Sleep can be elusive. Sometimes we drift off easily, and at other times, we lie awake for hours. Preparing for sleep will help you to have a more restful night, even if you fall asleep quickly.
It is not so easy for your brain to stop when it has been running on high gear.
One to two hours prior, prepare your brain for sleep by:
- Turn off or dim all lights
- Turn off the TV, computer and other “screens”
- Avoid eating and drinking
1/2 to one hour before:
- Change clothes
- Toilet
Prior to sleep:
- Read
- Pray or meditate
Keep daylight activities to the day, including:
- Eating and drinking
- Exercising
- Cleaning
Prepare for Sleep During the Day
- Exercise every day, especially outdoors in the morning sun.
- Avoid coffee or caffeinated tea after noon.
- Keep the bedroom at a cool temperature and make the room as dark as possible; consider black-out curtains.
- Keep the bed only for sleeping.
- Limit naps to 1 hour.
- Even if you sleep poorly, get up at the same time as you normally would.
A Note About Medications
Melatonin:
- is a hormone that your body normally produces.
- helps to put the body back on its normal sleep-wake cycle.
- may take a week or so to take effect.
- is taken 1-2 hours before desired sleep time.
Many Over the Counter Sleep Aids Decrease Thinking Skills
- Many medications that induce sleep can cause cognitive decline including benzodiazepines and opiods https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5910033/.
- Diphenhydramines, the sleep ingredient in Nyquil® and Tylenol PM®, and doxylamine, as in Unisom® may decrease cognition in the elderly: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11570937., https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5541127/.
Sleep is vital for your brain’s functioning. Too much and too little is harmful. Know that your body has a set amount of sleep for optimal brain health.