Sleep Aids

Sleep's Vital Importance

Getting adequate sleep is a prioritzation of your overall health. Sleep overs many benefits:

Rest of the body
Rest for the mind and lowers anxiety
Giving your body time to repair itself
Assists in reducing high blood pressure and cardiovascular problems
Benefits your immune system
Contributes to weight loss

Source* CDC Recommendations

Set a time limit for yourself on your media use. It's often recommended to have the TV, Phone, Ipad and other devices off for an hour before you plan on going to bed. Stray away from watching things you know you will have a reaction to or cause you to become worried or angry. The thoughts will ruminate and keep you from falling asleep.
Try turning your devices on dark mode, reducing the brightness, or you can also opt to turn the color off on your device. You can turn color into grayscale on any apple device by: Going to settings -> Accessibility-> Display and Text Size-> Color Filters-> Turning it on and choosing Grayscale.
Notice how you react to temperature. Many find it difficult to sleep if they are too hot. This is often why people stick their feet or one foot outside the the blankets/sheets to regulate their body temperature. You may need a fan or to turn on the AC for a time before going to bed or during the night to help regulate your body temperature.

Sleep can be disrupted by many things. Stimulants such as caffeine or certain medications can keep you up. Distractions such as electronics—especially the light from TVs, cell phones, tablets and e-readers—can prevent you from falling asleep.

As people get older, they may not get enough sleep because of illness, medications or sleep disorders. By some estimates, about 70 million Americans of all ages suffer from chronic sleep problems. The 2 most common sleep disorders are insomnia and sleep apnea.

People with insomnia have trouble falling or staying asleep. Anxiety about falling asleep often makes the condition worse. Most of us have occasional insomnia. But chronic insomnia—lasting at least 3 nights per week for more than a month—can trigger serious daytime problems such as exhaustion, irritability and difficulty concentrating.

Common therapies include relaxation and deep-breathing techniques. Sometimes medicine is prescribed. But consult a doctor before trying even over-the-counter sleep pills, as they may leave you feeling unrefreshed in the morning.

People with sleep apnea have a loud, uneven snore (although not everyone who snores has apnea). Breathing repeatedly stops or becomes shallow. If you have apnea, you’re not getting enough oxygen, and your brain disturbs your sleep to open your windpipe.

Apnea is dangerous. “There’s little air exchange for 10 seconds or more at a time,” explains Dr. Phyllis Zee, a sleep apnea expert at Northwestern University. “The oxygen goes down and the body’s fight or flight response is activated. Blood pressure spikes, your heart rate fluctuates and the brain wakes you up partially to start your breathing again. This creates stress.”

Apnea can leave you feeling tired and moody. You may have trouble thinking clearly. “Also, apnea affects the vessels that lead to the brain so there is a higher risk of stroke associated with it,” Zee adds.

If you have mild sleep apnea, you might try sleeping on your side, exercising or losing weight to reduce symptoms. A CPAP machine, which pumps air into your throat to keep your airway open, can also help. Another treatment is a bite plate that moves the lower jaw forward. In some cases, however, people with sleep apnea need surgery.

“If you snore chronically and wake up choking or gasping for air, and feel that you’re sleepy during the day, tell your doctor and get evaluated,” Zee advises.