Pacific Sleep Labs

Improving Sleep Through Proper Sleep Habit

Sleep habits or sleep hygiene is a behavior that we learn throughout our lives, from childhood to adulthood.
Most teenagers and young adults tend to be late sleepers and sleep into the late morning (“delayed phase”). However, our society is structured so that schools and most work places start early in the day. When these teens and young adults go to bed late and get up early to meet their school or work demands, sleep deprivation sets in. This is usually obvious, because on weekends or holidays they tend to “sleep in” trying to make up for their sleep loss. During the week however, they are required to wake up early, thus feeling tired and sleepy. This creates a significant problem for the circadian rhythm. Our brain cannot adapt to such rapidly changing sleep patterns. This means that during weekdays although person maybe physically awake in the morning, the brain is still trying to sleep, resulting in poor performance at school or in the work place.

Why do people go to bed late? There may be some genetic predisposition. But, the biggest issue could be artificial lighting. For thousands of years people depended on the sunrise and sunset to help us set our biological clocks. Now, however, we have artificial lightings including television and computers. When the sun goes down, instead of slowing down and sleeping, we remain active with the help of artificial lights.

Another cause of poor sleep is alcohol. Many rely on alcohol to help them fall asleep. The problem is that although alcohol maybe a sedative/depressant, when the effects of the alcohol wear off there is rebound awakening. What usually happens is that effects of alcohol wears off in the middle of the night and people awaken having difficulty falling asleep again. Coffee also is an issue. The effect of caffeine takes about eight to ten hours to wear off. Try to avoid caffeinated drinks after lunch. Also, gourmet coffee contains very high dose of caffeine. The usual cup of coffee contain about 80 to 150 mgs of caffeine, but some of the gourmet cup of coffees contain 300 to 500 mgs.

Expose yourself to bright natural light in the morning or early part of day. This will signal your brain that it is daytime. When nighttime comes, with the setting of the sun, keep your house dim and avoid any bright light. This pattern will promote a strong circadian rhythm and improve sleep at night. Vigorous exercise during the daytime also helps one to sleep better. Exercise in the evening, however, will likely make sleep worse because of an elevated body temperature which may take several hours to cool down.

SOME HINTS ON GOOD SLEEP HYGIENE

Behavior -- Environment -- Diet -- Exercise

Behavior
Keep a constant wake up time. This will promote strong circadian rhythm. Wake up time is the only thing you can voluntarily control in your sleep cycle. This will force you to become sleepy earlier and eventually you will have a regular bed time. When you get tired and sleepy after sunset, don’t fight it. It’s time to go to sleep.
Create a relaxing evening and bedtime routine. Activities like reading, listening to music, and taking a warm bath can help ease your body and mind toward sleep. Keep lights low. Avoid stimulating activity during the evening. Any activity that promote anxiety or emotions such as work, doing bills, or problem solving will make it difficult to fall asleep.

Minimize time in bed not sleeping. If you are not tired, then you’re not ready for bed. If you find yourself “forcing” yourself to sleep, it will not work. It creates more anxiety and frustration. Get out of bed and do something that you find relaxing such as reading.

Use your bed only for sleeping. Don’t read or watch television in bed as this will promote a poor sleep habit. You need to create a conditioned response where the feeling of a pillow and cuddling up with a blanket will lead you to restful night.

Designate a time and place for worrying. Stress and associated worrying are common obstacles to restful night. Sometimes behaviors used to manage stress – drinking alcohol and caffeine, napping repeatedly, or working at night – can lead to sleep problems. That’s why it’s a good idea to set aside a regular time of day when you’re not trying to sleep, to work out stressful issues and problems. This will help relax your mind later when you lie down to sleep.

Environment
Simple rule for a good sleeping environment -- Dark, Cool, and Quiet.

Dark – our brain is designed so that we sleep at night. Consider using blackout curtains or eye shades to block out any lights you cannot avoid.

Cool – we tend to be sleep better in cool environment. A warm room can make you uncomfortable and disturb your sleep.

Quiet – any noise can potentially wake you up. If noise is unavoidable, consider earplugs or “white noise” machines.

Decorate your bedroom so that it is a relaxing place which invites sleep. Be sure it is safe to move around in when it’s dark. Also try to minimize allergen or dust as sinus allergies can disturb your breathing and lead to frequent awakenings. This means keeping your pets such as cats and dogs out of your bedroom.
Expose yourself to bright natural light in the morning. This will signal your brain that it is daytime and promotes a strong circadian rhythm which will improve sleep at night.

Diet
Caffeine – Caffeine can interfere with sleep. It is found in coffee, tea, cola, cocoa, chocolate, and many “energy drinks”. Limit the number of caffeinated beverages you drink in a day, and avoid drinking them past noon. Many individuals claim that they sleep fine after drinking coffee. This is usually a misperception. Their sleep tends to be more disturbed and less refreshing. They usually wake up in the morning needing to drink more caffeine.
Alcohol – Although alcohol may initially help you fall asleep, it can disrupt sleep later in the night. This is known as rebound arousal and common pattern among people who consume more than two drinks in the evening. Alcohol is also a potent muscle relaxant. It can make sleep related breathing disorder much worse. There are some individuals whose sleep apnea can be simply managed by avoidance of alcohol.
Nicotine – This is a stimulant found in cigarettes, cigars, and certain medications. Smoking before bed can make it harder to fall asleep, and nicotine withdrawal during sleep can disrupt sleep patterns.
Eating or drinking too much shortly before bed can interfere with falling asleep and staying asleep. However, a light snack can be soothing, and may help you fall asleep more easily.

Exercise
In general, daytime exercise can help you fall asleep more easily and will help you sleep better throughout the night. Try to exercise in the morning or during the day. This will promote early sleep time and help you get into deeper sleep that same night. Avoid vigorous exercise in the late afternoon or evening, since your body temperature will be elevated and it will be harder to sleep. Our body temperature has a circadian pattern and cools down when you sleep.