What can you do about sleep deprivation?

Fortunately there are many things that an individual can do to help promote sleep.

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• Relaxation Techniques

• Environment

• Diet

• Avoid Caffeine & Alcohol

• Exercise

• Pain Management

Relaxation Techniques

Relaxation helps relieve fatigue, anxiety and tension. These techniques will help decrease blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate and decrease oxygen consumption. Mental stress may also be reduced by taking up a new form activity. Here is one example of a relaxation technique.

Find a comfortable position in a room with no distractions.

Music sometimes helps with relaxation. Find music that makes you comfortable.

Take the phone off the hook. Ignore all distractions.

Place a sign on your door so that others can respect your sleep.

Relax all muscles starting with toes and feet and continuing toward the head.

Become aware of your breathing pattern. Sit or lie quietly with your eyes closed while breathing slowly.

Do not worry if the relaxation was a success or failure.

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  Environment                  

 Find or create a quiet environment.

 Avoid an area that has bright light.

 Avoid watching stimulating television shows just before bedtime.

 Consider moving the TV out of the bedroom.

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Diet              

Avoid eating large meals and high fat foods before bed time.

If you need to eat right before bedtime, try eating carbohydrates (bread, crackers, cereal).

Avoid drinking large amounts of fluids before bedtime.

Empty your bladder right before going to bed.

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Avoid caffeine and alcohol   

Caffeine

Caffeine is a mild stimulant. It is found in products such as cola, coffee, tea, and chocolate. Consuming caffeine before going to bed will make it difficult to fall asleep. Once you are asleep, sleep will be lighter and less satisfying. Caffeine also acts as a diuretic and will result in an increased need to get up during the night due to a full bladder.  Although caffeine is considered safe, moderation is recommended. This is considered 300 mg per day or about two cups of coffee.

Here are some examples of caffeine content in common foods:

  Alcohol

Alcohol is classified as a depressant. Therefore, it makes a person drowsy and falling asleep becomes easier. However, with the use of alcohol, a person sleeps lighter and wakes up more frequently. It can also reduce sleep so that a person does not sleep for as long as needed. For this reason it is suggested that alcohol be avoided one to two hours before bedtime.

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Exercise

Perform some form of daily exercise that is right for you. If you are not able to stand or bear weight, stretching and some aerobics can be performed from a sitting position.

Exercise early in the day to promote sleep at night.

Avoid exercise right before bedtime.

If you cannot sleep, do not exercise. Instead, try engaging in a quiet activity.  

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Pain Management

Pain management is an important strategy to promote healthy sleep.
If you have pain, use methods to relief pain before sleep (comfortable position, massage, medication).

• Sleep deprivation

• Causes

• Effects

• What You Can Do

• Resources

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08/07/2003 02:28 PM