Sweet Dreams
If you struggle to get a good night’ s sleep, take heed. The secret to better sleep health starts in broad daylight.
BY KELLY CHARLES, CERTIFIED SLEEP SCIENCE COACH
If you fall asleep easily, don’ t toss and turn throughout the night, and wake up feeling refreshed with no aches or pains, you’ re either a toddler, a golden retriever, or lying through your teeth.
The sad truth is that poor sleep is an epidemic. And it’ s no wonder, really. The age-old advice you’ ve heard for sleeping better— no late meals, caffeine, or screen time— is often difficult to follow. My favorite is the one about avoiding alcohol late in the day. When exactly do they expect us to have that bottle, er, glass of wine?
Without getting too sciencey, let’ s explore the basics of good sleep. You’ re likely aware of the types of sleep that comprise our nights:
• Light sleep— The transition in and out of sleep. It can also happen during the day when you nod off.
• Deep sleep— You’ re out cold. Not moving at all and difficult to awaken. This phase is crucial for body healing.
• REM sleep— You may involuntarily twitch and you’ re quite likely dreaming. This phase is critical for brain healing.
Most people fall into one of these three categories:
• They have trouble falling asleep.
• They fall asleep fairly quickly but have trouble staying asleep.
• They fall asleep and stay asleep but wake up feeling groggy and unrested.
Let’ s face it, we live in a stressful world. Our days are full of anxiety from work, relationships, health issues, and more. All of which can make it hard to maintain a regular sleep routine. Changing any of those things may seem impossible, so are we just doomed to poor sleep? Fear not, for the solution may be easier than you think.
First, toss out the rote advice you’ ve heard for years. Not because it’ s bad advice, but because you likely aren’ t going to follow it anyway. More importantly, the actual secret to getting better sleep at night depends on what you do during the day. Here are some simple things you can do to help ensure you get the rest you need.
Step into the sunlight. Our bodies are amazingly responsive to light, even in small quantities. Our circadian rhythm demands light to reset and starts preparing for sleep when the light is gone. Help your body keep its cycles straight by exposing it to sunlight every chance you get. Try these tips:
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Your Sleep IQ
Test your sleep knowledge with this abbreviated quiz from the National Library of Medicine( see answers on page 35).
1. What percent of adults are getting 6 hours or less of sleep each night?
A. About 10 % B. About 20 % C. About 30 % D. About 50 %
2. Getting less than 8 hours of sleep at night is bad for your health.
A. True
B. False
3. Getting too little sleep puts you at risk for: A. High blood pressure B. Diabetes C. Depression E. Cancer G. All of the above
D. Weight gain F. Early death
4. You need the same amount of sleep throughout your lifespan.
A. True
B. False
5. Sleeping pills are the best treatment for insomnia.
A. True
B. False
6. Some people stop breathing while they’ re asleep. A. True
B. False
Excerpted from medlineplus. gov / ency / quiz / 000805 _ 16. htm? quiz = 1.