Getting a Good Night’s Rest
Adequate sleep, at least 7 hours a night for an adult, is necessary for good health. Your body cannot do the repair work it needs to do if you do not get enough sleep. Not sleeping is also a safety hazard – drowsy driving can be just as dangerous as drunk driving. Follow these tips to get a better night’s sleep.
Go to bed at the same time every night.
Your body has an internal clock to help you go to sleep and wake up. If you keep a consistent schedule of going to bed and waking up at the same time every day, even on weekends, this process will be more regulated and it will be easier to fall asleep and get up in the morning. If you’ve ever spent time around young children or pets, you’ll know when their bodies are accustomed to sleep, getting cranky if they miss naps or go to bed late. Your body is the same way.
Don’t use your phone before bed.
Phones and other electronics should not be used before bed, and should be kept out of the bedroom. Many modern phones have apps or settings that will change the quality of light in the phone to be more yellow and less blue, to try to reduce the effect of blue light keeping you up at night, but it has not been proven to work at this time. Avoiding light in general is better.
Block the light.
By avoiding electronics in your room, you’ll avoid little status lights that can be clearly seen in a dark room. Use blackout curtains to keep the room dark, especially when sunrise starts early in the summer or if you have a streetlight outside your window.
Avoid caffeine later in the day.
Caffeine in the late afternoon and evening can keep you up. Choose decaf for your after-dinner coffee.
Make your bedroom quiet.
While noises outside of your home are often outside of your control, keep your bedroom as quiet as you can.
Exercise during the day.
Exercising during the day can make it easier to sleep at night, and you’ll be working towards your recommended 150 minutes of exercise each week.
If you have trouble sleeping, talk to your doctor about being evaluated at one of our Sleep Centers.
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