Okemos, Lansing, East Lansing MI
So many of us can agree that a good night’s sleep can be a premium commodity – one that can be tough to come by in this hectic world. While we all experience a sleepless or rough night from time to time, getting quality sleep is crucial to being our best, physically and mentally. Check out this list of 7 tips we can employ to help foster better nightly rest.
Tip 1: Make and stick to a sleep schedule.
Set aside a maximum of eight hours for sleep each night. The recommended amount of sleep for most healthy adults is around seven hours. Try to develop a more uniform approach to sleep, by going to bed and waking up at approximately the same time every day, including on weekends. This consistency helps the body to reinforce its sleep-wake cycle.
Tip 2: Be mindful of what you eat and drink.
Much like the amount of sleep time you set aside for yourself, it’s also advantageous to regulate the food and drink in your system just before bedtime. Seek to avoid going to bed hungry or overstuffed. Having large meals, eating spicy foods or drinking alcohol within a couple of hours of bedtime can cause discomfort, which almost assuredly will keep you awake and delay your body’s ability to recuperate from a long day.
Tip 3: Create an environment conducive to sleep.
Ambiance is absolutely a factor, especially as it pertains to your ability to shift to a more restful state at the end of a busy day. Try to avoid extended exposure to light-emitting screens such as TVs and mobile devices just before bedtime. Make your bedroom cool, quiet, and dimly lit. Also, engaging in a relaxing activity like reading a book or listening to serene music can help your body wind down and get ready to rest.
Tip 4: Limit daytime naps. If you’re actually able to fit in a nap during your day, seek to limit it to one hour. Naps late in the day are more likely to result in difficulty winding down again at bedtime. As the old adage goes, timing is everything. Your body knows this, even if you don’t!
Tip 5: Get active. Regular physical activity is very helpful in promoting good, restful sleep at the end of the day. Your body responds best to, both, sleep and activity when it has a balance between the two.
Tip 6: Manage your stress. We recognize this might be easier said than done. Our days can be full of difficult situations, at work as well as in our families. Try to keep yourself as organized as possible, set priorities and delegate tasks as best you can in order to avoid physical or mental overload.
Tip 7: If you snore, get screened for sleep apnea. By chance, are you experiencing heavy snoring? Are you waking up tired, after a full night’s sleep? Are you frequently experiencing morning headaches? How about dry mouth? There’s a chance you may be suffering from obstructive sleep apnea, a serious sleep breathing disorder that greatly impacts your body’s capacity for restful sleep and can have ripple-like effects on your overall health if left untreated. Sleep apnea is a serious medical condition; only diagnosis and treatment from a qualified professional will resolve the disorder.
Sleep apnea dentistry in Okemos, Lansing, and East Lansing, Michigan
Dr. Christine Tenaglia practices sleep apnea dentistry. This specialization of the dental field focuses on airway management. She can treat sleep apnea through oral appliance therapy, a comfortable and convenient alternative to CPAP. To learn more, call us today at (517) 940-8684 to schedule your consultation.