During Busy Days: “Sleep Is a Healthy Choice!”

Watching one more television program, searching the Internet, or working are just a few activities we engage in late at night or in the wee hours of the morning when we should be sleeping. As we prepare to lose yet another hour of sleep Sunday morning (April 4), when we adjust our clocks for Daylight Saving Time, the National Sleep Foundation (NSF) and Rocky Mountain Sleep Disorders Center remind us that choosing sleep over other activities is a healthy choice!

National Sleep Awareness Week®, March 29- April 4, is a good time to remember that sleeping well is as important to our well being as a healthy diet and exercise. The theme for National Sleep Awareness Week this year helps reinforce that message – “Sleep! It’s A Healthy Choice.” 

Rocky Mountain Sleep Disorders Center and NSF recommend an average of seven to nine hours of sleep each night for most adults while adolescents and children need even more. However according to a recent NSF poll, nearly one-quarter of America’s adults – 47 million people — don’t even get the minimum amount of sleep they say they need to be fully alert the next day. In choosing to sleep less, they are also choosing to endure the negative consequences.

Foregoing sleep can result in suffering work or school performance, risk for injury, and poor health. Sleep deprivation also affects our mood and behavior. In a recent NSF poll, less sleep was associated with more daytime sleepiness as well as feelings of stress, sadness, anger and increased eating. However, more sleep was associated with positive feelings such as being full of energy, relaxed and happy.

Making sleep a priority can be easy to integrate into a busy lifestyle. Consider these do’s and don’ts for better sleep.

Do…

• Make time for sleep. Block out between seven to nine hours of your daily activities for a full night of uninterrupted sleep. Remember, to have a healthy and safe day, you must first choose to get a goodnight’s sleep! 

• Set the stage for a good night’s sleep. Make sure your bedroom is cool, dark and quiet.

• Get into bed only when you’re sleepy. If you don’t fall asleep within 15 minutes, get out of bed, go to another room, and do something you find relaxing such as reading. Return to bed when you feel sleepy.

• Take a short nap of about 15-20 minutes during the day if you start to feel sleepy. If you have problems sleeping at night, a daytime nap is not recommended. A nap cannot replace a good night’s sleep.

• Talk to your doctor if you continue to have sleep problems.

Don’t…

• Engage in stimulating activities right up to the time you expect to go to sleep.

• Use the computer or watch television before going to bed. Research has shown that the light from the screen can disrupt your circadian rhythm, or internal clock, and cause you difficulty in falling asleep. 

• Eat or drink large amounts before bedtime. Alcohol is not a sleep aid; do not use it to try to help you fall asleep.

• Exercise within three hours before you want to fall asleep. Working out before bedtime can make your body temperature rise and make your more alert. The ideal time to exercise is early afternoon, because about 5 to 6 hours later your temperature will drop and this will help you sleep better. 

• Consume large amounts of caffeine. Scientists recommend no more than 250 mg a day. To find out how much caffeine you drink and eat in a day use the National Sleep Foundation’s Caffeine Calculator on www.sleepfoundation.org.

• Use nicotine products, including cigarettes. Like caffeine, nicotine is a stimulant. 

Rocky Mountain Sleep Disorders Center is a National Sleep Awareness Week (NSAW) 2004 Sponsor, Community Sleep Awareness Partner®, or Cooperative Co-sponsor>> with the National Sleep Foundation (NSF). More information about NSAW, sleep, and sleep disorders is available at NSF's Web site at www.sleepfoundation.org and www.rockymountainsleep.com.

National Sleep Awareness Week® is a registered trademark of the National Sleep Foundation. Use of this trademark and the related logo in advertising or promotions of any sort is limited to 2004 National Sleep Awareness Week Sponsors, Community Sleep Awareness Partners®, and Cooperative Co-Sponsors.