Fact Sheets:
Help Me Sleep
Many people complain of insomnia, or problems with sleep. The problems
frequently result from lack of knowledge about normal sleep. Just as
people vary in height or in the amount they eat, people vary in how much
sleep they require. Although the average person requires 7 or 8 hours
of sleep, some need less and others more. Each individual must become
familiar with the amount of sleep their body requires each night in
order to feel well, and of course try to get the needed hours of sleep.
People also vary in how soundly they sleep. Some fall asleep almost as
soon as they hit the pillow, while others take a longer time. Some
people normally awaken during the night, while others usually sleep
through until morning. It is also normal for people to have "a bad
night" occasionally, when they don't sleep as well as usual. It is not
unusual to have two or more bad nights in a row. This is nothing to
worry about, and of course worry can keep one awake.
Our pattern of sleep normally changes with age. As one gets older,
awakening during the night becomes more frequent and lasts longer.
Therefore, one can usually expect to awaken more during the night and
sleep less, as one grows older. Knowledge of the expected changes helps
avoid worry.
Relaxation is the best inducement for sleep. If one goes to bed and
starts worrying about daily problems, you are not relaxing and will
have difficulty falling asleep. Likewise, if one awakens during the
night and starts worrying they are not relaxing and will be tired in
the morning. A person may become angry and frustrated about not
sleeping, which wakes him/her up further.
If a person can learn to rest and relax in bed, even if awake, he/she
will feel rested in the morning. There is also a much better chance
that they will doze off if relaxing. Therefore, if you awaken during
the night, don't get worried or aggravated, but try to relax with your
eyes closed. Thinking pleasant thoughts or listening to relaxing music
on the radio can help. Avoid stimulating activities like reading
exciting novels or watching television. Remind yourself that being
awake is not harmful and you can still feel rested in the morning.
Being awake part of the night is not harmful, but worrying about it
causes a problem.
Another factor that helps sleep is regularity. If one goes to bed the
same time each night and gets up the same time each morning, he/she
usually sleeps better. Therefore, if you have some problems sleeping,
try to get on a regular schedule. Sleeping during the day should be
avoided since that can interfere with sleep at night. Staying on a
regular schedule for two or three weeks can start improving sleep.
Regular meals can also help. Daily exercise promotes better sleep.
Sleep problems can be aggravated when a person does not get up in the
morning because they slept poorly. They may get up around noon or later
to start the day. When a person goes to bed at the regular time at
night, of course they are not sleepy, and again sleep poorly. The next
morning they are tired and again remain in bed. Before long one is on a
reversed schedule, awake at night and sleeping during the day. The
problem can be helped, only by getting back on a regular schedule.
This means going to bed at the regular time, getting up on time in the
morning, and not sleeping during the day. The body's sleep schedule
usually starts improving within two weeks, so sticking to the schedule
is important. For those who need a daytime nap for medical reasons,
the nap should rarely last more than one hour. Sleeping longer than
that will usually interfere with sleep at night.
Many people find it helpful to relax for a period before bedtime.
Relaxing activities can be reading, listening to relaxing music, working
on a hobby, or lying in a warm bath. Many also find that a warm glass
of milk at bedtime helps sleep. Avoid stimulating activities before
going to bed.
Caffeine is the cause of many sleep problems. Caffeine is present in
coffee, tea, soda, chocolate and some aspirin. It is therefore in the
interest of good health and better sleeping to drink beverages with no
caffeine.
Rather than fighting it mentally as you toss and turn, Dr. Elliott
Richard Phillips, Medical Director of the Sleep Disorders Center, at
Holy Cross Hospital in Mission Hills, California, recommends that you
get up and make use of being awake. In his new handbook, Get A Good
Night's Sleep, Phillips writes: "Don't stay in bed more than 15 to 20
minutes…Get out of bed whenever you become aware that you are not
drifting into sleep, but are instead becoming more anxious and tense….
It is better to get up, leave the bedroom and do something relaxing in a
different room until you feel sleepy. This may mean that for several
nights more time is spent out of the bedroom. Eventually, though, the
bedroom will become associated with sleeping, your sleep will
consolidate, and you will fall asleep more quickly and easily…"
Some people have a habit of using bedtime for planning and problem
solving. With the distractions of the day gone - perhaps having been
used to escape thinking about their worries - these people use the pillow
for brainstorming. You can conquer this impediment to sleep by setting
aside a brainstorming hour prior to bed.
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