Tips for Healthy Sleep

• Sleep is as important as food and air. Quantity and quality are essential.  Most people need between 7.5 to 8.5 hours of uninterrupted sleep.  If you want to press the snooze alarm in the morning, you are not getting the sleep you need.  This habit could indicate insufficient sleep time, poor quality sleep, and possibly an underlying sleep disorder.
• Keep regular hours.  Try to go to bed at the same time and, especially, get up at the same time every day. Expose yourself to bright light (like the sun), when you get up. These habits will help regulate your “body clock”.  
• Avoid stimulants like caffeine as much as possible.  If you do use caffeine, limit intake to the morning hours.  Avoid all stimulants in the evening, including chocolate, caffeinated sodas, and caffeinated teas. 
• Use the bed for sleeping and avoid watching TV, using laptop computers, or reading in bed. If reading helps prepare you for sleep, use a very small wattage bulb for light. 
• Avoid bright light around the house before bed.  Use dimmer switches in living rooms and bathrooms when possible.
• Avoid exercise within 2 hours of bedtime. 
• Don’t go to bed hungry.  It is acceptable to enjoy a light snack, but avoid a heavy meal before bed.
• Bedtime routines are helpful for good sleep. Consider a warm soothing bath.
• If possible, avoid looking at the clock if you wake up in the middle of the night. 
• If you are unable to sleep after 15 minutes, get out of bed, go to another room, and do a relatively non-stimulating activity (ie, reading) until you feel the urge to sleep. Only then should you return to bed, and if you are still unable to sleep after 15 minutes, get out of bed and again go to another room. Do not stay in bed “tossing and turning”.
• Keep your bedroom at comfortable temperature.
• If you have problems with noise in your environment, use a white noise generator.  A fan will work.
• Alcohol impairs the quality of sleep. It may induce sleep, but it will later result in multiple awakenings throughout the night and fragment sleep, leaving you feeling unrefreshed in the morning. The effect is especially notable if you have sleep apnea..
• If you have a sleeping partner, ask them if they notice any snoring, leg movements and/or pauses in breathing.  If you have any concerns, see your doctor.

On-line Sleep & Sleep Disorder Resources

NATIONAL SLEEP FOUNDATION
NARCOLEPSY NETWORK
AMERICAN SLEEP APNEA ASSOCIATION
RESTLESS LEGS SYNDROME FOUNDATION
SLEEP NET
SHUT EYE
AMERICAN INSOMNIA ASSOCIATION

Additional Resources

Up to Date
http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html

Centers for Disease Control
http://www.cdc.gov/

The Mayo Clinic
http://www.mayoclinic.com/

National Library of Medicine
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/

American Lung Association
http://www.lungusa.org/