Most healthy adults need seven to nine hours of sleep each night, according to the National Sleep Foundation.
But getting a full night’s sleep can be tough, according to Dr. Jeffrey Cohen, pulmonologist and director of the St. Bernards Sleep Disorders Lab.
“People are typically sleep deprived because we cram so much into our lives,” Dr. Cohen said. “We have so many things to distract us, but there are some norms that are well published and well known that have to do with sleep time.”
Dr. Cohen has some suggestions on getting some quality rest.
– Establish a nighttime routine. It could be drinking a glass of warm milk or taking a shower, but you need something that lets your body know it is time for sleep.
– Don’t watch TV while in bed. Something as distracting and attention-getting as a television shouldn’t be where you’re trying to sleep.
– Don’t eat, read or do homework in bed. All of these things make you associate things with your bed that are not sleeping.
– Don’t get into bed until you are tired. Go to bed when you are ready to go to sleep. If you get into bed and end up lying there a long time, your body is going to get used to that.
– Put down the phone. When we look at our phones right before bed, we’re holding a blue light source really close to our eyes really late at night. That blue light exposure will suppress melatonin formation, which delays your sleep onset.
Check out Dr. Cohen’s recent interview on KAIT to learn more. To learn more about the St. Bernards Sleep Disorders Lab, visit stbernards.info/sleep.