ASHLAND — National Sleep Awareness week has begun, and it might be hitting folks hard as we all moved our clocks forward over the weekend.
University Hospitals has 10 sleep lab locations across the health system/Northeast Ohio, including at UH Samaritan Health Center in Ashland, for patients’ convenience.
Here are 5 Tips for a Better Night’s Sleep
Director of the Sleep Medicine Program at University Hospitals, Dr. Susheel Patil, offers advice during National Sleep Awareness Week.
Stress and anxiety levels continue to be at an all-time high as we approach year three of the COVID-19 pandemic and hear about the war on Ukraine daily on the news. Now, more than ever, people all over the world are experiencing trouble sleeping.
Sunday, March 13 at 2 a.m. marks the start of Daylight Savings Time, when we move our clocks forward one hour for the start of spring. National Sleep Awareness Week begins on this day and lasts through Saturday, March 19. Susheel P. Patil, MD, PhD, Director of the Sleep Medicine Program at University Hospitals, offers tips for getting a better night’s sleep:
1) Create a regular sleep schedule. Creating a bedtime routine, in which you go to bed and wake up at the same time each day, is a helpful way to ensure you get a good night’s sleep. You can also practice the same activities each night to signal to your brain and your body that it is time to get ready for bed. Taking a warm bath, reading a book or meditating could be helpful ways to wind down in the evening. If you need to take a nap during the day, make sure it only lasts about 15 minutes or less. Napping too long can make it difficult to fall asleep at bedtime. A regular sleep routine can also help with schedule changes, such as managing the effects of daylight savings time.
2) Handling Daylight Savings Time (“Spring Forward”). In the days leading up to Daylight Savings Time, try to get seven to eight hours of sleep per night to minimize the effects of the loss of one hour of sleep. If you can, consider shifting your bedtime to 20 minutes earlier each night, until you are sleeping one hour earlier than your usual sleep time. This way, you will still be getting adequate rest when the clock springs forward.
3) Practice good sleep habits. Keeping your bedroom dark, at a cool temperature, and quiet tends to be more conducive to good sleep. It’s important to avoid excessive light, especially light from electronics, at bedtime. Disrupting the room with a bright or noisy TV, or social media scrolling on a screen, can signal to the brain that it is time to wake up. If you can’t fall asleep, get out of bed to read a book or do other relaxing activities until you feel sleepy again.
4) Avoid caffeine, alcohol and tobacco. Most people don’t realize how long caffeine stays in your body. You may be surprised to know that the half-life of caffeine can be three to seven hours. This means if you have a cup of coffee at 10 a.m., you may still have a significant amount of caffeine in your system at bedtime. In addition, alcohol and tobacco use disturb sleep. Alcohol is a known contributor to sleep apnea, and can cause fragmented sleep, especially during the second half of the night.
5) Schedule “worry time” in the early evening. Stress is a major contributor to insomnia, and many people find it difficult to “shut off” their minds once it’s time for bed. If you have a tendency to worry about things, reserve yourself a 30-minute slot in the early evening to plan for the next day. It may be helpful to write out a schedule of events if you’re worried about checking off your to-do list. A clear mind will lead to a better night’s sleep.
If you feel that you’re not getting good sleep, you may want to discuss it with your family doctor. If your primary care physician isn’t able to help, he or she can refer you to a sleep specialist. Sleep specialists can help diagnose common sleep disorders, such as sleep apnea, or help you with issues such as a snoring partner keeping you awake at night. Visit UHhospitals.org/Sleep or call 216-844-REST to learn more and schedule an appointment.
