Sleep Tips

Here are some tips for how you can improve your sleep hygiene:
1. Don’t go to bed unless you are sleepy.
If you are not sleepy at bedtime, then do something else. Read a book, listen to soft music, or browse through a magazine. Find
something relaxing, but not stimulating, to take your mind off
worries about sleep. This will relax your body and distract your
mind.
2. If you are not asleep after 20 minutes, then get out of the
bed.
Find something else to do that will make you feel relaxed. If you
can, do this in another room. Your bedroom should be where
you go to sleep. It is not a place to go when you are bored.
Once you feel sleepy again, go back to bed.
3. Begin rituals that help you relax each night before bed.
This can include such things as a warm bath, light snack, or a
few minutes of reading.
4. Get up at the same time every morning.
Do this even on weekends and holidays.
5. Get a full night’s sleep on a regular basis.
Get enough sleep so that you feel well-rested nearly every day.
6. Avoid taking naps if you can.
If you must take a nap, try to keep it short (less than one hour). Never take
a nap after 3 p.m.
7. Keep a regular schedule.
Regular times for meals, medications, chores, and other activities help
keep the inner body clock running smoothly.
8. Don’t read, write, eat, watch TV, talk on the phone, or play cards in
bed.
9. Do not have any caffeine after lunch.
10. Try to get rid of or deal with things that make you worry.
If you are unable to do this, then find a time during the day to get all of
your worries out of your system. Your bed is a place to rest, not a place to
worry.

Make your bedroom quiet, dark, and a little bit cool.
An easy way to remember this: it should remind you of a cave. While this may not sound romantic, it seems to work for bats. Bats are champion sleepers. They get about 16 hours of sleep each day.
Maybe it’s because they sleep in dark, cool caves.



Adapted from © 2005 University of Maryland Medical Center. All rights reserved.
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