Healthy Sleep
Do you struggle with sleep? Healthy sleep is vital to your overall health. What is healthy sleep though? According to the National Sleep Foundation, the average adult should be getting between 7 and 9 hours of sleep each night. If you feel rested in the morning, don’t have bouts of long waking times at night, fall asleep quickly, and nobody complains about your sleeping habits, you probably have a healthy sleeping habit.
What happens when your sleep doesn’t look like the above description though? We will discuss tips today to help you achieve your slumber goals. Being well rested can make your days better and your mental clarity sharp. It is so important to ensure you are getting the rest you need.
Tips for Better Sleep Habits
- Get into a routine: set a bedtime and waking time for each day. This will help your body clock know when it is time to go to sleep.
- Find a relaxing routine: take a warm bath, read a book, or meditate to help relax and calm your mind.
- Turn off electronics: turn off phones, iPads, computers, and television sets about an hour before bedtime. The lighting of those devices can affect your brain shutting down at night.
- Avoid your bedroom during waking hours: if you do any work in your bedroom, it can be difficult for your body to recognize when it is time to go to sleep and relax. If you work from home or bring work home with you, make sure you are doing it in another room of the house for the separation of space.
- Avoid alcohol: many people believe drinking at night can help them sleep better. While it may help them fall asleep better, it actually can cause more problems during the night including waking throughout.
- Avoid overly-heavy meals: eating a large meal can cause you to be uncomfortable and unable to fall asleep. Try eating earlier in the evening and a light snack prior to bedtime if you find you are hungry again.
- Exercise: the endorphins released during exercise can help regulate your body systems and allow for better sleeping.
- Keep a sleep diary: is there a certain time each night you are waking up? Are you waking up for something like a drink of water, snack, or to go to the bathroom? Do you have trouble falling asleep more so than staying asleep? Follow up with your doctor if you are finding all your tricks are not helping you get the rest you need.
If you still struggle with sleep…
So what happens if you are being told you snore loudly and you are waking unrested? This could mean a few things, such as sleep apnea. It is important to be evaluated by a medical professional if this is the case as it can lead to other, long-term medical concerns.
What is sleep apnea? In short, it is when you stop breathing, or it is interrupted, throughout the night. There are actually two different kinds of sleep apnea. Obstructive Sleep Apnea is when the airway is blocked in some way that causes you to stop breathing. Central Sleep Apnea is when the brain does not signal for you to actually breathe.
Symptoms of sleep apnea can include but are not limited to:
- being overweight
- having a large neck size
- family history
- gastroesophageal reflux (GERD)
- large tonsils
- nasal obstructions.
If left untreated, sleep apnea can cause other health problems as I mentioned above. These problems can be:
- high blood pressure
- heart failure
- depression
- headaches
- stroke
It is very important to seek medical help if you are struggling with sleep, especially if there has been any mention of snoring or that people have noticed you stop breathing in the night.
There are treatments for sleep apnea that you can discuss with your doctor. Typically they will schedule you for a sleep test to determine how severe it is, or if that is a diagnosis you have. The sleep test can be in a sleep clinic, at home with a vest, or as simple as using a pulse oximetry device at night to test your oxygen levels. If they determine you do have sleep apnea they will explore treatments. They may recommend a CPAP device, a mouth guard, or even surgery depending on what will be best for your needs.
Lack of quality sleep can cause so many health issues including depression. If you or someone you know is experiencing severe sleep concerns that are causing a depression state, please seek medical help. They will be able to work with your specific needs to help you get the rest you need.
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