Guthrie’s Sleep Disorders Center

Sleep Hygiene
To promote good sleep, it’s important to develop good sleep habits. The following behaviors promote regular, sound sleep:

Exercise during the daytime– you’ll feel sleepier at bedtime, will fall asleep sooner, wake less frequently and extend your periods of deep sleep.
Sleeping and waking at the same time daily, even on days off.
Reducing or eliminating caffeine, tobacco and alcohol consumption.
Avoiding heavy meals or heartburn-producing foods prior to sleep.

The following tips can help you achieve restful sleep:

Sleep in a cool, dark, comfortable room.
Use your bedroom only for sleeping and/or making love. Move computers, exercise equipment and other distractions elsewhere.
Purchase a large, quality mattress.
Use room-darkening shades. If your normal sleep time is during the day, use an eye mask.
Follow the same pre-bedtime routine each night.
Leave concerns or worries outside the bedroom – you can resume worrying in the morning.

Sleep Facts:

On U.S. highways, over 71,000 people are injured each year when drivers fall asleep at the wheel.
More than 100 million Americans of all ages regularly fail to get a good night’s sleep.
One in three American adults suffers from insomnia.
Four in 100 middle-aged men and two in 100 middle-aged women suffer from obstructive sleep apnea, many cases of which remain undiagnosed.
More than 23 million Americans work a night shift and face the sleep problems that accompany non-traditional work schedules.
Sleep disorders are not a normal part of the aging process.