From thehill.com
“I always tell folks that sleep is food for your brain. You don't want to starve it.”
Americans struggle with getting a sufficient amount of sleep due to demanding work schedules, personal responsibilities, daily habits, or sleep-related conditions like insomnia.
Sufficient and quality sleep has been linked with lower risks of diabetes and heart disease, boosting the immune system and improving brain performance. Adult Americans should get between seven and nine hours of sleep each night, experts say.
While some may put off sleep to be more productive during their waking hours, research also shows poor sleep could negatively impact work while sufficient sleep has been linked with higher productivity.
Here’s what you should do to improve your sleep.
Good sleep habits
One key way Americans can improve their sleep is maintaining good sleep hygiene. This includes limiting use of technology and screens before bed and reserving the bed for sleep and intimacy purposes only.
“Setting the stage for sleep is really as important as anything else is in your life,” said Andrea Matsumura, a sleep medicine physician at The Oregon Clinic in Portland, Ore. Winding down for about an hour before going to bed each night and reducing artificial light exposure can help set this stage.
In addition, working on your computer from your bed, eating in bed, or watching exciting television in bed can all work against a good night’s sleep.
“All of that is sending a signal to your brain to stay awake so it further confuses your brain. Your brain doesn’t know that it needs to be winding down and shutting down, preparing for sleep,” she added.
Eating large meals prior to bedtime can also be detrimental as the body expends energy working to digest that food and while those prone to reflux may experience indigestion.
“It’s oftentimes helpful for people to have consistent mealtimes, that’s something that a lot of people don’t think about with regard to their sleep at night,” added James Findley, clinical director of the behavioural sleep medicine program at the University of Pennsylvania Sleep Center.
“But if you have your meals at consistent times during the day, it can help keep your circadian clock on track such that it’s easier to fall asleep at night.”
Setting aside time earlier in the day to think about all the things one is worried about might also stop these intrusive thoughts from getting in the way of a good night’s sleep, Findley said.
Exercising regularly and going outside to get some sun can improve sleep quality as well.
But for those with sleep-related conditions like insomnia, these adjustments might not be sufficient to improve sleep.
Maintaining a good environment
The rise of remote work following almost two years of isolation during the coronavirus pandemic has led many people to maintain a workstation inside the bedroom.
However, doing work outside the bedroom is ideal to maintain good sleep patterns. But if this option isn’t available “you should be sure to turn off all of your electronics in the evening so that it’s not shining in your room,” Matsumura said.
Sleeping in a dark, cool and quiet room is ideal for optimal sleep. Wearing earplugs to minimize noise and investing in blackout curtains or sleeping masks can help create a good sleeping environment, even if people live in noisy or bright areas like cities.
Despite these precautions, minor interruptions throughout the night may not spell disaster for a good night’s sleep. The average person wakes up about six times each night, said Findley.
Usually, these moments are brief where one rolls over and goes right back to sleep. “But as long as they’re not too many awakenings, and they’re not too long, it really doesn’t have much impact on how people feel during the day.”
Overall, making sleep a priority like healthy eating and exercise can help individuals get more quality rest.
“I always tell folks that sleep is food for your brain. You don’t want to starve it,” said Matsumura.
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