A/Professor Goldin's Sleep TipsTEN TIPS FOR A GOOD NIGHT’S SLEEP1) Make sure you have a comfortable bed in a dark and quiet room and remove any distractions including the television/radio/tablet/phone 2) Remove the clock from the bedroom (or place it under the bed) – you do not need to know the time when you are sleeping 3) Have a routine – have a bed time and a wake time and stick to it 4) Don’t spend too long or too little time in bed – most people need 7-8hours sleep per night. Spending 8 hours in bed is usually adequate 5) If you suffer from insomnia reducing time in bed to improve your symptoms is better than extending your time in bed which may increase your symptoms 6) If you cannot fall asleep in 20 minutes don’t force yourself to sleep – leave the bedroom, do something quiet (i.e. Reading) and return to bed when ready to sleep again making sure you still get up at the same time every morning 7) Nobody has perfect sleep every night – we all wake up at night from time to time and we all have some nights of poor sleep. Don’t expect perfect sleep every night and don’t turn one bad night into a second and third bad night – learn strategies to settle the mind and remain calm 8) Nocturnal awakenings are common as you get older and a normal part of sleep – frustration and anxiety associated with the awakening often becomes the problem – learn techniques to cope with frustration and anxiety 9) Don’t go to bed on a full stomach – eat dinner at least 2 hours before bedtime 10) Make sure you get plenty of natural light (sun) in the morning – avoid wearing sunglasses in the morning and consider regular morning exercise http://sleephealthfoundation.org.au/public-information/fact-sheets-a-z/good-sleep-habits.html |  |