Block out lights with a curtain or a sleep ask. Temperatures between 60 F and 75 F are best. Ensure you are sleeping in a quiet, dark, comfortable environment.Gentle stretching for relaxation can help you fall asleep. Do not exercise within several hours (2 or 3 hours) of attempting to go to sleep – this will keep you awake. Exercise in the late afternoon or early evening regularly can improve sleep quality by helping you fall asleep faster and sleep more soundly.Quitting smoking is recommended for all smokers for many reasons. Nicotine is a stimulant and tends to reduce the quality of sleep, and nicotine withdrawal at night tends to do the same. Alcohol may make some people fall asleep more quickly (but not everyone), however alcohol leads to fragmented sleep and does not provide good restful sleep. The effects of caffeine on sleep usually takes several hours to go away, however in some people the effects are prolonged. If you need to nap for safety reasons (driving, etc) then a short 30-60 minute nap is okay. Napping interferes with the ability to fall asleep at night. Avoid napping unless absolutely required.Taking a brisk walk or sitting by a window or on a porch may be helpful! IIn the morning, expose yourself to sunlight to support the body’s sleep clock. Do not watch TV, eat, drink, read, have arguments or discussions while in bed. Use the bedroom only for sleep and intimacy.When you are sleepy, return to bed and go to sleep. ![]() If you cannot fall asleep, get out of bed and do something relaxing. If you wake up in the middle of the night, let yourself fall asleep within 15-20 minutes. This will only tend to make you more awake and is counterproductive. Do not try to force yourself to fall asleep.This routine needs to be maintained every day of the week, including weekends. Once your sleep improves, keep to a standard time to go to bed. Start by setting a routine time to wake up and get out of bed. Maintain a consistent, regular routine.Typically, 7-8 hours per night is appropriate for most patients. Excessively long times in bed seem related to fragmented and shallow sleep. Sleep as much as needed to feel refreshed and healthy during the following day, but not more.Practicing good sleep hygiene is recommended for all patients with sleep difficulties. These habits often develop in response to insomnia but are counterproductive. See a doctor for help.Sleep hygiene refers to “cleaning up” sleep habits that interfere with good sleep. Whatever is causing your excessive daytime sleepiness needs to be addressed. Either way, nighttime asthma flares can lead to subpar sleep and a lot of daytime drowsiness. Or it could be because your bedroom and bed are full of allergens that inflame your asthma, like dust mites. This can happen because increased nighttime levels of the stress hormone cortisol cause inflammation that makes your airways swell, prompting asthma symptoms such as coughing that wake you up. The culprit here could also be something like asthma, which often gets worse at night. ![]() So, if you have any number of nighttime wake-ups where you are struggling to breathe, talk to a doctor about that possibility. Waking up in the night while gasping for air or choking can happen with all forms of the condition, according to the Cleveland Clinic. There’s obstructive sleep apnea, caused by your throat muscles relaxing central sleep apnea, caused by your brain failing to send proper signals to your muscles to help you breathe and complex sleep apnea, which is when someone has both obstructive and central sleep apnea. Okeke-Igbokwe recommends chatting with your doctor about other potential causes for your insomnia (like anxiety or stress) and how to treat them. Are you sleeping in a cool, quiet, and dark room? Do you regularly go to bed and wake up at the same time? Do you cut yourself off from caffeine by mid-afternoon? Do you give yourself time to wind down and avoid screens before bed? If the answer to all those questions is “yes,” Dr. Okeke-Igbokwe says that your first step should be to assess your sleep hygiene practices. If you have to resort to these methods often, Dr. (Try to keep the lights low so you don’t throw off your circadian rhythm.) When you feel sleepy again, put yourself back to bed. Read a book, listen to music, or work on a puzzle. ![]() Once you feel like a solid chunk of time has passed and you’re still not tired, get out of bed and do something relaxing, Dr. This will reduce the likelihood that the awakening will start the mind racing and contribute to insomnia.” Instead, he suggests setting an alarm before bed each night and covering it up so you can’t check the time: “If you wake at night and don't hear the alarm, it doesn't matter what time it is. Try not to do this, since worrying about not getting enough sleep could just make it harder to sleep, Dr. When you wake up and can’t get back to sleep, you might be tempted to watch the minutes tick away on a clock.
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