Recent News and Articles on the Keywords: sleep + hygiene + principles  Related to the article below (Last Update: 8/5/2008)

Tai Chi and the RDH RDH, OK - Jul 29, 2008 I have learned that the principles and practice of qigong, tai chi and standing meditation have much in common with the practice of clinical dental hygiene. ... Natural News.com What is the Big, Fat Health and Fitness Lie? Natural News.com, AZ - Jul 19, 2008 This chemical has been pumped into our water supply and put into our dental hygiene products for years but fluoridation has been flatly rejected by many ... Prevent teething troubles Daily News & Analysis, India - Jul 19, 2008 Choice of toothpaste: No toothpaste can guard the family against tooth troubles if they do not follow the basic principles of dental hygiene. ... Times of Nigeria An Eye Witness Account of The Attack On Abia Governor?s Convoy Times of Nigeria, Nigeria - Jul 23, 2008 I went back to sleep, waking and going back to sleep until some roosters alarm woke me up. With Personal Hygiene taken care of, soon after, ... Think Tanks to Holding Tanks, Board Rooms to Gallows Nolan Chart LLC, VA - Jul 28, 2008 Many violent and inhuman activities transpire in and around those cells, but precious little of it involves sleep. Most of these agents of inhumanity have ... Long Hair Drama, by Zhang Lijia Danwei, Hong Kong - Jul 22, 2008 Once a month every woman reported to the hygiene room to face the ?period police?. If satisfied with the bloody evidence, the nurse would issue a pack of ...

The Principles of Sleep Hygiene

Introduction

Do you drink coffee to stay awake? Do you live your life in bed? Do you try to make up sleep on the weekends? If so, you may be violating some of the principles of "sleep hygiene." which are the basic principles that promote sound sleep. Many sleep hygiene principles make good intuitive sense, but they also have a basis in scientific research that has shown them to promote deep, continuous and refreshing sleep. If you answered "yes" to any of the three questions above, or if you have been suffering from insomnia and have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, read on.Insomnia often starts when there is a change in the normal sleep pattern. Sometimes stressful circumstances or an exciting event prevents you from having a good night’s sleep. You then become anxious about getting a good night’s sleep and subsequently have trouble falling asleep. Some people do things they incorrectly think will promote sleep, that actually backfire, such as using alcohol to help sleep or lying in bed for too long, hoping sleep will come.

In this article, we will review methods to control your insomnia and reverse it by following sleep hygiene principles. We urge you to use the sleep log at the end of this article to evaluate your own sleep and to chart your progress once you start following good sleep hygiene. It may take a month or longer of following these principles before you see results, so don’t despair and keep up the good sleep hygiene!

So our first piece of advice is to get the right amount of sleep - no more, no less. To figure this out, fill out the sleep log for two weeks and add up the total number of hours of sleep and then divide by fourteen. This is your average daily sleep need. We recommend that you spend that much time plus 30 extra minutes in bed each night until your sleep is more regular. If you are currently napping, record it on the sleep log. We recommend that you avoid napping for a few weeks and, instead, allow your body to get the sleep it needs during the nighttime sleep. However, if you prefer to continue to nap, then don’t add the time napping into your total sleep need. Be aware, though, that naps can take away from nighttime sleep. Also, studies have shown that briefer naps are more restorative and more effective, especially if you nap earlier in the day.

Principle # 2: Maintain a Regular Schedule.

Research has shown that we all have biological clocks that tell us when we are sleepy and when we are not. Some people have more flexible internal clocks and can fly to Europe or China without experiencing jet lag. Others have more sensitive internal clocks and have trouble even adjusting to Daylight Savings Time. As we age, most people’s internal clocks become more inflexible.

