In order to achieve a proper night’s sleep, there are multiple recommended “Dos and Don’ts”, which aim to maximise your quality of sleep and comfort, and minimise your discomfort and inability to sleep.
A list of the before sleep “Do’s” consist of:
- Stick to a schedule:
– If you sleep late on the weekend, you’ll get Sunday night insomnia. Instead, go to bed and get up at about the same times everyday. - Avoid caffeine and nicotine
– They are addictive stimulants and keep you awake. Smokers experience withdrawal symptoms at night, and they have a harder time both falling asleep and waking up. - A slightly cool room is ideal:
– This mimics your internal temperature drop during sleep
– Studies show that warm hands and feet induce sleep more quickly by increasing blood circulation necessary to cool the core body temperature. A temperature control bed surface that provides warmth especially in the feet and leg area will help induce sleep faster.
A list of the before sleep “Don’ts” consist of:
- Don’t eat or drink a lot before bedtime:
– Don’t eat spicy or fatty foods before bed. They cause heartburn.
– If you frequently get heartburn, avoid raising the upper part of your body with pillows, because this may put a strain on your back. Instead, sleep on your left side for relief.
– If you get the munchies, eat something that triggers serotonin, which makes you sleepy.
– Carbohydrates (bread or cereal)
– Foods like milk, tuna, or turkey may help.
– Don’t drink alcohol near bedtime. It may cause you to wake up repeatedly, snore, and possible develop sleep apnea. - Don’t rely on sleeping pills:
– Check with your doctor before using sleeping pills.
– Make sure they don’t interact with other medications or with an existing medical condition
– Use the lowest dosage and never mix alcohol and sleeping pills.
– If you feel sleepy or dizzy during the day, talk to your doctor about changing the dosage or discontinuing the pills - Exercise:
– For better sleep, the best time to exercise is in the afternoon. However exercising within 3 hours of sleeping may making falling asleep more difficult by stimulating the body and raising the core body temperature. Lowering core body temperature signals the onset of sleep.
