It’s easy to see how difficulty sleeping at night can trigger a whole series of problems.  Sleep specialists often recommend the following:

1. Go to bed only when you are sleepy and don’t lie in bed if you can’t sleep. It’s actually better to stay up later if you’re not tired than force yourself to get into bed at a prescribed hour.

2. Avoid alcohol and smoking for at least two hours before bedtime. Alcohol may cause you to become drowsy, but it has a strong “rebound” effect that could cause you to wake up again in the middle of the night. Smoking impairs your normal restful breathing.

3. Avoid caffeinated beverages for at least six hours before bedtime. Although some individuals can drink caffeinated coffee with near impunity, most are sensitive to this stimulant.

4. Exercise regularly in the late afternoon, but not too close to bedtime. Exercise heightens both physical and mental awareness, exactly what you want to avoid at bedtime.

5. Get up at about the same time every day regardless of when you went to sleep. A healthy person will adjust by retiring some what earlier—and feel better when arising at a fixed time.

6. Limit napping to no more than 30 minutes. Long, frequent naps just serve to reduce nighttime sleep.

7. Try keeping a “sleep log” for a few weeks to record when you go to bed, wake up, exercise, and drink caffeinated beverages.  You’ll be able to identify—and then correct—the behaviors that are disrupting your sleep. Simple changes can have a positive impact on sleep quality.

Sleep Tight!!