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A woman laying in a bed sleeping
A woman laying in a bed sleeping

HOW WELL DO YOU SLEEP?

May is Better Sleep Month. The Better Sleep Council hopes to raise awareness about the benefits of better sleep and to encourage people to establish better sleeping patterns.

Refreshing sleep is very important in staying healthy. Poor sleep can disrupt your life. As with diet and exercise, sleep is crucial to our physical, emotional and mental health. Inadequate sleep can lead to an increase in blood pressure and stress hormone production. In other words, the body can become stressed when it does not get enough sleep.

Better sleep can be achieved through many ways. Changes to your lifestyle and the way you think about things is a good way to help achieve better sleep. There is recent evidence which suggests achieving better quality sleep may be more important than increasing the number of hours that you sleep. There are reports that state that people who have better sleep for 6-7 hours a night actually live longer than those who sleep 8 hours with problems sleeping.

Some tips to get better sleep include:
Establish a consistent sleep schedule by sleeping at the same time each day of the week, including weekends.
Relax before sleeping. Prior to sleep, limit any stimulating activities such as exercise and work.
Do things you find relaxing such as reading.
Create an optimal sleeping environment. Your sleeping area should be dark, ventilated and of an appropriate temperature. No computers or TV on when going to sleep.
A healthy lifestyle consisting of exercise and a healthy diet can help achieve this. Avoid alcohol, caffeine and nicotine close to bed time.

Remember that when sleeping, how well you sleep is better than how much you sleep. If you have problems sleeping talk to your local physician or call Sabetha Family Practice at (785) 284-2141, to make an appointment.
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