Getting a good night’s sleep matters a great deal. Our bodies need rest to repair our cells and rejuvenate us. Sleep hygiene, or our sleep habits, can make the difference between waking up refreshed and feeling sleepy all day long.
“Your sleeping environment is key,” states Marcy Guido-Posey of the Holy Spirit Sleep Center (717-901-0317, www.hsh.org). A registered polysomnolographic technologist (a sleep specialist), she says your room should be “cool, dark and comfortable.”
“Your bedroom is for sleep, illness and sexual intercourse”—nothing else
Nothing should distract you from your sleeping goal. Melanie DiPerna of Conestoga Pulmonary & Sleep Medicine (717-560-5156) explains, “Your bedroom is for sleep, illness and sexual intercourse”—nothing else. In other words, the TV and laptop belong in the living room, not the bedroom. “People have a tendency to do everything in their rooms,” says DiPerna. “These all fail to get the mind to connect the bedroom with sleep.”
What Not to Do
If you’re having trouble sleeping, here are a few no-no’s: No caffeine after noon; no fluids late at night. No alcohol or nicotine. No video games toward bedtime. No animals in the bed. No late texting or TV. No exercise 2-3 hours before going to sleep.
Also, no naps. “Make sure you’re good and tired at bedtime,” says Guido-Posey. “If you’re having trouble getting back to sleep, get up and do something calming—preferably something boring, like reading your refrigerator manual.”
The Elephant in the Room
Still not getting the rest you need? Check your mattress. “If you’re sleeping on a coil mattress that’s more than 10 years old, it’s time to look into a new one,” advises Ben McClure of Gardner’s Mattress & More (717-299-6228, www.gardnersmattressandmore.com). “Consider a foam mattress; even though you’ll invest more, it will last 2-3 times longer. Plus you’ll get a much better night’s sleep.” McClure also suggests a power-adjustable bed, which can help with shoulder or back pain. Book Gardner’s Dream Room, where you can actually take a nap for up to 4 hours on a new mattress to test it out (occasional naps are OK).
Your pillow—and the position in which you sleep—can make a difference, too, notes Dr. Angela Lindenmuth of White Rose Family Chiropractic (717-751-0004, www.yorkchiro.com). “If you sleep on your side you want a pillow that’s as thick as your shoulder is wide,” she specifies, “to keep your neck and upper back in alignment. If you sleep on your back, the pillow should cradle your neck and allow you to lay flat.” Dr. Lindenmuth recommends a pillow under the knees for back sleepers or one between the knees and ankles for side sleepers. “Get adjusted regularly, and avoid belly sleeping,” she warns. “It puts more stress on your neck and lower back.”
Sleep Disorders
“Sleep debt” can create all kinds of issues, so uncovering the root cause of poor-quality sleep is important. According to Elaine Reed, with Wellspan’s York Hospital Sleep Center (717-851-4541, www.wellspan.org), obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is when you briefly stop breathing during sleep. One of the most undiagnosed conditions, OSA causes your body to generate a fight-or-flight response with adrenalin, create insulin, and increase your blood pressure. It also makes you wake up.
Reed explains, “This can happen more than 30 times an hour, so your body doesn’t get the rest it needs. This puts stress on all of your systems.” If it continues, you are at risk for a litany of problems—heart attack, stroke, obesity, depression, diabetes and more, as well as sleepiness-related events like motor vehicle accidents.
Wondering if you have sleep apnea? There are clues, such as snoring, pauses in breathing and adult sleepwalking. But the main question to ask, DiPerna says, is whether it’s affecting your work or home life. If you’re sleepy during the day, see your primary health care provider. He or she can determine whether you need a sleep study.
Visiting a sleep lab can help you find out how much sleep you’re actually getting
Difficulty falling asleep—and difficulty staying asleep—represents another major sleep disorder: insomnia. If you’ve created a good sleep environment and stayed away from the “no-no’s,” visiting a sleep lab can help you find out how much sleep you’re actually getting, narrow down the causes, and suggest solutions.
Reed says other medical conditions can affect sleep, such as restless legs syndrome, acid reflux or asthma. So can shift work. But she points to a less obvious culprit. “Americans are trying to juggle work and family life so that sleep often takes a back seat. We hear people say sleep is a waste of time.” It’s not. In fact, humans can’t survive without sleep. So do yourself—and your bed partner—a favor. Follow the professionals’ advice and the tips in the sidebar. But perhaps the most important thing is to ensure that you are getting an adequate amount of sleep on a nightly basis. Aim for 7.5-8 hours, but make sure the sleep you get is good-quality sleep.
Sleep Tips
7 ways to catch more zzzzz’s
1. Eliminate light sources (cover up your digital clock, and use room-darkening shades).
2. Use a white noise machine or a fan to block out other sounds.
3. Try earplugs if your partner snores.
4. Establish a bedtime routine, such as listening to calm music with lights low.
5. Keep your bedroom around 69-70 degrees.
6. Turn the TV off.
7. Develop a regular bedtime and waking time.
