6 Tips for Better Sleep

The exciting research in sleep science nowadays comes from labs studying the effects of  getting better sleep on the brain and what happens when you deprive your brain of restorative sleep. New research suggests that sleeping less than seven to eight hours a night risks memory loss, cognitive decline, and even Alzheimer’s disease.

50 million to 70 million people in the U.S. have ongoing sleep disorders.

Adults need a minimum of seven hours of sleep per night. Even an hour less of sleep per night can lead to long-term health problems such as diabetes, heart disease and diabetes. It also can sap your energy, ruin your productivity and put you in a foul mood. People who are consistently do not get enough sleep experience difficulty making decisions, irritability, have problems with performance, and slower reaction times, placing them at risk for automobile and work-related accidents.

What are the 5 types of sleep disorders?

Sleep disorders (or sleep-wake disorders) involve problems with the quality, timing, and amount of sleep, which result in daytime distress and impairment in functioning. Common types of sleep disorders include:

• Insomnia – being unable to fall asleep and stay asleep. This is the most common sleep disorder.
• Sleep apnea – a breathing disorder in which you stop breathing for 10 seconds or more during sleep
• Restless leg syndrome (RLS) – a tingling or prickly sensation in your legs, along with a powerful urge to move them
• Hypersomnia – being unable to stay awake during the day. This includes narcolepsy, which causes extreme daytime sleepiness.
• Circadian rhythm disorders – problems with the sleep-wake cycle. They make you unable to sleep and wake at the right times.

If you regularly struggle to get to sleep or stay asleep, improving sleep habits can restore a restful night’s snooze.

6 tips for better sleep:

• Don’t eat a heavy meal or drink a lot of liquid close to bedtime.
• Reduce or eliminate stimulants such as caffeine and nicotine during the day and alcohol in the evening.
• Exercise regularly but early in the day, not within several hours of bedtime.
• Stick to a schedule, going to bed and waking at the same time each day, including weekends. Avoid naps or limit them to 30 minutes; don’t nap after 3:00 PM.
• Minimize noise and light in your bedroom. Manage the temperature so that you’re comfortable and keep your room cooler than during the day.
• Use a fan or noise machine to mask distracting sounds. Try room-darkening shades if morning light wakes you too early. Wind down for 30 minutes before going to bed. Do something relaxing, like reading or listening to quiet music (not watching a screen). Don’t use a computer, tablet or smart phone right before going to bed! The light from the screen stimulates the brain and makes it hard to fall asleep.

These are just a few of the most common tips to help you sleep. And if you can’t fall asleep after 20 minutes, do something relaxing for 20 minutes, or until you feel sleepy. Tossing and turning will not help you fall asleep. Sleep is important for overall health and especially for brain function. Now, as scientists uncover the mechanisms at work, the opportunity exists to make great strides in preventing and treating cognitive decline and degenerative disease.

If you suspect that you may have a sleep disorder, discuss your symptoms with your healthcare provider. He or she can perform a physical exam and help you identify the difficulties you are having with sleep. Keeping a sleep diary for two weeks may be helpful to your healthcare provider. Some illnesses can cause disturbed sleep, so your healthcare provider may order tests to rule out other conditions.