TLC - Sleep

Okay, sleep is not an "official" part of therapeutic lifestyle change, but I consider it the foundation of your ability to carry out the other components. It is nearly impossible to gather the motivation to exercise if you are exhausted getting out of bed in the morning. Reaching for sugary or caffeinated beverages is natural if your energy is lagging. And, carrying a sleep deficit sets you up to be stressed out - therefore making it more difficult to make positive changes like quitting smoking.

Research indicates that it is ideal to get between 7 and 9 hours of sleep, so the old adage to get 8 hours per night has some data to back it up. Both too little and too much sleep are associated with not only feeling poorly but a higher risk for death and disease.

Getting 8 hours of sleep each night is challenging for a lot of reasons:
1. You don't have 8 hours to spare.
2. You enjoy staying up late to spend time with your spouse, watch TV, or have some quiet time after the kids are in bed.
3. You have to wake up so early that you'd be in bed before the sun goes down if you got 8 hours of sleep.

Whatever the reason, rearranging your life, habits, and schedule around a reasonable sleep schedule is worth it!

A lot of my patients have problems with sleep. Most commonly this involves either difficulty falling asleep or waking up throughout the night. Sleep hygiene is what I most often recommend.
Sleep hygiene is just like personal hygiene - a series of behaviors or habits that help keep you healthy (and clean). Some general guidelines include:

1. Remove the TV from your bedroom. This is the hardest one for most people. Having a TV in your room makes it difficult to fall asleep and stay asleep. Your bedroom should be a quiet haven that promotes sleep - and TV does not fit into that.

2. Remove the TV from your bedroom. I'm serious about this. It is really important.

3. Make your room comfortable - good mattress, right temperature, quiet, and dark.

4. Try to keep on a regular schedule. Go to be at the same time and get up at the same time (even on the weekends). This helps tune your body into when it should be sleepy and when it should be awake.

5. Just like kids, adults need a calming bedtime routine. Sitting up in bed watching Law & Order with a bag of chips and a Diet Coke does not promote good sleep. Choose relaxing activities in the hour before bed - reading or doing a crossword puzzle under low light, taking a bath, talking with your spouse, meditating, etc.

6. If you can't fall asleep after 15 minutes, get out of bed and do a quiet (not TV) activity until you feel sleepy.

7. Your circadian rhythm is light dependent. You tend to wake up when exposed to bright light. This can happen at 11 pm or 6 am. TV and computer monitors emit a bright light that tells your body it is time to wake up. Avoid bright lights before bed and use bright light in the morning to help wake up.

8. Find a way to deal with persistent worry or anxiety that might interfere with your sleep. This could include meditation, journaling, prayer, etc.

9. Avoid naps if you have problems sleeping at night. Naps can be good but are not a substitute for a sustained night sleep.

10. Avoid caffeine before bed (probably anytime after dinner). Do not use alcohol to help you fall asleep.

Good night!