By Dr. Michael Breus
You probably pay a lot of attention to how you care for yourself, your family, and your environment. You strive to make thoughtful choices about what you eat and how you treat your body and your surroundings. But how much attention do you give to your sleep? If the answer is “not enough,” you’re not alone. So often, sleep is overlooked as a critical component of health and wellness – even among people who spend their waking lives taking very good care of themselves when it comes to diet, exercise, and a healthy lifestyle.
Sleep hygiene refers to the set of behaviors and habits that enable a regular routine of high-quality sleep. A consistent sleep schedule, a quiet, dark, and comfortable bedroom, and a ritual of winding down before bed are fundamental elements of strong sleep hygiene. A healthful diet and regular exercise are also important.
Practicing sleep hygiene is the most important route to achieving good sleep – and good sleep matters, a lot. A regular routine of high-quality, plentiful sleep is essential for physical and mental health. During sleep, the body works to restore and repair itself at the cellular level, engaging in cell repair and new cell growth, and in the restoration of immune system function. Sleep is also a key component of metabolic and cardiovascular health, playing a role in regulating hormones and inflammation levels in the body, and helping to control blood pressure. High-quality rest can also help with weight control and the regulation of blood sugar and insulin levels.
Sleep restores cognitive function, sharpens attention and focus, and is important to processing both memory and emotion. Sleep can reduce stress, and helps maintain mood and emotional balance. Over a lifetime, a routine of healthy sleep may lower risk for many serious and chronic illnesses, including heart disease, diabetes and Alzheimer’s.
One of the most significant obstacles to restful sleep often goes overlooked: light exposure. In today’s perpetually lit-up, digital world, we risk constant exposure to artificial light at all times of day or night. Exposure to light in the evenings disrupts sleep-regulating circadian rhythms and can delay the release of the sleep-promoting hormone melatonin. Managing light exposure is one of the most important ways to protect and improve sleep. Turning off electronic devices at least an hour before bedtime – and keeping these devices out of the bedroom altogether – can help your body transition naturally into sleep.
Looking for other natural strategies to ease trouble sleeping? Try these:
Relax.
Including meditation, soothing music, light stretching or yoga to your nightly wind-down routine can help you ease tension before bed.
Write it out.
Stress and worry are among the most common causes of insomnia. If worries fill your mind at night, try keeping a notebook at your bedside. Before lights out, jot down any worrying thoughts to clear your mental slate before sleep.
Be consistent.
Insomnia can make an already compromised sleep routine even more erratic. One solution? Consistency. Even if you’ve had a terrible night of rest, stick to your normal bedtime and wake time rather than oversleeping to “catch up.” In general, it’s a good idea to avoid shifting bedtimes and wake times by more than 30 minutes, even on weekends.
For most of us, healthy sleep doesn’t require complicated strategies or medication. With daily attention and practice, the restorative, rejuvenating powers of sleep can be found – and maintained – naturally.
Michael Breus, PhD, is a Board-certified Sleep Specialist and in private practice in Scottsdale. Author of two bestselling books, Dr. Breus appears regularly on The Dr. Oz Show, CNN, The Doctors, CBS This Morning and Huffington Post Live. He also contributes to The Huffington Post, Psychology Today and The Dr Oz Blogs.
Photography by Aweisenfels
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