Sleep. How to do it. Overcoming Insomnia.

Keep a record like this every day for the week before your checkup, and ask your bed partner or roommate for any observations about your sleep, such as snoring, interrupted breathing, thrashing, and so forth. Be sure to bring your diary to your appointment. Use your bed only for sleeping or lovemaking, never for reading or watching TV.

If you can't sleep after 15 to 20 minutes, get out of bed and go into another room. Read quietly with a dim light but don't watch TV, since the full-spectrum light emitted by the tube has an arousing effect. When you feel sleepy, get back into bed — but don't delay your scheduled awaking time to compensate for lost sleep. Don't nap during the day unless it's absolutely necessary. Even then, restrict your nap to 15 to 20 minutes in the early afternoon. Get plenty of exercise.

Build up to 30 to 45 minutes of moderate exercise nearly every day; walking is an excellent choice. Get your exercise early in the day, and then try some stretching exercises or yoga to relax your muscles and your mind at bedtime. Wind down late in the day.

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Whenever possible, schedule stressful or demanding tasks early and less challenging activities later. Establish a regular bedtime and a relaxing bedtime routine, such as taking a warm bath or listening to soothing music. Avoid caffeine, especially after mid-afternoon. Try to avoid all beverages after dinner if you find yourself getting up at night to urinate. If you enjoy a bedtime snack, keep it bland and light. Avoid alcohol after dinnertime; although many people think of it as a sedative, alcohol can actually impair the quality of sleep.

Be sure your bed is comfortable and your bedroom is dark and quiet. It should also be well ventilated and kept at a constant, comfortable temperature. Try using a sleep mask, earplugs, or a white noise machine to compensate for problems in your sleeping environment. Above all, don't worry about sleep. Watching the clock never helps. Except when keeping a sleep diary, don't keep track of the amount of time you spend trying to sleep. Instead, just rest quietly and peacefully. Try not to lie in bed reviewing your problems and plans.

If you really are overloaded, get out of bed and make a list, then return to bed and think of something relaxing and pleasant. Although most people experience short pauses in breathing during REM sleep, individuals with obstructive sleep apnea stop breathing for longer periods. They always resume breathing and they rarely complain of insomnia — but their sleep is so fragmented that they experience as much daytime sleepiness as true insomniacs. Over the long haul, sleep apnea increases the risk of hypertension, heart disease, and stroke.

Snoring, restless sleep, and morning headaches are clues to sleep apnea, which is most common in overweight men, especially those with necks that measure 17 inches or more. Good treatments are available, ranging from weight loss to a nighttime breathing mask or even surgery. If good sleep hygiene doesn't solve your sleeping problems, behavioral therapy may. Here is a quick summary of some techniques:. Learn deep breathing, progressive muscular relaxation, or meditation.

Relaxing your mind at bedtime will help you drift off to sleep. Go to bed only when you are sleepy. Don't read, watch TV, snack, or listen to music in bed. Get up at the same time every day, no matter how little you've slept.

Reduce your time in bed to the estimated total time you actually sleep in an average night by going to bed later, but don't go below five hours. Make the change by getting into bed later, not getting up earlier. Get up at the same time every day. Maintain the same bedtime every night for a week, and then move it 15 minutes earlier every week until you get a satisfying, refreshing amount of sleep.

Then maintain the same schedule every day. Learn to replace negative thoughts about sleep "I'll never get to sleep tonight;" "I'll be a wreck tomorrow;" "I'll get sick unless I sleep eight hours a night" with positive thoughts "If I relax peacefully in bed, my body will take care of itself".

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You'd think that people who sleep less might get more exercise and thus enjoy some protection from obesity. In fact, though, reduced sleeping time has been linked to an increased risk of overweight and obesity. A direct effect is possible, since sleep deprivation decreases levels of leptin , a satiety-promoting hormone, and boosts levels of ghrelin , an appetite-promoting hormone.

