Improving Your Sleep

To improve your sleep, it’s important to recognize factors that may be contributing to your restless nights.

Conditions that may interfere with sleep besides pain:

Establish regular sleep hours. Go to bed and wake up at the same time each day. Following a regular pattern often improves sleep.
Sugar can help you sleep. While sugar is not health food, it can help you sleep. It causes the brain to produce serotonin, the neurotransmitter that plays a central role in sleep, moods, and pain control. Fruit sugars work as well as table sugar. So have some orange juice and a cookie an hour before bed.
Avoid high-protein foods in the evening. They can block serotonin production. Try to avoid fish, poultry, meats, eggs, and large servings of beans or tofu in the evening if a good night’s sleep is your goal.
Limit your time in bed. Too much sleep can promote shallow, unrestful sleep. Aim for 8 hours of sleep a night. Some people can get by on just 4 or 5 hours. Others need up to 10 hours a night. Don’t stay in bed longer than 10 hours.
Don’t “try” to sleep. The harder you try , the more awake you’ll become. Read or watch television until you become drowsy and fall asleep naturally.

Use sleeping medications wisely. If you decide to use a sleeping medication, make sure your choice is one of the new imidazophridines or, preferably, a tricyclic antidepressant. Use the medication only as an initial boost to help you start your sleeping program and then gradually wean yourself from the medication after you've met your sleeping goals. Read about why sleeping pills have serious downside
Limit bedroom activities. Save your bedroom for sleep and sex. Don’t watch TV or take your work materials to bed.
Avoid or limit caffeine, alcohol and nicotine. Caffeine and nicotine can keep you from falling asleep. Alcohol causes unrestful sleep and frequent awakenings.
Minimize interruptions. Close your bedroom door or create a subtle background noise, such as a fan, to drown out other noises. Keep your bedroom temperature comfortable, and drink less before bed so you won’t have to get up at night to go to the bathroom.
Keep active. Regular physical activity helps you sleep more soundly. Try to get at least 30 minutes of physical activity daily, preferably 5 to 6 hours before bedtime. Also keep occupied throughout the day. Boredom promotes restless sleep.
Check your medications. Ask your doctor if they might be contributing to your difficulty sleeping. Also check over-the-counter products to see if they contain caffeine or other stimulants.

This page was first published on May, 15th, 2008 and was last updated on May, 30th, 2008