Information about Lifestyle Practices that can affect your Sleep
Physical activity
Develop regular daytime activity and a regular exercise schedule
Do not perform vigorous exercise close to bedtime. Gentle stretching may be helpful.
Try moderate regular exercise in the late afternoon or early evening
Avoid vigorous exercise within 4 hours of bedtime
Be sure to check with your health care provider before starting a new exercise program/schedule
Reduce light, excessive temperature, and noise during sleep
A dark room is more conducive to sleep; consider using a night light for safety's sake
Avoid room temperatures over 75 degrees (24 degrees Celsius) and below 54 degrees (12 degrees Celsius)
Noise in the environment can keep you from falling asleep or back to sleep and may cause more frequent awakenings
Food and sleep
Regular meal times can help set our biological clock, which in turn helps balance our sleep-wake rhythm
Try to eat dinner several hours before bedtime
Do not eat a snack in the middle of the night
Avoid drinking too much liquid in the evening
Effect of alcohol, caffeine, and nicotine on sleep
Alcohol is a nervous system depressant that relaxes you and makes you drowsy. This is why people use it to help them fall asleep which is a poor sleep habit to get into!
Alcohol causes light sleep and awakenings later in the night
Alcohol makes you dehydrated and may cause you to awaken due to thirst
Alcohol can make the effect of medications such as sleeping and pain pills stronger and that can be dangerous
Social drinkers should avoid alcoholic beverages 4 to 6 hours before bedtime
Do not use alcohol as a "nightcap" to get to sleep
Caffeine is a stimulant that interferes with the natural sleep cycle
Do not drink or eat products with caffeine after lunch
Some medications contain caffeine or other stimulants so check labels and talk with your health care provider and pharmacist
Never discontinue a prescribed medication without talking to your health care provider and pharmacist
Nicotine is a powerful stimulant
Nicotine is related to difficulty falling asleep and sleep improves when nicotine use is discontinued
If you have trouble sleeping, avoid smoking about 2 hours before bedtime and when you wake up during the night
Get some light into your life
Light has a strong effect on our biological or internal clock and that affects our body rhythms such as sleep-wake
Early morning light may be helpful to organize our sleep-wake body rhythm
Try to spend 30 to 60 minutes outside during the day
Wind down before bedtime
Set aside some time in the evening to unwind
Set aside about an hour or so before bedtime to do something relaxing
Develop a pre-bedtime routine - something you do every night before going to bed - a routine that's not too stimulating
Develop a regular sleep-wake schedule
Set a regular wake-up time for each day
Keep as close as possible to the regular wake-up time on your days off/weekends
A regular wake-up time may be the most powerful signal we can use to set our internal clock and organize our sleep-wake body rhythm
Put the bedroom clock out of sight
Many persons with insomnia have a love-hate relationship with their clocks
Watching the clock puts unnecessary pressure on people with insomnia
Get rid of the clocks in your bedroom or turn them around so you can't see them during the night
To nap or not to nap?
Avoid napping; naps can disrupt your natural sleep-wake rhythm and interfere with nighttime sleep
Morning and evening naps are not beneficial because they may interfere with your natural sleep-wake rhythm
If you must nap, the guidelines for napping are:
Nap only once each day
Nap only in your bed
Schedule your nap 7 to 9 hours after your morning wake up time to coincide with natural shifts in your internal clock and sleep drive
Nap for only 15 to 30 minutes. Try to nap at the same time each day
If you cannot fall asleep when you lay down to nap, get out of bed, you probably don't need a nap