But other explanations are possible. Since exercise promotes sleep, people who exercise less may burn fewer calories and also sleep less. Depression can produce disturbances in both sleep and appetite. And obesity can contribute to sleep apnea and disturbed sleep.

Clearly, more research is needed to uncover the skinny on sleep and body weight. Sleep deprivation has also been linked to hypertension, type 2 diabetes, heart attack, and stroke. As in the case of obesity, the link may be direct or indirect, causal or not. In fact, obesity increases the risk of all of these conditions. A number of dietary supplements are heavily promoted to improve sleep. None is subject to FDA standards for purity, safety, or effectiveness. The two most popular supplements are melatonin and valerian.

Melatonin is a hormone produced by the brain's pineal gland; in low doses, it may have some benefit for temporary insomnia due to jet leg. Valerian is an herb; there is little evidence that it helps.

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3. Overcoming Insomnia and Getting Better Sleep.

Sleeping pills are available over the counter or by prescription. Whether you're treating yourself or using a drug prescribed by your doctor, you should follow several basic guidelines:.

Why is sleep so important for older adults?

Don't take a pill every night. Instead, use medication only when an uninterrupted night's sleep is really important. Even then, restrict yourself to two to four tablets per week. Many brands are available. Most contain antihistamines such as diphenhydramine or doxylamine. Most sleep experts discourage the use of these products, particularly long-term use.

Side effects include daytime sedation, dry mouth, constipation, and difficulty urinating. Your doctor will decide if you need a sleeping medication, then determine which drug is best for you and instruct you in its proper use, precautions, and potential side effects.

The FDA has recently required stronger warnings about daytime sedation, untoward behavior such as sleep-driving, and allergic reactions. Many medications are available. The older barbiturates and sedatives have been almost entirely replaced by safer and more effective drugs. Certain antidepressants can help promote sleep, particularly if depression is also present.

Guided Meditation for Sleep Problems and Insomnia with Hypnosis

Examples include trazodone Desyrel , doxepin Sinequan and Adapin and amitriptyline Elavil and others. But doctors today usually choose among three groups of medications:. Temazepam Restoril , oxazepam Serax , estazolam ProSom , and many others. These older drugs were once the mainstays of insomnia therapy. But excessive use can be habit forming, and some of the longer-acting preparations can cause daytime sedation. Eszopiclone Lunesta , zaleplon Sonata , zolpidem Ambien. These newer medications act on the same receptor in the brain as the benzodiazepines, but they tend to act more quickly and to leave the body faster.

They are less likely to cause daytime sedation, habituation, and rebound insomnia. This medication acts on the same brain receptors as the hormone melatonin. It is fast acting but very short lasting. It does not appear to cause habituation or rebound insomnia. People who are ill or elderly need daytime naps.

So do people who suffer from sleep deprivation. That's why napping appears to be associated with poor health. But voluntary napping is another matter. In fact, studies in shift workers, airline crews, and others show that "power naps" as short as 20 minutes can improve alertness, psychomotor performance, and mood. Learning to let go of the battle is the first step towards recovery. Dependency on sleep aids weakens your trust in your own natural ability to sleep and fuels sleep anxiety. Remember, good sleepers do nothing to get to sleep and neither should you!

Choose to mindfully observe the movement of your breath, whilst noticing and letting go of your worries as they arise. Welcome thoughts and emotions — Endlessly struggling to get rid of unwanted thoughts and feelings fuels nighttime wakefulness. By contrast, objectively describing and welcoming thoughts and feelings can transform them from enemies to friends. Wind down for sleep — Aim to start winding and darkening down at least minutes before going to bed. Get into a gentle routine of dimming the lights, switching off all your devices, preparing for the next day, brushing your teeth, washing your face and then reading in bed ideally a print book , before turning out the light.

Stay in bed at night — if you are awake at night, choose to stay in bed and conserve your energy by lying still and being calm and relaxed. Be mindful and welcome your thoughts and emotions. Whilst avoiding naps may increase your sleep drive, it can also make you feel overtired and anxious, leading to even worse sleep.