Adjust Your Sleep Schedule for a Full Night’s Rest
One-third of Americans report they sleep less than the recommended amount for adults: seven or more hours. Inadequate sleep can negatively affect your sleep and can contribute to conditions like heart disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity and depression as well chronic disease. Sleep is a necessary component of good health, and it can be impacted by the shift to daylight savings time or falling back later in the fall.
Michael Davis, RRT, RPSGT, and a polysomnographic technologist with Springfield Memorial Hospital and the Sleep Disorders Center, offers some tips for better sleep habits.
- Set a sleep schedule. Go to bed and wake at the same time daily. It may help to set a reminder to go to bed.
- Create an environment for sleep. Your room should be comfortable for you. For some that means changing the temperature or blankets; for others, it may mean that you need to use a fan, a sleep mask or earplugs.
- Make healthy food choices. Avoid eating within two hours of bedtime, and limit or omit caffeine, alcohol and nicotine daily.
- Keep naps short. If you nap, avoid lengthy naps in the daytime. Try to keep them to 30 minutes.
- Move throughout the day. Staying physically active promotes better sleep, but avoid exercising close to bedtime.
- Address stress. If you have stress or worries keeping you up at night, focus on coping strategies to help you reduce stress.
Concerned about your sleep health?
If you have sleep problems, speak with your doctor. A sleep study or other specialty referral may help you determine the root cause.
Related Info
All five Memorial Health hospitals offer sleep care assistance including sleep studies. Four hospitals offer fully accredited Sleep Disorders Centers: Decatur Memorial, Jacksonville Memorial, Lincoln Memorial and Springfield Memorial. Learn more.