5 WAYS TO GET A BETTER NIGHT’S SLEEP
A good night’s sleep can go a long way toward improving a person’s quality of life. According to the National Sleep Foundation, experts have said most adults need between seven and nine hours of sleep each night.
“People who consistently average less than seven hours of sleep per night have an increased incidence of traffic accidents, on-the-job errors, personal conflicts, depression and drug use,” said Dr. Gary Goza, medical director of the St. Vincent Health Sleep Center in Little Rock. “There is also an increased risk of obesity, heart disease and alteration in the body’s immune system. These undesirable effects are greater as the amount of total sleep hours are further reduced.”
A variety of factors can impact how well individuals sleep at night, but those who struggle with getting enough sleep can take some simple steps to alleviate such problems.
1 SET A SLEEP SCHEDULE
Routine can make all the difference when it comes to falling asleep and maintaining that sleep through the night. Once a sleep schedule has been established, men, women and children should do their best to stick to their routines, even on weekends, when many people tend to sleep in later.
2 CREATE AN ENVIRONMENT CONDUCIVE TO SLEEP
The NSF recommends that sleep environments be dark, quiet, comfortable and cool. If an environment is not dark enough, individuals can wear eye shades or hang blackout curtains on windows to prevent outside light from entering. Noise and other distractions should be moved to another room in the house or remedied with ear plugs.
3 REPLACE MATTRESSES AND PILLOWS IF NEEDED
Some sleeping problems are a byproduct of mattresses and pillows that are old and don’t offer enough support. Quality mattresses can last a long time but should be replaced when they no longer provide comfortable sleep. Mattresses that make noise, feel lumpy or sag should be replaced. Pillows should be comfortable but still provide support.
4 GET REGULAR EXERCISE
Aerobic exercise for at least 30 minutes four days a week has been shown to increase sleep time and quality. “The mechanism through which exercise helps sleep is not known,” Goza said, “but one provocative theory is that sustained physical activity may in some way deactivate or ‘turn off’ areas in the brain which have become overly active or aroused.”
5 DON’T EAT DINNER OR DRINK ALCOHOL TOO CLOSE TO BEDTIME
The body needs adequate time to digest meals, so people who routinely eat shortly before going to bed might find it hard to fall asleep because the body is still working to digest food. Alcohol might help some people fall asleep more quickly, but it should also be avoided before bed, as it can negatively affect the ability to get a deep sleep.