![]() The idea is to select something you enjoy but that you can easily put down, and that doesn’t emit bright light.Ĥ. ![]() Just don’t turn on your tablet or e-reader or open up a heart-pounding thriller. Paging through a pleasant-but not engrossing-novel can help lull you back to sleep. If you happen to wake up in the middle of the night, avoid napping the next day so you’re tired at bedtime.ģ. Our bodies function best when we maintain the same sleep and wake times-even on weekends. Spending a half hour watching a mindless sitcom, even one you’ve seen previously, can help you pass the time until you feel sleepy again.Ģ. Because the television screen is generally placed at a distance from your eyes, its effect on your circadian rhythms is much weaker. It may seem counterintuitive if you’ve heard the advice to shut down screens before bedtime, but if you can’t sleep, feel free to go to the living room and turn on the tube. When alcohol is metabolized, it actually has an alerting effect that can lead to middle-of-the-night awakenings. Although alcohol can have a depressant effect and make you feel sleepy, it ultimately interferes with sleep. Caffeine can linger in your system for up to 8 hours, making sleep more restless.Ħ. Caffeine may help you wake up in the morning, but avoid taking a hit in the afternoon. Avoid work, chores, or hobbies – anything that could serve as a reward for waking prematurely and become a habit.ĥ. Ideally, you don’t want to do anything that reinforces middle-of-the-night wakefulness. ![]() However, using electronics near your eyes (e.g., phones, tablets, laptops) can interfere with your body’s natural clock, making sleep more difficult.Ĥ. Once you are up and out of bed, it can be tempting to watch YouTube videos on your phone or catch up on work emails. The more worked up you get, the more difficult it will be to fall back to sleep.ģ. Counting how many hours you’ve slept-or how many more you have until you need to wake up-will only add to your stress. Then, wait until you’re sleepy again before returning to bed.Ģ. A better bet: Get up, go to a different room and do something calm and relaxing. You can’t will yourself to sleep (just like you can’t will yourself to be hungry). You might think spending more time in bed will boost your odds of catching extra shuteye. Cheng’s do’s and don’ts to sleep more soundly: DON’Tġ. Sick and tired of tossing, turning and staring at the clock in the middle of the night? Read Dr. However, a range of difficulties – anything from shifting hormones to a snoring bed partner to a stressful day at work – can give rise to middle-of-the-night wake-up calls. Now that we have access to light in the evening, we have extended our waking hours and consolidated our sleep into one long bout. So, there is a disconnect between how much sleep we need and how much darkness there is.” The recommended sleep duration for healthy adults is between 7 to 9 hours, but without the presence of electricity, we would actually be in darkness for 10 to 15 hours. "Before electricity was invented, activity was significantly limited after sunset, so people would sleep. ![]() “There is historical evidence from the late 17th century, collected by a historian named Roger Ekirch, that shows people used to sleep in two bouts, with a period of wakefulness in the middle of the night,” explains Dr. It’s called middle-of-the-night insomnia, and it’s frustrating.Īccording to Philip Cheng, Ph.D., clinical psychologist and research scientist at the Sleep Disorders Center at Henry Ford Health, our expectation of sleeping in one single bout may be a relatively recent phenomenon. Is this happening to you? You have no trouble falling asleep at bedtime, but come 1 a.m., you’re wide awake, staring at the clock. ![]()
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