SLEEPING, BEAUTY? :: About one out of every three Canadians suffer from insomnia. Lack of sleep isn’t just horrible for all the obvious reasons, it’s also associated with an increased chance of developing heart disease and mental illness (stress, anxiety, depression), as well as impaired work performance.
Insomnia can be caused by a number of reasons: poor psychological health, medical illnesses, medication, recreational drugs, other chemical substances, stress, or, in other words: life.
We asked naturopath Dr. Baljit Khamba ND, M.PH, who practices in Edmonton and Toronto and counsels many patients who can’t sleep, for her advice. Khamba had two words for us when it comes to how to sleep better: sleep hygiene.
Explains Khamba, “Sleep hygiene involves behavioural changes to help promote sleep, based on current understandings of the biological mechanisms around insomnia.” She adds that sleep hygiene education is reported as being as effective as non-pharmacological intervention for improving sleep quality.
Sleep hygiene includes several ways to improve sleeping habits:
Control The Stimulation:
– Get into bed only when tired and with the intention to sleep (no stretching out and watching Housewives)
– Use the bed and bedroom only for sleep and sexual activity (no reading the paper before bed)
– Do not watch the clock
– Keep a fixed morning rising time irrespective of the amount of sleep obtained
– Avoid daytime napping until nighttime sleep is normal
Make Your Bedroom A Safe Sanctuary:
– Establish the bedroom as a stress-free and work-free zone (no sitting in bed checking emails on your smart phone)
– Limit your exposure to stressful imagery from books, television, and radio right before bed (no Breaking Bad and straight to bed)
– Conceal ready access to clocks, cell phone, tablets, and other electronics (the bedroom should be a ‘sanctuary’ and not ‘Best Buy’)
Improve Diet and Make Other Lifestyle Changes:
– Limit coffee (2 cups a day at the most, and not around bed-time)
– Quit smoking
– Alcohol: avoid having a ‘nightcap’ before bed
– Avoid eating heavy meals before bed
– Get regular exercise
