5 Sleep Habits to Embrace for Better Health

Has it been a while since you’ve experienced that great feeling you get when you’ve had a good night’s sleep and you wake feeling refreshed? You’re certainly not alone — 1 in 3 adults in the United States (about 84 million people!) aren’t getting a healthy amount of sleep each night.

While waking with energy and focus is certainly one of the reasons why sleep is important, it doesn’t stop there. Good sleep can benefit your physical and mental health in almost every way imaginable.

As primary care experts, the team at Michigan Avenue Primary Care understands all too well the impact that not getting enough sleep can have on your health and wellness. So, with that in mind, we’re going to take a quick look at the benefits of sleep and some great habits that will get you there.

The importance of sleep

To give you an idea about how important sleep is, we want to review just a few things that happen when you sleep, such as:

• Your heart rate and breathing rate slow
• Your blood pressure lowers
• Your brain sifts through the day’s events and creates memories
• Your hormones rebalance 
• Your body repairs and rebuilds damaged tissues
• Your immune system resets

These are just a few examples, and the comprehensive list is much longer.

Unfortunately, many Americans aren’t benefiting from enough sleep for many reasons. For example, obstructive sleep apnea, which affects about 30 million people in the US, can rob you of sleep. As well sleep disorders, such as insomnia, are also taking their toll.

Getting better sleep

No matter what’s causing your sleep issue, there are steps you can take to ensure your body is getting the rest it needs.

Of course, if you have a condition like sleep apnea, it’s important that you see us for treatment, which will greatly improve your ability to sleep. Once we’ve addressed your sleep issue, you can do your part by:

1. Going to bed at the same time each night

Your body loves routine, especially sleep routines, which are part of your overall circadian rhythm. A great way to influence this rhythm is to stick to a schedule, which means going to bed at the same time each night.

2. No screens before bedtime

There are a couple of reasons why we want you to shut down screens about 30-60 minutes before bed. First, screens emit blue light, which can disrupt your circadian rhythm. Second, screens that deliver bad news are just sources of anxiety.

3. Get outside each day

Another way to support a healthy circadian rhythm is to make sure you get out into daylight each day for 30-60 minutes. This exposure can help maintain a healthier sleep-wake cycle.

4. Don’t eat before bed

It’s a very good idea to limit snacking before you go to bed. If you eat before you sleep, your digestive tract will become active, which can keep you up. Besides, eating later at night can also lead to weight gain as you’re not active and digestion slows.

5. De-stress before bed

There’s no shortage of stress these days and you don’t want it following you into the bedroom. If you have trouble sleeping, we recommend trying some relaxation techniques before bed, such as:

• Deep breathing
• Meditation
• Stretching

Another great way to de-stress is to mute your phone.

By practicing these great sleep habits, not only will you wake feeling reinvigorated, your body will feel better, too.

For additional help with your sleep, we invite you to contact us at our Chicago, Illinois, clinic, which is located in The Loop. You can also visit our urgent care center during operating hours, M-F, 8 am to 4 pm.