Are you struggling to get a good night’s sleep? Don’t worry, you are definitely not alone. In fact, according to the National Sleep Foundation, 50-70 million adults in the United States struggle with a sleep disorder, and more than half are said to have trouble getting and staying asleep at least one night every week. With so many people tossing and turning at night, understanding the most common factors that negatively impact your sleep and how to address them is more crucial than ever. While there are many different reasons why people may have trouble sleeping, one of the most common is poor sleep hygiene.
What is Sleep Hygiene?
Sleep hygiene is a set of habits that help promote better sleep. Things like avoiding blue light and caffeine before bed or giving yourself a hard and fast time that you have to be in bed by every night can make a huge difference in the quality of your sleep and overall health. While there is no one-size-fits-all solution to all of your sleep problems, there are a few tips that sleep medicine specialists like Dr. Jeanine Gingras recommend to help you get the best sleep possible.
Why is Sleep Hygiene Important?
Maintaining positive sleep habits is one of the most important aspects of your health plan. Poor sleep can cause a myriad of physical and mental health issues that can follow you for years to come. Things like diabetes and other blood sugar-related medical problems, for example, can be triggered by a consistent lack of sleep. Without sleep, your heart is not functioning at its peak performance and cardiac problems can stack on top of poor blood circulation and give you even more to worry about.
Research has also shown that not getting 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep can be very harmful to your mental health. Pre-existing conditions such as clinical depression, anxiety disorders, ADHD, and other behavioral issues can be exacerbated by poor sleep habits.
This is especially important in women because your body is creating and distributing essential hormones while you are asleep so that you can function efficiently the entire next day. Without proper sleep, you could find yourself lethargic and cranky after only a few hours of work in the morning.
Ways to Improve Poor Sleep Hygiene
There are several changes that you can make to your current lifestyle that can improve your sleep quality. Rarely do we all find a perfect sleep routine that allows us to get a full, restful night’s sleep without a little bit of trial and error. Sometimes we might even need a little outside help from medical professionals. There is nothing wrong with having poor sleep habits. The problem lies in the complacency that is so easy to fall into. To ensure that you are setting yourself up for success every day, identifying problem areas and making adjustments is crucial.
Implement a Strict Bedtime Routine
The key to good sleep hygiene and a functional bedtime routine is consistency. You should aim to get into bed and wind down at the same time every night. There is no golden hour that every person should aim to be asleep by because we all have different schedules and obligations that we need to accommodate for, but making sure that you are giving yourself plenty of time to get to bed and fall asleep naturally is important when planning out your nighttime routine.
Bedtime routines are not just about the time that you get into bed; there are several factors that go into a nighttime routine. You should look at all the different parts of your night and what tasks you need to accomplish before you go to sleep. Things like brushing your teeth and hair, washing your face, putting on comfortable pajamas, and even sex should be taken into account when you are planning out your nights. Giving yourself an hour of winddown time to get all of these tasks accomplished can make a huge difference in calming your mind and body before bed.
Stick to Your Sleep Schedule–No Exceptions!
It’s important to establish a regular daily sleep schedule and stick to it. This will help your body’s internal clock, also known as your Circadian Rhythm, reset itself and make it easier for you to get to sleep and stay asleep.
We know that it is not realistic to expect anyone to keep to a routine every single night, forever, and there is room for exceptions here too. It is okay to adjust your sleep schedule from time to time; just try to keep the changes as small and rare as possible. The more often you switch things up, the more difficult it will be for you to fall back into that routine each night.
Create a Sleep Environment That Helps You Relax
Create a calm and comfortable sleeping environment that is dark, quiet, and cool. Establishing your bedroom as your ideal sleeping environment can help encourage your body to relax more when you enter your space, leading to better quality sleep.
One of the simplest changes you can make is often in your bedding–make sure you choose comfortable bedding in muted, calming colors. Some experts even recommend going for a darker-tone bedding set that emulates the night sky and helps trigger a sleep reaction. If you find that outside sounds or lights are disrupting your sleep, try using blackout curtains or a white noise machine. It is also important to make sure that your room is not too hot or too cold; the ideal temperature for sleeping is around 65 degrees Fahrenheit.
Avoid Insomnia Triggers 2-3 Hours Before Time to Sleep
That means avoiding television and computer screens for a few hours before you hit the hay. We know, it can seem like a big ask, but your body will thank you. Exposure to bright light in the evening can stimulate the brain, making it harder to fall asleep.
Instead of scrolling on your phone or laptop before bed, try replacing these habits with more relaxing nighttime rituals that you can follow every night. This could include taking a warm bath or shower, reading a book, or listening to calming music to put yourself in the right mindset to enjoy a peaceful night’s sleep.
Avoid stimulating activities such as exercise and heavy conversations that can lead to overstimulation and make it harder for you to sleep. You should also be avoiding food and drinks that tend to work you up instead of calming you down. Caffeine, for example, is a stimulant that can have a horrible effect on your sleep quality. This is why it is best to avoid coffee, soda, and other caffeinated drinks in the hours leading up to bedtime.
Try Meditation or Other Breathing Exercises
Before you go to sleep, take a few minutes to relax your mind and body to ensure a peaceful night’s sleep. There are a variety of deep-breathing exercises you can do, as well as progressive muscle relaxation and mindfulness meditation exercises. If you have never tried breathing or mindfulness exercises, there are plenty of free apps that you can download on your smartphone that will walk you step-by-step through the process. All of these can help relax your body and mind, making it easier for you to unwind and drift off to sleep
Sleep Disorders & Treatments
If you suspect that you or a loved one is suffering from a sleep disorder, you should seek medical intervention immediately. A qualified sleep medicine specialist can help you find the root of your problem and treat it in the most healthy way for your body and your lifestyle.
At Gingras Sleep Medicine in Charlotte, NC, Dr. Gingras will take a thorough history to determine the cause of your sleep troubles. She may order a sleep study if she suspects an underlying disorder or she may work with you to create a custom plan to help you change certain elements of your lifestyle to best encourage healthier sleep. Sleep studies are very effective tools used to evaluate how your body functions while you sleep. This test measures your heart rate, oxygen level, breathing, brain waves, and body movements. It is helpful for identifying a variety of sleep problems and has helped millions of people get back on track to healthier sleep patterns.
To book your appointment with Dr. Gingras today, visit us online or give our office a call today at (704) 944-0562!