5 secrets to a better night’s sleep
Sleep Well With These 5 Tips
When was the last time you woke up refreshed? Do you find yourself nodding off on the couch at 7 p.m., only to lay restlessly awake in bed later? Is your 3 p.m. coffee the only thing that gets you through the workday? Poor sleep habits may be to blame. The average adult needs seven to nine hours of sleep a night, yet the CDC found that 40 percent of Americans don’t achieve this: That’s 50 to 70 million adults who aren’t getting a good night’s sleep, according to the National Institutes of Health. This lack of sleep is not exactly a secret, but the solution seems to be. In fact, more people than ever are assessing their sleep habits through apps, watches, and fitness trackers to try and crack the code. Here are five tips that can help:
1. Turn Off Your Devices. This isn’t a new tip, but it’s one people don’t seem to take seriously enough. When tablets and smartphones first gained popularity, the general public didn’t know much about the health concerns that came with them. Now we know that the blue light emitting from your device suppresses melatonin, the hormone that regulates circadian rhythms (your daily physical, mental, and behavioral patterns), resulting in poorer sleep than any other light exposure. In fact, a Harvard study determined that blue light has twice the negative effect of green light.
2. Trade in Netflix for a Novel. Electronics not only stimulate your brain when exposed to them right before bed, they also emit sleep-interrupting light if they continue to play after you’ve dozed off. Instead, crack a book (a physical book, not a blue light-emitting Kindle, Nook, or tablet). A University of Sussex study determined that reading for as little as six minutes before bed reduced stress by 68 percent—beating out listening to music, drinking a warm beverage and walking.
3. Start—and Keep—a Bedtime Routine. We all had routines and bedtimes as children so we would get a good night’s rest, so why should we stop as adults? Sleep can be considered a behavior, and as such, it can grow weaker when not maintained. A bedtime routine helps maintain that integral circadian rhythm while also giving your body time to transition into a more relaxed state for sleep mode. Set your own realistic bedtime window that you can commit to and stick with it. How will you know when your routine is working? You’ll naturally wake up at the same time every day (yes, even on weekends).
4. Cut Out the Nighttime Cocktails. Do you like to unwind with a drink or two before bed? You’re not alone: 20 percent of Americans use alcohol to help them fall asleep. But as with many aspects of sleep, it’s not in the falling, it’s in the staying. Alcohol is another thing that interferes with the almighty circadian rhythm, creating disruption in the natural cycle. You may fall asleep faster, but it prematurely puts you into a deep sleep, decreasing your REM sleep, which stimulates the regions of your brain used for learning. You don’t have to skip your nightcap entirely, just make sure your last drink is at least one hour before bed so you can properly metabolize it.
5. Make Your Room into a “Sleep Zone”. A large part of a good night’s sleep is the right atmosphere. Does the sun rise earlier than you? Do your neighbor’s floodlights keep you awake? Install blackout curtains that block distracting light. Add some white noise to the room by running a fan, air conditioner, or air purifier while you sleep. The ideal temperature for quality sleep is between 60 and 67 degrees Fahrenheit, which helps facilitate the body temperature decrease initiated before you fall asleep. Are you still achy after a full night’s rest? It may be time to invest in a new mattress—after all, on average we spend 26 years of our life sleeping!
Are your poor sleep habits affecting your physical health, leading to aches and pains? Contact the Orlin & Cohen Orthopedic Group today to discuss your concerns and health with a board-certified subspecialist.
