Poor sleep habits are often the cause of daytime sleepiness.
Before you go through any more groggy and crabby days, try these tips to
improve nighttime sleep and avoid daytime sleepiness.
Get adequate nighttime sleep
That may sound obvious, but many of us succumb to shaving an hour
or two off our sleep time in the morning or at night to do other things. Most
adults need seven to nine hours a night, and teenagers usually need a full nine
hours. Block out eight or nine hours for sleep every night.
Keep distractions out of bed
“Reserve your bed for sleep and
sex,” says Avelino Verceles, MD, assistant professor at the University of
Maryland College of Medicine and director of the school’s sleep medicine
fellowship. “You shouldn’t read, watch TV, play video games, or use laptop
computers in bed.” Don’t do your bills or have heated discussions in bed
either. They may leave you sleepless.
Set a consistent wake-up time
People who have problem sleeping are often advised to go to bed
and get up at the same time every day, including on weekends. But randomly
setting an ideal bedtime can lead to more frustration if you suffer from
insomnia and already have trouble falling asleep, says Barry Krakow, MD, Maimonides
Sleep Arts and Sciences Ltd. In Albuquerque, N.M., and author of Sound Sleep,
Sound Mind: 7 Keys to Sleeping Through the Night.
Instead, Krakow suggests starting out by setting a wake-up time
only. “Stick by that for the first few weeks or even months to establish a
rhythm,” he says. “That process of always getting up at the same time helps to
anchor the circadian rhythm. And if you do that and have a bad night, you’ll
also be sleepier the next bedtime.”
Source: Webmd.com
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