Breaking Poor Sleep Habit
One sheep, two sheep, three sheep . . . 50 sheep. If you’re tired of being tired – and counting sheep to get to sleep – now may be the time to take a look at your sleep habits. Poor sleep habits can leave you feeling drowsy during the day and wide awake at night. Here are a few tips to help you catch those elusive ZZZZZs and have some sweet dreams.
Breaking bad habits isn’t easy. Just ask anyone who has tried to stop biting their nails or cracking their knuckles. First you need to recognize your bad sleep habits. Here are a few bedtime no-nos:
- Watching television in bed
- Drinking alcohol or caffeine before going to bed
- Eating a big meal late at night
- Not exercising or exercising right before going to bed
- Going to sleep or waking up at varying times
- Spending too much time in bed tossing and turning
- Napping late in the day
- Taking your worries to bed
- Not having a pre-sleep ritual
The next step to breaking poor sleep habits is understanding the consequences of your actions. Not getting enough sleep can harm your health, contribute to poor school or work performance, and increase the risk of injury. So to avoid these negative outcomes, you will need to substitute better behaviors. That is easier said than done, but if you really want to sleep better, you can. So start by changing one bad sleep habit at a time.
For example, if you like to eat a big meal late at night here are some options: allow at least three hours between eating dinner and going to bed; or try a light snack before bed so you won’t wake up with hunger pangs. This is especially helpful if you are prone to indigestion or heartburn. Like to watch television in bed to relax? Try reading a book instead. Television is an engaging medium that tends to keep you awake rather than put you to sleep. And if you like to have a glass of wine in the evening, opt for a cup of tea instead. The sleep-inducing effect of alcohol usually wears off after a couple of hours when alcohol levels in the blood start to fall and are followed by a stimulant effect.
Once you have decided which bad habit needs to be changed, focus on consistent daily action. If you often go to bed late, make a conscientious effort to go to bed at around the same time every night, even on the weekends. Keeping a log to track the times you go to bed each night may help you become more aware of your actual bedtimes.
There will be times when you want to fall back into your old habits. But by giving yourself positive rewards and focusing on the long-term benefits of a good night’s rest, you’ll soon be sleeping like a baby. For more information about healthy sleep habits, talk with your doctor or visit the American Academy of Sleep Medicine website at
www.sleepeducation.com.