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1.
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Go
to bed when you are sleepy, not earlier. Going to bed before
you are sleepy will promote lying awake in bed, which can
condition (teach) the brain to be awake in bed. Limiting
your time in bed helps consolidate and deepen your sleep.
Excessively long times in bed lead to fragmented and shallow
sleep. When you wake up refreshed, get up. Don't linger
in bed for long. |
2.
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Get
up at the same time every day, 7 days a week. A regular
wake time will help you fall asleep more easily at night,
and helps set your "internal clock." |
3.
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Sleep
only in bed. Sleeping in other locations at home may make
it more difficult to sleep in bed. |
4.
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Use
the bedroom only for sleeping and sexual activity. Avoid
reading, watching TV, eating, or talking on the phone in
bed. Also avoid lying awake thinking in bed. If you need
to problem-solve, make plans, or sort things out in your
mind, do it elsewhere. Get up and sit in another room to "process" your
thoughts. Do not take your problems to bed. It is often
helpful to spend time earlier in the evening to work on
your problems or plan the next day's activities. Some people
find it helpful to designate "worry time" before
bed to work through difficult issues that might otherwise
keep them awake. All this should be done in a room other
than the bedroom. |
5.
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Cover
the clock or put it where you cannot see it. Looking at
the clock when you either can't fall asleep or have awakened
and can't get back to sleep only perpetuates the problem. |
6.
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Regular
daily exercise may help deepen sleep. Exercise too close
to bedtime may disturb sleep. Finish exercising at least
3 hours before bedtime. |
7.
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Insulate
your bedroom against sounds. Carpeting, wearing earplugs,
and closing the door may help. Noise may disturb your sleep
even if you are not fully aware of it. This is especially
problematic for third-shift workers who need to sleep during
the day when most people are awake. |
8.
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Keep
the room temperature moderate. Excessively warm rooms may
disturb sleep, even more than you might be aware of. |
9.
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Don't
go to bed hungry, as it may keep you from falling asleep.
A light snack at bedtime may help sleep, but avoid having
a big meal. Stomach and intestinal activity slow down and
food is not well digested during sleep. |
10.
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Avoid
excessive fluid intake in the evening to minimize the need
for nighttime trips to the bathroom. While it is generally
healthy to drink plenty of water during the day, limiting
this for the last 2-3 hours before bedtime can help you
sleep through the night. |
11.
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Avoid
caffeine, especially in the afternoon or evening. A single
cup of coffee in the morning can affect sleep at night,
even if you are not aware of it. This doesn't mean caffeine
should be avoided by everyone, but it does mean that anyone
with trouble sleeping should stop it completely, at least
until the insomnia is in control. Many people say "caffeine
doesn't affect me," or "I stopped caffeine once
and it didn't do any good." If a person has insomnia
and uses any caffeine, there could be a relationship. And,
stopping caffeine without following all the points of good
sleep hygiene may not have been enough on its own. Use
of caffeine to treat headaches may actually disrupt sleep.
If sleep disruption is an issue for an individual, other
treatments should be considered. |
12.
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Avoid
alcohol, especially in the evening. Although alcohol may
help some people fall asleep at the start of the night,
the sleep through the night becomes fragmented. Occasional
social use of alcohol in modest amounts is fine for most
people, but regular use or drinking large quantities may
be a significant problem for sleep. |
| 13. |
Avoid
using tobacco in any form, especially at bedtime or if
you awaken at night. Tobacco use disturbs sleep. |
| 14. |
If
you cannot fall asleep, do not "try harder" to
fall asleep. This often makes the problem worse. Instead,
get out of bed, go to another room, and do something quietly
(such as reading a book) until you become sleepy again.
Avoid television, computer use, snacks, or tobacco use,
as these can make you more alert. Return to bed only when
you become sleepy again. Get up at your regular time in
the morning, no matter how much you slept. |
| 15. |
Avoid
naps. If you have an irresistible urge to sleep during
the day, a single nap of 30 minutes or less may be taken
in bed. Longer or more numerous naps can disturb sleep
the following night. |
