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A recent research study
conducted by Boston University
School of Medicine found
a connection between insomnia
and diabetes. Study participants
that reported sleeping less
than 6 hours or more than
9 hours a day had an increased
incidence of diabetes, compared
to those who reported sleeping
7-8 hours. Source:Netscape/CNN
What are your sleep
patterns?
Do you have trouble falling
asleep? Do you fall asleep
easily, then wake up 5 hours
later and can't fall back
asleep? Do you wake up several
times during the night and
have trouble staying asleep?
Tips
for better daytime habits
- Do
not nap during the day.
If you are having trouble
sleeping at night, try
not to nap during the
day because you will
throw off your body
clock and make it even
more difficult to sleep
at night. If you are
feeling especially tired,
and feel as if you absolutely
must nap, be sure to
sleep for less than
30 minutes, early in
the day.
- Limit
caffeine and alcohol.
Avoid drinking caffeinated
or alcoholic beverages
for several hours before
bedtime. Although alcohol
may initially act as
a sedative, it can interrupt
normal sleep patterns.
- Don't
smoke. Nicotine is a
stimulant and can make
it difficult to fall
asleep and stay asleep.
Many over-the-counter
and prescription drugs
disrupt sleep.
- Expose
yourself to bright light/sunlight
soon after awakening.
This will help to regulate
your body's natural
biological clock. Likewise,
try to keep your bedroom
dark while you are sleeping
so that the light will
not interfere with your
rest.
- Exercise
early in the day. Twenty
to thirty minutes of
exercise every day can
help you sleep, but
be sure to exercise
in the morning or afternoon.
Exercise stimulates
the body and aerobic
activity before bedtime
may make falling asleep
more difficult.
- Check
your iron level. Iron
deficient women tend
to have more problems
sleeping so if your
blood is iron poor,
a supplement might help
your health and your
ability to sleep.
Tips for a better
sleep environment
- Make
sure your bed is large
enough and comfortable.
If you are disturbed
by a restless bedmate,
switch to a queen- or
king-size bed. Test
different types of mattresses.
Try therapeutic shaped
foam pillows that cradle
your neck or extra pillows
that help you sleep
on your side. Get comfortable
cotton sheets.
- Make
your bedroom primarily
a place for sleeping.
It is not a good idea
to use your bed for
paying bills, doing
work, etc. Help your
body recognize that
this is a place for
rest or intimacy.
- Keep
your bedroom peaceful
and comfortable. Make
sure your room is well
ventilated and the temperature
consistent. And try
to keep it quiet. You
could use a fan or a
"white noise"
machine to help block
outside noises.
- Hide
your clock. A big, illuminated
digital clock may cause
you to focus on the
time and make you feel
stressed and anxious.
Place your clock so
you can't see the time
when you are in bed.
Tips for a better
pre-sleep ritual
- Keep
a regular schedule.
Try to go to bed and
wake up at the same
time everyday, even
on the weekends. Keeping
a regular schedule will
help your body expect
sleep at the same time
each day. Don’t
oversleep to make up
for a poor night’s
sleep – doing
that for even a couple
of days can reset your
body clock and make
it hard for you to get
to sleep at night.
- Incorporate
bedtime rituals. Listening
to soft music, sipping
a cup of herbal tea,
etc., cues your body
that it's time to slow
down and begin to prepare
for sleep.
Relax for a while before
going to bed. Spending
quiet time can make
falling asleep easier.
This may include meditation,
relaxation and/or breathing
exercises, or taking
a warm bath. Try listening
to recorded relaxation
or guided imagery programs.
- Don’t
eat a large, heavy meal
before bed. This can
cause indigestion and
interfere with your
normal sleep cycle.
Drinking too much fluid
before bed can cause
you to get up to urinate.
Try to eat your dinner
at least two hours before
bedtime.
- Bedtime
snacks can help. An
amino acid called tryptophan,
found in milk, turkey,
and peanuts, helps the
brain produce serotonin,
a chemical that helps
you relax. Try drinking
warm milk or eat a slice
of toast with peanut
butter or a bowl of
cereal before bedtime.
Plus, the warmth may
temporarily increase
your body temperature
and the subsequent drop
may hasten sleep.
- Jot
down all of your concerns
and worries. Anxiety
excites the nervous
system, so your brain
sends messages to the
adrenal glands, making
you more alert. Write
down your worries and
possible solutions before
you go to bed, so you
don't need to ruminate
in the middle of the
night. A journal or
"to do" list
may be very helpful
in letting you put away
these concerns until
the next day when you
are fresh.
- Go
to sleep when you are
sleepy. When you feel
tired, go to bed.
Avoid "over-the-counter"
sleep aids, and make
sure that your prescribed
medications do not cause
insomnia. There is little
evidence that supplements
and other over-the-counter
"sleep aids"
are effective. In some
cases, there are safety
concerns. Antihistamine
sleep aids, in particular,
have a long duration
of action and can cause
daytime drowsiness.
Always talk to your
doctor or healthcare
practitioner about your
concerns!
Tips for getting
back to sleep
- Do
visualization. Focus
all your attention on
your toes or visualize
walking down an endless
stairwell. Thinking
about repetitive or
mindless things will
help your brain to shut
down and adjust to sleep.
- Get
out of bed if unable
to sleep. Don’t
lie in bed awake. Go
into another room and
do something relaxing
until you feel sleepy.
Worrying about falling
asleep actually keeps
many people awake.
- Don't
do anything stimulating.
Don't read anything
job related or watch
a stimulating TV program
(commercials and news
shows tend to be alerting).
Don't expose yourself
to bright light. The
light gives cues to
your brain that it is
time to wake up.
- Get
up and eat some turkey.
Turkey contains tryptophan,
a major building block
for making serotonin,
a neurotransmitter,
which sends messages
between nerve cells
and causes feelings
of sleepiness. Eating
foods containing tryptophan
raise the levels of
serotonin produced in
the body, which in turn
increase a person's
feeling of sleepiness.
It is best to eat tryptophan
on an empty stomach.
Other foods, besides
turkey, that contain
a notable amount of
tryptophan are: milk,
cottage cheese, yogurt,
ice cream, chicken,
cashews, soy beans and
tuna.
- Consider
changing your bedtime.
If you are experiencing
sleeplessness or insomnia
consistently, think
about going to bed later
so that the time you
spend in bed is spent
sleeping. If you are
only getting five hours
of sleep at night, figure
out what time you need
to get up and subtract
five hours (for example,
if you want to get up
at 6:00 am, go to bed
at 1:00 am). This may
seem counterproductive
and, at first, you may
be depriving yourself
of some sleep, but it
can help train your
body to sleep consistently
while in bed. When you
are spending all of
your time in bed sleeping,
you can gradually sleep
more, by adding 15 minutes
at a time.
Tips for keeping
a sleep diary
- Learn
about your sleep patterns
and habits by keeping
a daily sleep diary.
See Helpguide's sample
sleep diary or make
up your own and include:
- Time
you went to bed and
woke up;
- Total
sleep hours;
- Quality
of sleep;
- Times
that you were awake
during the night and
what you did (e.g. stayed
in bed with eyes closed
or got up, had a glass
of milk and meditated);
- Amount
of caffeine or alcohol
you consumed and times
of consumption;
- Types
of food and drink and
times of consumption;
- Feelings
- happiness, sadness,
stress, anxiety;
-
Drugs or medications
taken, amounts taken
and times of consumptio
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