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Make sure to practice good Sleep Hygiene

Are you experiencing daytime sleepiness? Do you have difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep? Are you looking for Insomnia tips or sleep disorder medicine to resolve these problems? Because there are many medical conditions that can lead to insomnia or daytime fatigue, evaluation by a physician specializing in sleep medicine is important. Dr. Michael Friedman and his colleges at the Advanced Center for Specialty Care can determine if a medical condition is the cause of your sleepiness through both a clinic visit and a sleep study (polysomnogram) at a Sleep Diagnostics testing facility.  

Poor sleep hygiene is prevalent in today’s society. Sleep hygiene refers to personal habits surrounding the process of going to bed and falling asleep. Often these habits disrupt the body’s ability to establish proper routines, without knowing, you may be doing things that compromise your ability to obtain a restful night’s sleep. Here are some tips for improving sleep hygiene.

The first insomnia tips are maintenance of bedtime and wake-up time schedules. Establishing a routine will allow your body to conform to the schedule, making it easier to fall asleep and stay asleep throughout the night. Although weekday and weekend schedules may differ, bedtimes should remain as consistent as possible. Napping should also be avoided.

Both alcohol and caffeine should be avoided for at least 5 hours before bedtime. Caffeine is a stimulant and can prevent you from falling asleep. Although you may initially feel tired after drinking alcohol, it actually acts as a stimulant several hours after consumption. This means that you may fall asleep faster after drinking alcohol, but you will wake up too early, not getting a full night’s sleep.

Regular exercise can improve sleep. However, exercise should not be done in the 2 hours before bedtime, as this may decrease your ability to fall asleep. Stress can also inhibit your body from relaxing. Although eliminating stress is easier said than done, there are some simple steps that can be done to decrease the impact of stress on sleep. One example is making a “to do” list before going to bed, knowing that you have a written reminder of what needs to be done will allow you to better relax. Meditation exercises, such as deep breathing, done before bed may increase relaxation also.

A physician can speak with you regarding techniques and insomnia solutions. Chicago doctor Michael Friedman, MD is an expert in the field of sleep medicine and can offer many insomnia tips and treatment options if improvements in sleep hygiene are not enough to improve your sleep.
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