At the end of the day, what do you want to do the most? Odds are, you want to sit back, relax and drift off into sleep. But there’s one problem. Not everyone is lucky enough to be able to fall asleep right away every night. Some even wake up still exhausted because sleep apnea gets in the way of a good night’s rest. To help, here are three tips that you can follow to take the appropriate steps to get a better night’s sleep every day.
Dedicate the bedroom to sleep
When you think about sleep, what is the first thing that comes to mind? It might be your bedroom because that is what it is meant for. And that is what you should use it for. The more you use your bedroom for daily activities, the harder it will be to fall asleep each night. Make sure you only use the bedroom for sleeping and sexual activity. This means, avoid reading, watching TV, eating and talking on the phone while in bed.
Try to also avoid lying awake thinking in bed. While it might seem like that is the place to think, do your problem solving elsewhere like the living room or dining room. When you do go to sleep, cover your clock or place it somewhere you cannot see it. Looking at the clock when you can’t fall asleep or have woken up and can’t get back to sleep will only worsen the problem.
Don’t forget to exercise daily
To help deepen your sleep, turn to regular daily exercise. However, pay attention to the time that you are working out. If you exercise too close to bedtime, you may end up disturbing your sleep. Try to make sure you finish exercising at least three hours before bedtime. A great time to workout, though, is in the morning before you start your day.
Exercising daily will help you to burn more calories, which means you might get hungry more often. If you do, eat a snack. Going to bed hungry can prevent you from falling asleep. However, a light snack at bedtime or right before bed can potentially help you sleep better at night. Make sure you don’t eat a big meal before bed, though. Stomach and intestinal activity slow down and food is not well digested during sleep.
Skip the alcohol and tobacco
Alcohol might help some people fall asleep at the start of the night, but that sleep will become fragmented, which means you won’t feel well rested. Occasional social use of alcohol in moderate amounts is fine for most people, but regular use or large quantities of drinking may be a significant problem for sleep. Additionally, tobacco of any kind disrupts sleep, so avoid it at all costs.
If you are ready to take charge of your sleep to feel refreshed, follow these steps today! And if you have any questions about sleep apnea treatment or other tips to follow, contact Dr. Sara at AZ Sleep & TMJ Solutions.