What’s Your Sleep Story?

 

I woke up this morning feeling particularly well rested. I slept for about 8 hours last night and had the luxury of not forcing myself out of bed early this morning. And this well-rested feeling got me thinking about the importance of good sleep.

I have had an interesting relationship with sleep throughout my life. I’m told that, as a kid, I avoided sleep as long as at least one other person in the world was still awake (didn’t want to miss out on anything, you know?). I don’t remember being that obstinant (and can’t imagine it). My memories of sleep from childhood include nightmares about the Wizard of Oz (tornados and angry apple trees), sleep walking, sleep talking, and waking up with my feet on my pillow. As an adult, I experience periodic bouts of insomnia (not fun!) but other times I can’t seem to get enough sleep. And I still have the occasional tornado nightmare.

What’s your sleep story?

We all have different needs when it comes to sleep, but the average person should probably be getting between 7 and 9 hours of sleep each night. Recently, though, Harvard Medical School reported that a survey found that an increasing number of Americans are sleeping less than 6 hours per night and that 75% of Americans experience some sort of sleep difficulties several times a week. This is troubling because many studies have demonstrated that sufficient sleep is important for maintaining good health. Lack of sleep has been linked to many conditions including poor memory, moodiness, increased risk of accidents (at work and while driving), poor metabolic function and weight gain, immune suppression, disrupted hormone function, and hypertension.

Many factors can influence our ability to get a good night’s sleep, including seasonal changes, emotions, stress, caffeine, medications, and our sleep environment. Because sleep is so important to your overall health, take a moment to reflect on your own sleep patterns and consider the following recommendations for getting good sleep:

1. Develop a regular schedule of sleeping/waking times.
2. An Ayurvedic approach recommends going to bed between 9:30 and 10:30pm and waking up between 5:30 and 6:30am. (Those of you who know me will be surprised to learn that I have experimented with this schedule and really loved it, but you have to make it a habit!)
3. Avoid alcohol and food for 2-3 hours prior to bedtime.
4. Exercise: regular exercise can help regulate your sleep.
5. Allow yourself to wake up without an alarm clock whenever possible (at least weekends?).
6. Minimize noise and light in your sleep environment.
7. Avoid extreme temperatures in your sleep environment.
8. Caffeine: avoid caffeine for 4-6 hours prior to bedtime and limit overall use of caffeine.
9. Avoid television and computer screens for at least 1 hour prior to bedtime.
10. Develop a bedtime ritual – this might include enjoying a calming cup of herbal tea or a relaxing bath or shower before bedtime.

 Eat Well.  Live Well.  Be Well.  Sleep Well.