What is Sleep Hygiene?

[Dr_Hays]

Sleep hygiene is defined as healthy sleeping habits that are conducive to regular quality sleep. Sleep is very important for improved physical and mental wellbeing. Sleep may improve your quit abilities and leave you more energized to be in the right frame of mind to take on each day.

6 Tips from Mayo Clinic to improve sleep:

1. Stick to a sleep schedule: This may look like going to bed and waking up at or around the same time daily. Set aside no more than 8 hours for sleep. The recommended amount of sleep is about 7 hours for adults.
   If you cannot fall asleep after 20 minutes, get up, leave the room, and do something relaxing. It is this idea that you should only utilize your bed to engage in sleep or intimacy, to avoid associating your bed with other activities making it hard to sleep.
2. Pay attention to what you eat and drink: Don’t go to bed hungry or stuffed. Provide caution around caffeinated beverages and if you are using nicotine and have had noted sleep disruptions, you may benefit from avoiding it 1-2 hours before bed.
3. Create a restful environment: Create a room that is ideal for sleeping. Avoid light from screens or TVs as it may disrupt your ability to fall asleep. Practicing calming activities such as relaxation techniques before bed can promote better sleep.  Visit Dr. Amit Sood’s website for ideas http://stressfree.org/
4. Limit daytime naps: this can interfere with nighttime sleep. If you find you must take a nap during the day, try to limit it to 30 minutes.
5. Include Physical Activity in your daily routine: Physical activity and spending time outdoors can contribute to better sleep.
6. Manage worries: Bedtime is a time when our worries tend to take over since we do not have the daytime distractions. One tip try to resolve worries before bed or write them down to concur tomorrow. Practicing stress management techniques may be beneficial. More information on stress and resiliency on http://stressfree.org/

Don't forget to check out last week's blog: https://excommunity.becomeanex.org/community/expert-advice/blog/2018/03/21/not-sleeping 

[Thomas3.20.2010]

A good night's sleep can make a world of difference to resilience and self control. That in turn helps you become a better quitter. I was one of those folks who could not sleep for the first few days of withdrawal. I was tired but I just could not fall asleep!

I learned a lot about sleep hygiene and it really helped. Now I almost always get 7-8 hours sleep every night. 

The suggestions Dr. Hays made were right on point. Don't get frustrated! his will take a few weeks. Just stick to your sleep plan and you will see positive permanent improvement!

Good Night! Good Day!

[indingrl]

Thank you so much Dr Hays and I agree with all you have shared with me...I am currently TRYING to improve on keeping a daily nap for 20 minutes a day....I love my naps....please keep coming BACK.

[JonesCarpeDiem]

The title made me think this involved sleep bathing.    Therefore, may I suggest showers only.

RE: #3 I always have my computer on before bed and then watch 30 minutes of something with a happy ending like storage wars or pawn stars.  Before that it was Route 66.

I'm sleeping like a rock 10 minutes after I turn it off.

I get about 6 hours a night. Seems to work for me.

I do believe you need more sleep when you're healing.

[elvan]

I have to admit that the title sort of threw me as well.  I turn off the computer at least an hour before I go to bed, I might watch a few minutes of TV but usually turn it off and fall asleep.  It is STAYING asleep that throws me...seriously throws me.  Once my brain wakes up, my physical pain surges and all of the worries I have collected emerge from their corners and start SCREAMING at me. It really throws me when that happens several days in a row and that is pretty common.

[Giulia]

Thanks for the plug in to Dr. Sood's material.   Loved the Happy Brain TED talk.  "When science has met spirituality it creates a milieu for transformation."  "Our brain is a very conflicted organ."  "It's like you have two consultants in your head giving you completely different opinions."  "And that is intrinsic to our brains  We have to recognize that or we'll slap ourselves for indecision and things like that."  

I guess we're doing the right thing here by trying to teach people how to refocus.  "Studies have shown the more time you spend in default mode, the more likely you're going to be having anxiety and tress and depression...."  The "default brain mode is unfocused..."  Mind wandering.    Good stuff!

[JonesCarpeDiem]

I don't wake because of pain.

It's usually Hoggie coming through his door to beg for treats or attention at 1:30am.

If I can't get back to sleep I just stay awake for an hour or two and then go back to sleep.

(I don't have a husband depending on me for everything like you do so getting of at 5 instead of 3 makes no difference.)

You hear people saying "I can't nap during the day." I was one of those people.

That's because they've talked themselves into that position.

We have to allow ourselves to make new boundaries. (not directed at you Ellen)

Another sleep secret:

Many people's minds won't let them get to sleep.

As a contractor scheduling jobs, making sure the materials were there for the next day, etc. I often had a lot on my mind.

If I couldn't sleep, I got up, turned on the computer and wrote down everything on my mind that was keeping me from sleeping.

In that way, I got rid of the clutter and wasn't worried about forgetting something I needed to remember the next day.

This ALLOWED ME TO SLEEP!

[PRAIRIEROSELADY]

I've had sleep issues since the day, I was born, a 3 lb. premie....Mom said, came into the world thinking night was day and day was night. I only conformed to society because I had too. I still make a better night owl than early bird. Never

embrace starting my day, anywhere from 5-8 am happily. I am very Crabby, when I am in a situation, I must get up then. I hate it!  Since children haven't lived here for 20 + yrs, I now can do whatever I want. I Never make morning appts. for anything unless no other options......Now that I am retired,I am suppose to be able to do, what I want, when I want... 

Spent my whole adult life doing for everyone else and myself last. I know exactly how, I became a nicotine slave! NO such thing as perfect, spent most of my life trying to meet others expections....I learned you, Never will!

Now that we have PC,tablets,phones,etc..... I have found by trial and error...........I can not mess with electronics, within a couple hours of going to bed. If,I do my mind stays to active and I can't shut it down. 20 min. naps would  have never worked for me.I can't even get to sleep in 20 min.(on a regular basis) If a nap is in the picture,has to be over an hour or only makes me crabby and no energy. Totally upsets my night of sleep. 

[elvan]

PRAIRIEROSELADY‌ I am not a morning person either but I can tell you that I can take a 20 minute nap and FEEL like it was over an hour, if I take a LONGER nap, I don't even know what day it is when I wake up and crabby is an understatement.  I was the 4th of 5 kids and my mother said they had to take me for rides in the car to get me to go to sleep and then they would put me into bed and CRAWL out of the room in case I opened my eyes because I would start screaming if I saw one of them...hahahaha, I was a real prize.  I was early also and born with two teeth on the bottom and hair that started at my eyebrows and covered my head.  My mother said I was the ugliest baby she ever saw and she was certain that she was being punished for everything she ever did wrong in her life.  Nice start, huh?

[DonnaMarie]

Sleep is probably my biggest issue right now with quitting smoking and health in general. I have been actively working on the above and trying to teach my brain to quiet itself. Why do we wait till bedtime to think about what happened on the playground in the 2nd grade? Argh. 

[elvan]

DonnaMarie      I have sleep issues intermittently but they do not go on and on...I turn off the computer and "unplug" at least an hour before I go to bed most nights, I take pain medication so the pain will not wake me up...some nights, I take benadryl, I do deep breathing exercises, I try to completely relax from my toes to the top of my head.  It's pretty effective at least sometimes.

Hey, what happened on the playground in 2nd grade?  

Ellen

[DonnaMarie]

Oh you! That playground incident. I'm bound by confidentiality. Can't tell.

I can't take pain meds at night as they keep me up. LOL I'm lucky like

that. I'm working on the sleep thing. It's better at some times than

others. It'll all work out.