10 rules for more restful nights
Several lifestyle changes may help you improve the quality of your sleep. Some of the Advocate Sleep Centers' "rules" for a better night's rest include:
- Sleep as much as you feel you need for refreshment but not more. Once you wake up, get out of bed. An excess of time in bed rather than sleep time may cause poor sleep in the future.
- Maintain a regular sleep and wake-up schedule.
- Daily exercise will improve sleep; however, it should not be done too close to bedtime.
- The temperature in your bedroom should be comfortable. Hot rooms disturb sleep, as do excessively cold rooms.
- Occasional loud noises disturb sleep even for people who claim to have adapted to them. Sound-screening your bedroom with a fan or an air conditioner may help. Ear plugs can also be worn for better sleep.
- Hunger may prevent sleep. Eating a regular evening meal and a bedtime snack or drinking milk may improve sleep.
- Caffeine in the evening disturbs sleep even for people who think it doesn't. Caffeine is found in coffee, some teas, chocolate, cola drinks and many other carbonated beverages. Caffeine takes eight hours to metabolize; therefore, no stimulant drinks should be taken after lunchtime.
- Alcohol may help people fall asleep easily in the evening, but it also results in fragmented sleep during the night. People who drink alcohol to help them go to sleep in general sleep less during the night than if they would have abstained from alcohol.
- Daytime naps help some people sleep better at night, while others sleep much more poorly after them. You should determine whether naps are beneficial for you.
- If you're having difficulty falling asleep, get out of bed and read, write or watch television until you're tired. Then, return to bed.
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