobic, has been documented as to its helpfulness in reducing stress hormones, but exercise at night can be stimulating, so it is best done earlier in the day. Golfers know that after 4 or 5 hours out on the golf course during the day that they sleep like a bunny at night.

YOUR BEDROOM ENVIRONMENT

• My husband who is a clinical psychologist, has always maintained that the bedroom is for sex and sleeping only. After sex, people are usually very relaxed and it is a good tension reliever. Failing that, keep the bedroom free of stimulation from the television, work or studying in bed, and worst of all, paying your bills from your laptop or balancing your checkbook.

• Never argue or have important discussions with your spouse in bed, which is guaranteed to keep the mind racing long after lights out. In our household, we schedule those discussions for very early evening or weekends, so I do not get all revved up just before trying to go to sleep.

• The bedroom should be quiet and dark at night. This is the condition which is most sleep inducing. Therefore having light blocking drapes or shades , using ear plugs to protect you against street noises and a snoring spouse all help. I use movement sensitive nightlights in our bathrooms and hallways, so that we do not have to turn on bright lights or stumble in the dark for middle of the night bathroom visits.

• Keep your bedroom at a comfortable temperature, which for most people is between 60º and 75º.Many people find that they sleep better if they open the window a little bit, but allergy sufferers in the high pollen season need to close the window.

• For those women going through menopause, bedding made out of breathable textiles such as silk, wool and cotton make for a more comfortable night's sleep, as those textiles quickly wick away moisture from our perspiring at night. I have found wool comforters or silk comforters to be especially easy to live with. An overhead fan or a spot cooler from a portable air conditioner can also be helpful during menopausal years.

• The role of a good mattress cannot be over emphasized. A good latex mattress or good memory foam mattress will give your proper body and joint support. My sister and niece came and stayed in my summer home in the summer of 06, and on returning from London they rushed out within 2 weeks and replaced the beds throughout their home since they had never slept so well as when they stayed with me.

• People keep their pillows far too long and wake up with a crick in the necks and with back pain. My sister and niece were so in love with our soft latex pillows they transported them across the Atlantic . Memory foam pillows are also very comfortable and are available in all sorts of custom shapes for specific sleep disturbances.

• If you are a pet owner, it is often really better that the pets sleep elsewhere other than with you at night. One of my vocal Siamese cats thinks nothing of walking all over my head when I turn over[so as to sleep next to my stomach], or bellowing at 5:30am that he is convinced it is time for breakfast!

• If you have sinus problems and you want to avoid the dreaded middle of the night sinus headache, then irrigating with a Hydropulse irrigator is the first line of action to flush out all the congestive mucus and allergens. Using a humidifier in order to keep your sinuses moist is another useful thing you can do for yourself. If you have post nasal drip and severe congestion, you might very well consult a physician as to whether the use of a prescription nasal spray might be useful for you to use at night before going to sleep. Sleep Apnea can be related to sinus or allergy problems, so avoiding stuffed nasal passages at night is very important.

• If you have allergies and want to avoid headaches which are associated with dust mites and other indoor allergens, dust mite encasings, hypoallergenic bedding and an air purifier in the room are invaluable in keeping your bedroom allergen free. A bedroom should be a low allergen environment, which is another reason to keep your beloved pets out of the bedroom!

• Go to bed at the same time each night and also get up at the same time. If possible limit long naps during the day as you will find yourself awake till much later at night. A short cat nap[20 minutes] during the day can be rejuvenating especially as you get older, but the worst thing you can do is take a 2 hour nap at about 6pm when you come home from work at night.

• If you wake too early in the morning then you may be subject to a circadian rhythm dysfunction and the use of natural light therapy may be helpful.

I can guarantee that if you make these behavioral changes, the quality of your sleep will improve. We are creatures of habit, so it is difficult to change everything at once, but plug away at it and you will be rewarded. Can we reverse the lightening of sleep that occurs naturally with the hormonal changes of post menopausal women- of course not. But even with the elderly, good habits go a long way to helping yourself. A good night's sleep is worth the effort, so good luck. Nothing in this article should be construed as a substitute for visiting your primary care physician.

Revised by Dr. Herman Lowe, Clinical Psychologist