By Pascal Chang Leng

Vitality Naturopathic Centre

5/9/2103

SLEEP HYGIENE
Sleep hygiene means regulatory activities aimed at preventing behavioural and environmental factors, that precede sleep, from interfering and disturbing sleep and implementing strategies or habits that enhance and optimise sleep. The aim of this is so that vitality, alertness, concentration during the day is enhanced, and that naturally enhances your whole health. Another reason, is that , this prevents or reduces the risk of the incidence of sleep disorders, which are becoming increasingly prevalent due to the nature of Western culture and lifestyle. Sleeping problems are negative,poor sleep habits that have accumulated over time and now prevent a good restful sleep.Thus its important to remember that the issue cannot be resolved over night, it will take time, and if you persevere with your good sleeping habits, your sleep should improve gradually and naturally. Discover what exactly works for you and maintain that. Dont be obsessed or worried about the issue. If after a few weeks you are still unable to sleep properly, it is highly advisable that you visit a GP. Go to bed at the same time every day ; this is because the body has a clock called the diurnal or circadian rhythm, and it will register the time you sleep and make you sleepy at that time. If you ignore this it becomes harder for the onset of sleep. Get up from bed the same time everyday. This helps to synchronise your body with the outdoor activities and also regulate your body clock. Our body can be conditioned and programmed to sleep and wake at particular times. Exercise regularly, every day. Optimally, before dinner. There is scientific evidence that this improves sleep.
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By Pascal Chang Leng

Vitality Naturopathic Centre

5/9/2103

Spend some daytime outdoors in natural light. Natural daylight stimulates the production of melatonin, which is a hormone that kicks in when it becomes dark, and makes you sleepy. Especially getting sunlight at the early hours of the day promotes a good restful sleep Make the bedroom an optimum place for sleeping ; ensure that it is kept cool and dark , dont put too much electrical equipment in the room as the EMF disturbs the sleep also. Ensure not many noisy things are in the room, such as beeping clocks, etc. Use your bed only for sleeping and sex. The brain links a connection between places and events. Thus, if you use your bed like a living room and study, work, use a laptop on, watch TV on etc, it becomes hard for you to sleep there . Take medications as directed or prescribed. Some drugs may help you feel sleepy and some may keep you awake, stick to your instructions. Be in a relaxed and comfortable mood. Ensure you are not hot or cold. Ensure that the bed, mattress, sheets, linen are comfortable, as opposed to being smelly, unclean, dirty, uncomfortable. A warm bath before bed helps the body to warm and cool down which promotes sleep. Do all the activities that you have to do before bed, such as brushing teeth, putting on warm pyjamas, bath, etc. so that when you feel sleepy you dont have to do these things but rather go straight to bed. Understand your sleep needs. Know why you need to sleep and be in tune with your body to know how many hours you need. Avoid and Dont:

DONT : Exercise just before bed. This is very stimulating for the body and may cause difficulty getting to sleep and not promote sleep. DONT: Stimulate your system with stimulating activities, such as competitive games, video games, tv, movies, documentary or work/academic related things, even serious discussions can be a problem. All these activities are very stimulating to the mind and may stimulate your thoughts and unable to stop the flow. DONT : Drink caffeine containing drinks. Maybe a glass of milk may help you sleep. Also do not drink excessively before going to bed as that will promote you waking up to urinate. DONT : Sleep with a full or empty stomach, the body gets a hard time digesting food while you are lying down, and it is not comfortable. Likewise an empty stomach also prevents sleep. Have a light meal a few hours before bed, and certainly dont eat too late.
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By Pascal Chang Leng

Vitality Naturopathic Centre

5/9/2103

DONT : Nap in the evening before bed. If daytime naps dont prevent your sleep that is okay, but if they are done too long and if naps are taken too late, i.e. form 4pm onwards, it may cause difficulties in sleep. DONT : Remain in bed if you are awake. Dont force yourself to sleep, if cant within 30 minutes or so, wake up, keep the lights dimmed and do something that will bore you in another room and go to bed when tired. Do not work and do stimulating activities also at this time. DONT : Look at the clock regularly and constantly. This may become an obsessive behavior that may disrupt sleep and the occasional look at the lights of a phone or clock, may distract and prevent sleep. DONT : Smoke. Nicotine and other chemicals in cigarettes are stimulating to the mind also DONT : Use alcohol to help you sleep. This may cause dependency and also cause other health effects, even if it may put you to sleep. DONT : Be dependant on sleeping drugs. They are to be used in emergent or temporary circumstances, using them regularly disrupts your sleep patterns.

REFERENCES
Van der Heijden, Kristiaan B. et al.: Sleep hygiene and actigraphically evaluated sleep characteristics in children with ADHD and chronic sleep onset insomnia. J. Sleep Res. (2006) 15, 55-62. Retrieved on 2008-06-22 The International Classification of Sleep Disorders, by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, produced in association with European Sleep Research Society, Japanese Society of Sleep Research and Latin American Sleep Society, 2001, pdf file format, obtained from : http://sleep.health.am/index.php/sleep/more/sleep-hygiene/ "Sleep hygiene". Nature of Sleep and its Disorders. Armenian Medical Network. 2007 University of MaryLand Medical Centre, Sleep Hygiene article, obtained via :
http://www.umm.edu/sleep/sleep_hyg.htm