Sleep Hygiene

Published in Apollo Life, Jan-Mar 2006

Most of us are aware of environmental hygiene and personal hygiene and attempt to incorporate optimal hygiene measure in our daily life. However, we take sleep for granted and fail to observe some simple and healthy habits that might help to get a restful sleep. Our health, happiness and ability to succeed in life are strongly dependent on how well we meet our bodies’ needs for rest and quality sleep. We could practice several simple measures (called sleep hygiene0 to rest our and enjoy a refreshing sleep. For those of you who are concerned about how much sleep is good enough …remember that whatever sleeps your body requires to keep you awake, refreshed and functioning the next day is the amount of sleep that you require. There can be a wide individual variation in the amount of sleep required. Most of us require an average of 6-8 hours.

Some common sleep hygiene measures are summarized below:

• Keep regular bedtime hours: Although this may not always be practical, remember your body likes regular routines, whether you do or not .it likes to know that it’s going to get up at same time each day, eat at same times, and go to bed at the same time. Not very exciting maybe, but comfortable. So pick a reasonable and regular time to go to bed each night. And stick to it. Even if you don’t think you’re tired when the time comes, your body will appreciate it. And after a while when it feels it can rely on the routine, it will begin to repay the favor by letting you to sleep when you want. Along the same lines, getup the same time every day, even on weekends and holidays. Once you’ve awakened, get up. Don’t lie in bed awake, thinking about getting up. Just do it.

• Ensure that your sleep environment is appropriate & comfortable: keep the bedroom quiet and as dark as possible when you are sleeping. Make sure that you sleep in a well-ventilated room. Fresh air and optimal room temperature will give you the best sleeping conditions. Sleep on a good firm bed; a firm bed will give your entire body the support it needs to really relax. It’s better for your spine, too.

• Train your mind & identify bed with sleep: (And may be intimacy withy your partner!) But certainly not for working, reading, watching television, doing cross puzzles or whatever else occupies you in evening. If you can’t sleep get out of bed: don’t lie awake trying to get to sleep any longer than 30 minutes, get out of bed. Do something quiet and non-stimulating. When you feel tired again, go back to bed.

• Avoids stimulants: Stimulants like caffeine, alcohol and tobacco at least 4-5 hours before bedtime. Well preferably avoid them totally! But if you are used to these stimulants for a long time it is not wise to stop them abruptly as the withdrawal symptoms can disrupt your sleep pattern. Discuss with the Doctor and gradually stop using any of these stimulants. Remember that coffee is not the only drink that contains caffeine. Tea, chocolate and cola drinks are high caffeine. Alcohol may feel like it’s soothing you, but all it’s doing is stupefying you. Research has shown that alcohol upsets sleep, preventing deep relaxation. The same is true with tobacco used in any form (Smoking or chewing).

• Avoid Sleeping with full stomach: It’s healthy habit to have dinner at least two or three hours before bedtime. This will ensure that you don’t have a full stomach when you sleep and also prevent acid reflux (heartburn).

• Be active during the day: Get some physical exercise on regular basis, preferably in morning. There is good evidence that regular exercise improves restful sleep. This includes regular walking, stretching and aerobic exercise. People with job that tax the mind have far more trouble with insomnia than do people who work physically hard all day. Get regular exposure to outdoor or bright lights, especially in late afternoon. It would be best to avoid daytime naps. Sure they’re nice to do during the day, and if you couldn’t sleep at night, you’re grateful for any chance to sleep. But you’re really having trouble sleeping at night-and you’re not a senior citizen who sleeps for small period of time, skip naps. You’ll be more tired at bedtime and more able to fall asleep. Do not exercise just before going to bed as it can detrimental to your sleep.

· Use Relaxation Techniques: Only you can determine what is relaxing to your body and mind. Some common relaxation techniques that have proven to be beneficial are warm bath, massage, listening to music, yoga & meditation. You decide whatever works for you best. Take a warm bath a few hours before bedtime. It’s a great way to relax your body. Don’t over do it, however. You merely want to relax your body, not exhaust it. Too in hot water and your body is drained of vitality. Play some soft, soothing music that will lull you to sleep. There are even music albums designed for that very purpose. Some are especially composed music; others simply have sound of waves rhythmically breaking, or the steady pattern of a heartbeat. Of course if you don’t have the cassette or CD player that will automatically turn off, this may not be a great option. If you have to get and turn off at the end, you’ve obviously lost its effect.

Observing these simple sleep hygiene measures will eventually make you just go to sleep and enjoy it. If after trying the above techniques, you continue to have problems with insomnia (lack of sleep), non-refreshing sleep, daytime fatigue or signification snoring, it would be the best to consult a doctor and seek appropriate treatment. The most common cause of insomnia is a change in your daily routine. For Example travelling, change in work hours, disruption of other behaviors (eating, exercise, leisure, etc.). Sleep pattern disruption may also be a result of tension, stress and anxiety or may be a symptom of other physical disorders. Of course, the more anxious we get about our insomnia, the worse it gets!