Our lives were very different before the COVID-13 pandemic. We worked all hours – night shifts, two jobs, restaurant/club shifts ending at 2-3AM, executive 5AM-9PM responsibilities seven days a week, small-business ownership (24/7), parenting + jobs…the list goes on. Now we’re at a standstill. Some of the work continues; however, many jobs are now stalled.
This means it’s time to take a hiatus, right? It should be, but there are stressors nagging at us, likely keeping us up at night. This is not a good thing. In fact, a good night’s sleep is critical to your physical and mental health. It’s as important as eating healthy and exercising.
The CDC states that adults need 7 or more hours of sleep per night for the best health and wellbeing. Ask yourself: How much sleep have you been getting per night for the last year? How much are you getting now? If it’s more – fantastic! If it’s less, you’re not alone. So, rather than dwell on the state of affairs, let’s look at ways to improve.
According to the National Sleep Foundation, healthy sleep habits can make a big difference in your quality of life. Having healthy sleep habits is often referred to as having good sleep hygiene. Try to keep the following sleep practices on a consistent basis:
1. Stick to a sleep schedule of the same bedtime and wake up time, even on the weekends. This helps to regulate your body's clock and could help you fall asleep and stay asleep for the night.
2. Practice a relaxing bedtime ritual. A relaxing, routine activity right before bedtime conducted away from bright lights helps separate your sleep time from activities that can cause excitement, stress or anxiety which can make it more difficult to fall asleep, get sound and deep sleep or remain asleep.
3. If you have trouble sleeping, avoid naps, especially in the afternoon. Power napping may help you get through the day, but if you find that you can't fall asleep at bedtime, eliminating even short catnaps may help.
4. Exercise daily. Vigorous exercise is best, but even light exercise is better than no activity. Exercise at any time of day, but not at the expense of your sleep.
5. Evaluate your room. Design your sleep environment to establish the conditions you need for sleep. Your bedroom should be cool – between 60 and 67 degrees. Your bedroom should also be free from any noise that can disturb your sleep. Finally, your bedroom should be free from any light. Check your room for noises or other distractions. This includes a bed partner's sleep disruptions such as snoring. Consider using blackout curtains, eye shades, ear plugs, "white noise" machines, humidifiers, fans and other devices.
6. Sleep on a comfortable mattress and pillows. Make sure your mattress is comfortable and supportive. The one you have been using for years may have exceeded its life expectancy – about 9 or 10 years for most good quality mattresses. Have comfortable pillows and make the room attractive and inviting for sleep but also free of allergens that might affect you and objects that might cause you to slip or fall if you have to get up during the night.
7. Use bright light to help manage your circadian rhythms. Avoid bright light in the evening and expose yourself to sunlight in the morning. This will keep your circadian rhythms in check.
8. Avoid alcohol, cigarettes, and heavy meals in the evening. Alcohol, cigarettes and caffeine can disrupt sleep. Ending caffeine after 12pm. Avoid Eating big or spicy meals can cause discomfort from indigestion that can make it hard to sleep. If you can, avoid eating large meals for two to three hours before bedtime. Try a light snack 45 minutes before bed if you’re still hungry.
9. Wind down. Your body needs time to shift into sleep mode, so spend the last hour before bed doing a calming activity such as reading. For some people, using an electronic device such as a laptop can make it hard to fall asleep, because the particular type of light emanating from the screens of these devices is activating to the brain. If you have trouble sleeping, avoid electronics before bed or in the middle of the night.
10. If you can't sleep, go into another room and do something relaxing until you feel tired. It is best to take work materials, computers and televisions out of the sleeping environment. If you associate a particular activity or item with anxiety about sleeping, omit it from your bedtime routine.
11. If you’re still having trouble sleeping, don’t hesitate to speak with your doctor or to find a sleep professional. You may also benefit from recording your sleep in a Sleep Diary to help you better evaluate common patterns or issues you may see with your sleep or sleeping habits.
Jessica Bailey, a Board-Certified Sleep Technologist and current Practice Manager of a Cleveland Clinic Sleep Clinic, adds the following recommendations:
1. Set aside “worry time.” Write down everything you are worried or anxious about, and once it’s written, set a clock and worry about it for 10-15 minutes and then move on with your day. Know that you’ve already dedicated head space and time to give those things a lot of thought and put them behind you.
2. If you suffer from extreme exhaustion, daytime fatigue, snoring or witnessed apnea (holding your breath when you sleep), I would recommend going to see a sleep specialist.
Here are a few specialists near Northville Athletix:
Dr. Lawrence MacDonald, Novi, MI
Dr. Michael Laffer, Farmington Hills, MI
Dr. Emad Alatassi, Farmington Hills, MI
Dr. Harvey Organek, Farmington Hills, MI
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