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Poor sleep habits are among the most common
problems encountered in our society. We stay up late
and get up too early. We interrupt our sleep with
drugs, chemicals and work, and we overstimulate
ourselves with late-night activities such as
television. Below are some essentials of good sleep
habits. Many of these points will seem like common
sense. But it is surprising how many of these points
are ignored.
YOUR PERSONAL HABITS
Fix a bedtime and an awakening time. Do not
be one of those people who allows bedtime and
awakening time to drift. The body ‘gets used’ to
falling asleep at a certain time, but only if this
is relatively fixed. Even if you are retired or not
working, this is an essential component of good
sleeping habits.
Avoid napping during the day. If you nap
throughout the day, it is no wonder that you will
not be able to sleep at night. The late afternoon
for most people is a ‘sleepy time’. Many people will
take a nap at that time. This is generally not a bad
thing to do, provided your limit the nap to 30-45
minutes and can sleep well at night.
Avoid alcohol 4-6 hours before bedtime.
Many people believe that alcohol helps them sleep.
While alcohol has an immediate sleep-inducing
effect, a few hours later as the alcohol levels in
your blood start to fall, there is a stimulant or
wake-up effect.
Avoid caffeine 4-6 hours before bedtime.
This includes caffeinated beverages such as coffee,
tea and many sodas, as well as chocolate, so be
careful.
Avoid heavy, spicy, or sugary foods 4-6 hours
before bedtime. These can affect your ability to
stay asleep.
Exercise regularly, but not right before bed.
Regular exercise, particularly in the afternoon,
can help deepen sleep. Strenuous exercise within the
2 hours before bedtime, however, can decrease your
ability to fall asleep.
YOUR SLEEPING ENVIRONMENT
Use comfortable bedding. Uncomfortable
bedding can prevent good sleep. Evaluate whether or
not this is a source of your problem and make
appropriate changes.
Find a comfortable temperature setting for
sleeping and keep the room well ventilated. If
your bedroom is too cold or too hot, it can keep you
awake. A cool (not cold) bedroom is often the most
conductive to sleep.
Block out all distracting noise, and
eliminate as much light as possible.
Reserve the bed for sleep. Don’t use the
bed as an office, workroom or recreation room. Let
your body ‘know’ that the bed is associated with
sleeping.
GETTING READY FOR BED
Try a light snack before bed. Warm milk
and foods high in the amino acid tryptophan, such as
bananas, may help you to sleep.
Practice relaxation techniques before bed.
Relaxation techniques such as yoga, deep breathing
and others may help relieve anxiety and reduce
muscle tension.
Don’t take your worries to bed. Leave your
worries about job, school, daily life, etc., behind
when you go to bed. Some people find it useful to
assign a ‘worry period’ during the evening or late
afternoon to deal with these issues.
Establish a pre-sleep ritual. Pre-sleep
rituals, such as a warm bath or a few minutes of
reading, can help you sleep.
Get into your favourite sleeping position.
If you don’t fall asleep within 15-30 minutes, get
up, go into another room and read until sleepy.
Always follow the advise of your physician and
other health care professionals.
Source: University of Maryland
Medical Centre, Sleep Disorders Centre, 02 November,
2007.
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