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 Sleep
is a natural process that we go through each night. However,
humans are not the same. Some of us are good sleepers who can
sleep whenever and wherever they like. Others are bad sleepers
who have difficulty falling asleep and when asleep do not have
sound restoring sleep. There are certain lifestyle and dietary
habits and behaviors that promote sound sleep. These can have
positive effect on the quantity and quality of sleep.
There are some misconceptions about sleep that have to be
clarified. Normal humans require on average from 4-9 hours of
sleep every 24 hours to feel fresh the next day. However, the
amount of time needed for sleep is extremely variable from
person to person. Many people believe that they need 8 hours
of sleep and that the more sleep they can get, the healthier
they will be. If you sleep 5 hours only at night and feel
fresh the next day, you do not have sleep problems. Others are
prone to attribute all their personal failings to their lack
of sleep. That causes excessive focus on sleep and prevents
its occurrence. It is important to sort out the daytime
problems that might reasonably be attributed to poor sleep and
the ones that need to be treated independently, such as poor
daytime coping style, lack of interpersonal skills, stress,
burnout, and so on.
There are general advises to be given
to poor sleepers to help them getting better sleep:
Go to bed only when sleepy
Use the bed only for sleeping
If unable to sleep, get up and move to another room. Stay up
until you are definitely sleepy and then return to bed. If
sleep does not come easily, get out of bed again. The goal is
to associate your bed with falling asleep easily. Trying
harder and harder to fall asleep causes anger and frustration
rather than improves your sleep. Curtailing time in bed seems
to solidify your sleep. Excessive long times in bed seem
related to fragmented and shallow sleep.
Repeat the above step as often as necessary throughout the
night. During the first night, you may have to get up five to
ten times and may not get much sleep. However, as sleep
deprivation increases over the next several nights, it becomes
easier to fall asleep. In one to three weeks normal sleep is
usually achieved.
Set the alarm and get up at the same time every morning,
regardless of how much you have slept through the night. Keep
a reasonably regular sleep-awake schedule during weekdays and
weekends.
Many therapists tell you never to nap
during the day. Many people sleep poorly at night when
they have an afternoon nap, but others sleep quite a bit
better. Be your own sleep therapist, try it, and do what is
best for you, no matter what others say. However, you should
not nap in the late afternoon and your nap should be short
(30-45 minutes).
If you are that kind of person who usually starts to have
thoughts buzzing through his head when in bed and you cannot
stop them or you find yourself worrying about your next day
schedule and you are losing control. WORRY TIME might be the
solution for you. Set a fixed time every day for around 30
minutes where you sit and clear all your worries using a pen
and paper. Using that way, you will go to bed with a clear
relaxing mind.
Avoid trying to force yourself to
sleep. Sleep does not come by force. Instead focus on
quiescent tasks that occupy the mind such as reading, watching
TV, or listening to music (if you like that) to promote
relaxation and sleep.
Athletes sleep better than people who
live sedentary life do. Regular exercise may promote
sleep. Sleep induction is associated with a decline in core
body temperature while exercise increases the body core
temperature. Therefore, exercise should be in the late
afternoon or early evening. Spending 20 minutes in a hot
bathtub a few hours before going to bed may also promote
sleep.
Bedroom environment:
Bedroom environment affect sleep. Temperature extremes can
disrupt the quality of sleep.
Loud intermittent noises can result in light fragmented
non-refreshing sleep. These noises can be masked by white
noise like a fan or air conditioner.
Bright light in bedroom affect the quality of sleep as well.
Avoid looking to the bedroom clock. If you have to,
eliminate the clock. Do not use clocks that light in the dark.
Food and beverages:
Heavy meals should be avoided 3-4 hours before bedtime.
Heavy meals at anytime of the day may result in poor sleep
A light bedtime snack can promote sleep. Hunger is a sleep
disturber
Avoid alcohol. Small amount of alcohol may promote the onset
of sleep. However, as alcohol becomes metabolized, sleep
becomes fragmented. It also facilitates the development of
sleep apnea.
All caffeine containing beverages can disturb sleep,
especially if taken in the evening time or before bedtime.
Studies have shown that caffeine disturb sleep even in people
who claim that caffeine does not affect their sleep,
Nicotine is stimulant. Cigarette smoking can result in
disturbed fragmented sleep.
Dr. Ahmed BaHammam
Director Sleep Disorders Center
King Khalid University Hospital
Associate Professor, College of Medicine, King Saud University
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