It is important to help your biological clock work with you and not against you by maintaining a regular bed time and wake time, seven days a week. (That means weekends also!) This advice might sound easy but it is not, because it means that you must get up the same time each morning, even if you had a bad night’s sleep the night before. The reason for keeping a regular schedule is that each morning we have to reset our biological clock through morning light exposure. The amount your clock is reset depends on what time you see the morning light. If the timing of morning light exposure varies, then you will be "winding" your biological clock different amounts each day and throwing off your schedule. Therefore, it is extremely important to get up at the same time every single morning. Experience shows that it may take several nights of bad sleep for the body to begin to achieve good and regular sleep. So don’t become frustrated, you will eventually begin sleeping most of the time you are in bed, if you maintain a regular and restricted sleep schedule.

Principle #3: Sleep at Night

The appropriate time to set your sleep-wake schedule within the 24 hour day is largely influenced by when you need to awaken (for most people that means the earliest time you need to be up for work). So first figure out the time that you need to awaken, then count back the number of hours you figured out for your sleep need plus 30 minutes, and voila!, you have your bedtime.

For example, Michael Doe needs to get up every weekday at 6:30 a.m. and he figured out his sleep need was 8 hours. Thus, his wake time is 6:30 a.m. and his bedtime should be 10 p.m., seven days a week.

Principle #4: Avoid Alcohol, Especially in the Evenings.

Many people try to drink alcohol to help them sleep. While alcohol may help you fall asleep, it will actually have the opposite effect and wake you up later in the night. Furthermore, with continued drinking, the sleep-inducing effect disappears. Therefore, do not drink excessive alcohol in the evenings.

Principle # 5: Avoid Caffeine after Lunch.

If you can’t sleep and feel fatigued during the day, it is natural to drink coffee (or colas) to keep you awake, isn’t it? This is all well and good, except that too much caffeine, particularly late in the day, will keep you up during the night. Therefore, we recommend that you avoid drinking caffeine after noontime and limit your caffeine intake to no more than two cups of coffee a day.

Principle #6: Avoid Nicotine in the Evenings and During the Night.

Smoking relaxes you, right? Well, remember it is also a stimulant and, like coffee, will make it harder for you to fall asleep and shorten the time you will sleep during the night. Therefore, you guessed it, do not smoke before bedtime or during the night.

Principle #7: Exercise Any Time Before Dinnertime.

This is a tricky subject. Exercise is definitely good for you and it can actually promote deep sleep. However, exercise too close to bedtime is invigorating and can make it harder to fall asleep. Therefore, we recommend that you avoid exercise within three to four hours before bedtime.

Principle #8: Make Your Sleep Environment Comfortable and Sleep-Inducing.

You are already on edge about falling asleep - why make life more difficult? Make certain you have a comfortable bed and a bedroom that is conducive to sleep. Block out unnecessary light by getting eyeshades or blackout curtains. Reduce the effect of noise around you by wearing earplugs or using a white noise machine. Adjust the room’s temperature to moderate. And make certain the mattress and pillows are comfortable.

Principle #9: Establish a Bedtime Ritual

Sleep cannot be forced - it just happens. Therefore, a wind-down period is essential for a comforting, relaxing bedtime routine. For this reason, just before bedtime is generally not the right time to pay bills, begin a mystery novel, or think about the stresses in your life. Try to wind down and relax both physically and mentally. For example, progressively relax the muscles in your body beginning with your toes and working your way up to your head, and minimize your life’s stresses by imagining them as balloons and popping each one. You can find relaxation tapes in bookstores, or consult behavioral specialists for more information on relaxation techniques.

We also recommend that you try to do your worrying earlier in the evening by making lists, on paper, of your stresses and of ways you might begin to resolve your problems. By doing a "worry-list" earlier in the evening, you are less apt to have your worries pop up at night when you are letting sleep happen.

Also, consider a warm bath before bed. The temperature elevation can help induce deep sleep. Most importantly, use your bed only for sleep and sex - do not read, watch television, or do work in the bed. If you must engage in these activities before bedtime, do so in a chair.

Summary

By following these principles of sleep hygiene you can enjoy deeper, sounder sleep, and be more awake, alert and refreshed during the day. A Sleep Log is included here. You can print it out and track your progress. Good luck!