How to improve your sleep quality?

Sleeping seems simple enough: You get tired and you go to bed. But for some, it’s not that easy. Even if you don’t have a sleep disorder like daytime sleepiness, sleep apnea & snoring, insomnia or narcolepsy, poor sleep habits may increase your risk of developing other health issues, including coronary heart disease, high blood pressure and possibly even obesity and diabetes. The best approach is to keep good sleep hygiene to cultivate quality sleep. Sleep hygiene refers to our sleep habits that lead to more restful sleep. 

Here are some tips to adopt good sleep hygiene and improve your sleep quality.

Follow A Sleep Schedule

Follow a regular sleep schedule even on weekends, holidays and days off. This will help to encourage sleepiness and wakefulness at reasonable hours. Maintaining an early awakening time is also crucial. Being consistent gives your brain clear signals that sleep is coming and strengthens your body's sleep-wake cycle. Breaking this rule causes sleep disruption in both good and poor sleepers.

Save Your Bed For Sleep

Avoid watching TV, working, or reading in bed. Limit your bed to sleeping only. This means not using the bed as a desk or a place to lounge and watch television. You don’t want to associate your bed with anything but sleep.  You should only get into bed when you are sleepy.  And this also means not remaining in bed if you struggle to fall asleep. If you do not fall asleep within 20 minutes, get up, do some light reading, listen to quiet music or engage in relaxation techniques. Go back to bed when you're tired. Repeat as needed.

Avoid Food That Interfere With Your Sleep

A more nutritious diet supports higher-quality sleep. Avoid heavy meals within a couple of hours of bedtime. Lying down too soon after eating also can cause heartburn or indigestion and your discomfort might keep you up. Consuming caffeine and alcohol deserve caution. Its stimulating effects take hours to wear off and can disturb your quality sleep. And even though alcohol might make you feel sleepy, it can disrupt sleep later in the night.

Workout On Time

Exercising regularly can improve the quality of sleep, but try to avoid heavy exercises close to bedtime. Gentle or relaxing exercise can be done before bed. If possible, schedule exercise in the morning or early afternoon hours. You’ll feel more energized all day, and your body will be ready to relax on the evening. 

Pay Attention To How Much You Nap During The Day

Long daytime naps can interfere with nighttime sleep. If you choose to nap, limit yourself to up to 30 minutes. Napping disrupts the sleep-wake cycle, particularly if the nap occurs more than 10 hours after the major sleep period.

Know When To Contact Your Doctor

Nearly everyone has an occasional sleepless night — but if you often have trouble sleeping, contact your sleep medicine doctors in Naperville. The sleep experts will help you identify why you aren’t getting enough sleep and provide you with effective treatments so you can feel better rested.