Edward-Elmhurst Health: Why and how to get a good night’s sleep

Struggling to get to sleep can be frustrating.

“Everyone has had those nights. You wake for some reason and end up lying awake in bed seemingly for hours before drifting off again,” says Siva Krishnan, M.D., a family medicine physician with Elmhurst Clinic. “Maybe your mind is racing through thoughts of all you have to do the next day.

“Regardless of the reason, there are different ways to quiet your mind and get the sleep you need,” Dr. Krishnan says.

Getting enough sleep is important for both kids and adults. Some of the things that can happen when you don’t get enough sleep include:

• The brain isn’t recharged. Without enough sleep, it’s harder to concentrate and people feel irritable, tired and forgetful.
• People face a higher risk of heart disease. When someone doesn’t get enough sleep on a regular basis, it increases their chances of stroke and heart disease.
• It contributes to weight gain. Midnight snacks add up.
• People are more likely to get sick. Lack of sleep weakens the immune system.

If sleep is a nightly struggle, try these tips to improve your sleep:

• Stick to a schedule. Go to bed and wake up at the same time each day (even on weekends).
• Work out every day. 20 to 30 minutes of exercise each day will help people sleep at night, but avoid working out a few hours before going to bed.
• Hands off the caffeine after lunch. Avoid caffeine and nicotine late in the day and alcoholic drinks before bed.
• Relax. Wind down with a warm bath, reading or another relaxing routine.
• Make the bedroom sleep-friendly. Avoid bright lights and loud sounds, keep the room cool, and don’t watch TV or have a computer in the bedroom.
• Sleep in the red spectrum. Just as exposure to blue light (from a smartphone, tablet or television screen) can keep people awake, red spectrum light can help people fall asleep. Install red spectrum lightbulbs in your bedroom.
• Don’t lie in bed awake. If sleep is elusive, people should do something else, like reading or listening to music, until they feel tired.

Get more information at EEHealth.org/hereforit.