Prioritize sleep in one’s life is essential, as it plays a crucial role in immune function, metabolism, emotional regulation, focus, heart health, and many other aspects of well-being. As a family medicine physician, I work closely with my patients to help them achieve both adequate and restorative sleep.There are many health conditions or sleep dysfunctions that can get in the way of achieving adequate sleep or sleep that is of good quality.
Sleep Tight to Live Right: Key Considerations for Optimal Sleep Hygiene
General recommendations for healthy sleep habits include some of the following:
- Consistency in routine: going to bed the same time each night and waking the same time each morning can be helpful for regulation of good sleep cycle. Also having a consistent routine in winding down routine can be beneficial.
- Ensuring a good sleep environment: keeping one’s bedroom cool, quiet, and dark can help with promotion of sleep onset.
- Avoiding screens in the bedroom: the lights from screens can disrupt some of the messages in the body that prompt the body to wind down, so avoiding screens before sleep is a good idea for quality sleep.
- Staying physically active: physical activity during the day can help to promote good sleep habits but of course avoiding activity too close to bedtime is important.
- Avoiding consumption of substances that can disrupt sleep: stimulants like caffeine and depressants like alcohol can negatively affect sleep, so avoiding them especially in the time leading up to sleep can be helpful. Also, limiting heavy meals before bed can be helpful in attempts to achieve good sleep.
- Making sure underlying health conditions are managed: management of health conditions that may affect onset and quality of sleep is important
If you are looking to work on improving your sleep, feel free to set up an appointment with me, Dr. Maria Swetech, at our Clinton Township office, so we can discuss your sleep habits and make sure we are working together to help you achieve your best rest and prioritize sleep. Please be reminded that nothing in our blog is official or actual medical advice.
