Sleep Tips: Helpful Hints To Improve Sleep

We all have too much to do, so take time out and recharge yourself by getting a good night's sleep. The quality and quantity of your sleep can make all the difference in how productive you'll be the next day. Here are ten tips to help you get the sleep you need and deserve. 
 

1. Give yourself "permission" to go to bed. As hard as it may be to put away your "to do" list, make sleep a "priority." You'll thank yourself in the morning.
2. Unwind early in the evening. Try to deal with worries and distractions several hours before bedtime.
3. Develop a sleep ritual. Doing the same things each night just before bed signals your body to settle down for the night.
4. Keep regular hours. Keep your biological clock in check by going to bed around the same time each night and waking up close to the same time each morning – even on weekends.
5. Create a restful place to sleep. Sleep in a cool, dark room that is free from noises that may disturb your sleep.
1. Quiet -- Fans or other white noise generators near the bed can help mute sleep distractions. A cheaper alternative is to set the tuner of your FM radio between any two stations. The pseudo white noise you'll hear will do wonders to mask unwanted sounds.
2. Light Level -- Use room darkening shades or dark fabrics to reduce the amount light leaking into the room. Eyeshades may also do the trick,
3. Temperature -- 65° F is the ideal temperature for sleeping. A warm room or too many blankets can interrupt your sleep.
6. Sleep on a comfortable, supportive mattress and foundation. It's difficult to sleep on a bed that's too small, too soft, too hard, or too old.
7. Exercise regularly. Regular exercise can help relieve daily tension and stress – but don't exercise too close to bedtime or you may have trouble falling asleep.
8. Cut down on stimulants. Consuming stimulants, such as caffeine, in the evening can make it more difficult to fall asleep.
9. Don't smoke. Smokers take longer to fall asleep and wake up more often during the night.
10. Reduce alcohol intake. Drinking alcohol shortly before bedtime interrupts and fragments sleep. 

11. One Sleep-only Space.  Make your bedroom a relaxing sleep space. Paying bills or doing work in your bed or bedroom can train your body to bring life stresses into your bedroom and make it more difficult to fall asleep.

Sleep Tips: Sleeping & Aging

The changes that aging brings tend to come upon us unnoticed at first, like the passing of the seasons. Slowly, over time, we become aware that our eyesight is less keen or our hearing less acute. In the same way, our experience of sleep is altered. It's not that our sleep needs decline with age. In fact, research demonstrates: Our Sleep needs remain constant throughout adulthood. Most of us still require the same seven to nine hours of sleep a night we always did. However, a good night's rest may prove more elusive as we grow older. Lifestyle changes and behavioral practices may play their part. Daytime naps may make us less tired at bedtime. Poor sleep habits may have become entrenched; we may associate our bed with television or reading, not sleeping. Stress and bereavement may lead to early awakenings or interrupted sleep. And in the silence of our bedrooms, the bark of a neighbor's dog or a passing siren may trouble us more than when we were younger.

How Sleep Changes

Middle-aged and elderly people tend to spend less time in deeper sleep than younger people. In addition, the average total sleep time increases slightly after age 65 as do reports of difficulty falling asleep. One study found that after 65, 13 percent of men and 36 percent of women reported taking more than 30 minutes to fall asleep.

What causes this difficulty? The elderly generally secrete lesser amounts of certain chemicals that regulate the sleep/wake cycle. Both melatonin (a substance produced by the pineal gland that promotes sleep) and growth hormone production decrease with age.

There are also changes in the body temperature cycle which occur with age. These factors may cause, or be a consequence of, sleep problems. In addition, a decrease in exposure to natural light and a change in diet may exacerbate sleep difficulties. Some researchers theorize that daytime inactivity (lack of exercise) and decreased mental stimulation may also lead to the "aging" of sleep.

Falling asleep isn't the only difficulty older people may face at night. Sleep also becomes more shallow, fragmented and variable in duration with age. The elderly wake more frequently than younger adults. Recent research suggests that the aging bladder can contribute to this. Daytime sleepiness follows.

Persistent trouble falling asleep at night or frequent drowsing by day is not normal or inevitable with age.

Sometimes, age-related changes mask underlying sleep disorders. For example, sleep apnea, a breathing disorder, is more common in the middle and elder years. The repeated awakenings caused by a literal lack of breath lead to daytime sleepiness.

How to tell whether daytime drowsiness is a result of a sleep disorder, sleep deficit or depression? Consult a sleep specialist.

The Impact of Sleep Problems

Sleep Deprivation has measurable negative effects on performance and physical and mental health: Reduced energy, greater difficulty concentrating, diminished mood, and greater risk for accidents, including fall-asleep crashes. Work performance and relationships can suffer too. And pain may be intensified by the physical and mental consequences of lack of sleep.

Frequently Asked Questions