Better Sleep = Better Health!
When it comes to the foundations of health, one of most important is also the easiest to continuously put off until 5 minutes become an hour or 2, and then your normal routine is off balance. Sleep is important for us to reset mentally, physically, and emotionally. When we get the quality of recommended hours of sleep, we can see and feel the difference!
Healthy sleep is not only the amount of time, but also the quality of sleep we get. A healthy sleep cycle happens when we fall asleep relatively easily, do not fully wake up during the night, avoid waking up too early, and feel refreshed in the morning.
The quantity and quality of sleep needed changes throughout our life, and each person can have slightly different needs based on their age, current health status, sleep deprivation levels, and more.
Figuring out your “healthy sleep cycle” can be difficult to determine, but not impossible, and we are here to help!
Contact us to schedule an appointment today!
Frequently Asked Questions:
It is hard to outline all of the benefits from a healthy sleep routine, we have listed several worthy ones below:
- Boost your immune system
- Prevent weight gain
- Lower risk for chronic health issues (heart disease, kidney disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke, obesity, depression)
- Quicken muscle and injury recovery
- Reduce pain
- Increase mental focus, memory, and processing
- Improve mood
- Reduce stress or anxiety
There can be several factors that can be getting in the way of you getting the best sleep possible, including:
- Stress and/or anxiety
- Caffeine
- Pain
- Health conditions
- Light from devices
- Mentally engaging activities
- Sound and light levels
- Room temperature
- Time of day/night
- Untreated sleep disorders (sleep apnea or insomnia)
Bad sleep quality is also referred to sleep deficiency, and it can be linked to several chronic health issues as well as affect your life in other ways.
Chronic Health Issues Linked to Sleep Deficiencies:
- Heart Disease
- Kidney Disease
- High Blood Pressure
- Diabetes
- Stroke
- Obesity
- Depression
Other Long-Term Effects of Sleep Deficiencies:
- Increased likelihood of possible injury
- Fatigue
- Trouble thinking and concentration
- Confusion
- Reduced reaction times
- Negative impacts on short- and long-term memory
- Mood changes
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Weakened immunity
- Poor balance
- Insomnia
- Bloating
- Water Retention
- Pain
- Hormone Imbalances
- And more…
The first step to improving your sleep quality is being aware and taking ownership of making efforts to prioritize it. Good news, reading this article and doing research is a great start! We have listed some helpful tips below, and if you want to take it a step further, our providers are here to answer your questions and guide you through additional solutions.
Things to try to improve your sleep quality:
Start or set your bedtime routine:
- Determine when you should fall asleep to get the recommended amount of sleep by the time you need to wake up. Example: If you need to wake up at 6:00 a.m., you need 8 hours of sleep, you should try to be asleep by 10:00 p.m.
- Work your routine timeline backwards to calculate the new times you should start your winding down activities for the night.
Increase the number of hours of sleep:
- Gradually increase the number of hours of sleep to the recommended amount.
- Start by going to bed 30 minutes earlier each night.
- Once you reach the ideal time, then work to be consistent and go to bed at the same time each night.
Create a Comfortable Sleep Environment:
- Find ways to make your sleep space dark and quiet.
- Keep your room temperature on the cooler side. According to the National Sleep Foundation, the ideal temperature is between 60 to 67 degrees (use cooling sheets, pillows, mattress pads, etc.)
- Consider wearing socks! (The Sleep Doctor outlines the unique research relating socks and sleep here: https://thesleepdoctor.com/sleep-hygiene/sleeping-with-socks-on/)
- Reduce distractions that may wake you up at night (phone notifications and pets are common distractions).
Change your daily routine:
- Physical activity may be impacting your sleep and may work better to exercise in the morning vs. night.
- Find a relaxing activity to do before bed.
Sleep studies help diagnose sleep disorders by measuring how well you sleep and how you and your body responds to sleep issues.
There are on-site and at-home sleep studies available. The type of study you receive may be based on your insurance coverage and/or authorization approval process.
Contact us or your provider to discuss your sleep concerns and see if a sleep study will benefit your better sleep journey today!
There are several “Smart Technology” devices and applications that can be used to monitor your sleep. These include watches, fitness trackers, and applications that can be used on your phone, smart watch and tablets! Feel free to try multiple to find the method that works best for you.
Contact us if you have any questions or would like further assessments based on the results you are seeing!
Sleep disorders affect the quality, timing, and amount of sleep that can cause distress and impairment during the day. These often align with other medical conditions.
Sleep Disorders:
- Insomnia
- Sleep Apnea
- Parasomnias
- Narcolepsy
- Restless Leg Syndrome
Common Sleep Disorder Signs:
- Feeling tired, even after a good night’s sleep
- Difficulty falling or staying asleep
- Sleepiness during the day that cause difficulties to do everyday activities – driving or concentrating at work
- Gasping or paused breathing while sleeping
- Frequently snoring loudly
- Finding that it feels like it is hard to move when you first wake up
- Crawling or tingling feelings in the arms and/or legs at night – usually feel better when the area is moved or massaged
Contact us or your primary care provider to schedule an appointment if you are concerned that you may have one of the disorders or find that you are experiencing any of these signs.
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