Good Night, Sleep Tight…Simple Tips for Better Sleep

Sleep deprivation is wide spread amongst Australians, with research by the Sleep Health Foundation finding up to 45% of adults don’t sleep enough or have poor quality sleep that can leave them irritable and exhausted the next day.

Poor sleep can impact not only your ability to concentrate, think and remember, it can put you at an increased risk of health issues such as diabetes, heart disease and depression. Good sleep hygiene, which is often disregarded, can help with improving and maintaining a good night’s sleep. Here are some easy steps to better sleep hygiene.

1.     Maintain a Regular Sleep Schedule…

Keeping a regular time for going to bed and waking up, will help your internal body clock regulate the hormones that control sleep. This clock works best if there is a regular sleep routine, meaning you will feel sleepy at bed time.

2.     Avoid caffeine in the afternoon and evenings.

Caffeine, in all its forms (tea, coffee, cola and energy drinks) can interfere with sleep up to 6 hours after ingestion, hence avoiding it from the afternoon can help with a better night’s sleep. Alcohol should also be avoided, as although it may help you get to sleep, it can make it harder to stay asleep, as well make snoring and sleep apnoea worse.

3.     Switch off and disconnect

Many of us are guilty of lying in bed with our digital device of choice before falling asleep. The blue light from these devices can reduce evening levels of the sleep-promoting hormone melatonin, making it difficult to fall asleep. They can also be stimulating making as less ready for sleep, as well as become a distraction to remain awake past our bedtime.  A buffer zone of 1-2 hours without any interactive technology before bed helps to ensure a restful sleep.

4.     Don’t force sleep

If you are not asleep within 15-20 minutes, get out of bed and return only when feeling drowsy. Sit quietly on the couch with the lights off or read something boring. Avoid doing anything that is too stimulating as this will wake you up even more.

5.     Refrain from daytime naps

Napping during the day can mean you are less tired at bedtime, however if your exhaustion means you can’t make it through the day, limit the nap to 30 minutes and make it before 3pm.

Good sleep hygiene is instrumental to a good night’s rest, however if you are still having trouble with sleep, talk to your Chemsave pharmacist or health care provider for further advice on diagnosing and managing your sleep issues.

References:

https://www.sleephealthfoundation.org.au/public-information/fact-sheets-a-z/good-sleep-habits.html

http://www.cci.health.wa.gov.au/

https://ajp.com.au/features/its-good-night-from-me/

Posted in: Health hub