Good quality sleep is necessary for your immune system to function well. Most adults need about 8 hours worth of sleep every night. This amount of good quality sleep will leave you feeling sharper, healthier and ready for the day’s challenges ahead. A healthy sleep pattern requires some discipline and might mean you should make some small lifestyle adjustments to get the most out of your down time.
Here are some general tips to improve your sleep hygiene habits.
Obey your body clock:
- Follow a pattern – go to bed and get up at roughly the same time every day.
- Go to bed when you are tired at night.
- Wake up and get out of bed to start the day – don’t spend hours lying there.
- Try to wake up naturally instead of using an alarm clock.
Improve your sleeping environment:
- Have a comfortable and supportive mattress and pillows.
- Make sure your room is at the right temperature – about 19 degrees Celcius.
- Block out artificial light.
- Turn off your mobile phone and other electronics.
Avoid drugs:
- Cigarettes, alcohol, sleeping pills and recreational drugs all interfere with natural sleep patterns.
- To help establish a healthy sleep pattern supplement with Melatonin about 30 minutes before going to sleep.
Healthy Activity:
- Get some exercise every day just not before bed time.
- Switch off and try to relax about an hour before heading to bed.
- Eat well – foods rich in magenisium are helpful to relax.
- Avoid caffeine through the afternoon and evening.
Sleep Issues:
- Difficulty breathing, including snoring, is one of the most common and disruptive sleep issues, impacting both you and your partner.
- This can be signs of an undiagnosed sleep disorders like sleep apnoea which can have severe health implications.
- If you have considerable difficulty sleeping it is recommended that you ask us about organising a sleep study to see how we can help resolve your issues.
Information sheets from the Australian Sleep Association: