When you can’t seem to get enough sleep, your whole body suffers. Adequate sleep is an important part of your overall health, so feeling your best means getting your best sleep. Fortunately, sleepless nights can be easily avoided if you follow a few simple guidelines.
- Make a plan for adequate rest. If possible, go to bed at the same time every night, and wake up at the same time every morning. If you lose a few hours, try and make them up with a daytime nap, which is better for your natural sleep-wake cycle than sleeping late. One caveat: if you’re plagued by insomnia, you might want to skip the nap, or limit it to 30 minutes in the early afternoon. To find your perfect sleep cycle, experiment with different sleep and wake times for a week or two, going to bed at the same time every night and allowing yourself to wake up naturally.
- Make your bedroom a peaceful oasis. Keep your bedroom cool and quiet, with a comfortable mattress. Reserve the space for sleeping and intimacy, removing media screens and other distractions, and refraining from working or eating in the room. Ban the kids and pets from your bedroom, too, or at least provide a separate sleeping area to keep them out of the bed.
- Routine is the key for bedtime success. Create a bedtime routine, involving the same activities every night. This routine might include a bath or shower, some reading time, or listening to music in dim light. Be careful, however, not to use television or other screens in your bedtime ritual; some research indicates that media before bed can interfere with sleep.
- Diet and exercise can have an impact on sleep patterns. Get enough exercise during the day, and avoid eating big meals or rich foods at night. Even though you might think that having a drink will help you sleep, avoid alcoholic beverages for several hours before bedtime, since alcohol can reduce your quality of sleep and cause you to wake during the night. If you’re in need of a bedtime snack, try something that will help you relax, like half a turkey sandwich, whole-grain, low-sugar cereal, or a banana.
At our clinic, we can help improve your overall health, and finding your path to optimal wellness will mean sleeping better, too. No matter what your health concern, we’ll treat you like a person, not a collection of symptoms. Our goals is to help you live your best life! For a free consultation, contact us today.
