It’s Friday, a good time to look forward to a nice, relaxing weekend. The cornerstone of any good relaxation plan is a good night’s sleep, so catch up on your sleep this weekend.
Here are some ideas (all of which are based on data from the sleep research literature and clinical experience) for a restorative, sound sleep from a sleep therapist and researcher.
- Value your sleep. U.S. and other Western cultures impose a stigma of laziness and other social constrictions on sleep. The macho all-nighter is revered, and showing up at work with circles under your eyes is a badge of honor. Sleep research offers many reasons to shun these silly social conventions and commit to getting a good night’s rest every night.
- No caffeine after noon. Have a cup of de-caf after lunch instead of that espresso drink.
- Establish a regular bedtime and rising time, even on weekends.
- Make your bedroom a sanctuary. Create a relaxing sleep environment – a cool, dark, orderly, quiet room.
- Disconnect. Turn off the TV and leave your laptop, PDA, iPhone, Blackberry, and other gadgets in another room.
- Let go of work and other worries. If your mind is prone to racing, keep a pad of paper and a pencil handy to jot down ideas as they occur to you, and just let them go. You aren’t ignoring them, just deferring them for later action. They’ll still be there that pad of paper when you get up in the morning.
If you consistently feel tired, fatigued, and/or sleepy, ask your doctor about a referral to a sleep disorders specialist.
About Today’s Tipster
I interviewed Reta Wright-Kinghorn, a sleep-disorders clinician and sleep researcher at the University of Washington’s UW Medicine Sleep Disorders Center.