HealthChek™: Tips to Improve your Sleep
- Keep your bedroom dark when you are trying to sleep. Melatonin is a very important sleep hormone that is only produced in the dark at night while you are sleeping. Melatonin controls many of the other repair functions of the body that take place at night when you are sleeping. Light in your bedroom can prevent you from getting deep, restful sleep and can interfere with your body’s Melatonin production. Turn off all night lights, and use the dark curtains at the windows to keep outside lights from filtering into your bedroom while you are trying to sleep.
- Electronic interference in the bedroom can interfere with your sleep. Turn off the current to televisions sets in your bedroom [use a surge suppressor to turn off the current to the television and cable box], replace electrical alarm clocks next to your head with battery-operated clocks. We also suggest that you use a cell phone at your bedside instead of a telephone that’s connected to a line that is coming out of the wall.
- Turn off electrical fans above the bed. Any source of alternating current bedroom can interfere with your sleep. It is smarter to cool your bedroom before bedtime and turn off the fan in the bedroom when you are ready to go to bed.
- Avoid drinking coffee and caffeine containing drinks as before bedtime. Caffeine is a stimulant and can interfere with your sleep.
- Avoid eating large meals for 3 to 4 hours before going to bed. Digestion of your food is a priority for your body. If you eat large meals before going to bed, your digestive system will have to keep working on the food rather than cleaning and preparing itself for the next day. This tends to promote “Reflux” [GERD] and can prevent restful sleep.
- Certain medications can interfere with your sleep. These include antidepressants, Blood Pressure medicines [water pills or “diuretics” that are taken to control your blood pressure], appetite suppressants used for weight loss and thyroid medicines. Many diuretics force you to get up during the night to urinate and make it difficult for you to get to restful sleep. Talk to your doctor if you are using any of these medicines.
- If you have done all of the above and you are still having trouble getting to sleep, you may want to try one of the herbal sleeping aids such as “Sleepy Time Tea™” or a teaspoon of Benadryl liquid 30 minutes before bedtime.
- Elevate the head of your bed by about 6 inches while you are sleeping by placing pillows or a “foam wedge” between the bedsprings and the mattress at the head of the bed. This simple act will often prevent the “Heartburn”, “Reflux” or “GERD” that can interfere with your sleep. If you are a “road warrior”, you can use pillows or a small briefcase under the head of the mattress to get the same benefit. (Just remember to take your briefcase from under the head of the bed before you check out of your hotel).