Want to sleep better? Here are some tips.

Mar. 12, 2024

By Mary Wade Burnside

How’s Daylight Savings Time working out for you? Are you waking up in the dark again? Have you gotten adjusted to the new time schedule? If not, welcome to the club! While I’m not opposed to the concept of Daylight Savings Time, the loss of an hour does not usually impact me positively in the short run.
Which brings us to the issue of sleep. At Monongalia County Health Department, our health care providers do not deal directly with sleep issues.
However, good sleep does so much to help our bodies, mental health and function level. There are few body systems that sleep doesn’t affect. Sleeping well, and for the appropriate amount of time for your age group, can help you maintain or improve heart function, mental outlook, blood sugar levels and immune system. It can help control your weight and recover after exercising.
And, unfortunately, this is another area in which West Virginia tops the wrong list. According to data collected in 2020 by the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, the prevalence of adults who report a short sleep duration ranges from a low of 29.3% in Colorado to a high of 42.8% in the Mountain State.
Sleep issues in West Virginia are not a new and sudden problem. It’s been going on for a while. Why aren’t enough of us getting our Zzzzz’s in our state? News reports have mentioned health problems including obesity and diabetes as well as socio-economic factors that could possibly keep people up at night.
Ironically, not sleeping well can contribute to those conditions. That’s one reason why this topic is an important one to Monongalia County Health Department as we work to address our community’s health needs.
There are a lot of ways to improve your sleep hygiene, so we can start with some basics. Do you go to bed at the same time every night and get up at the same time in the mornings, even on weekends? Neither do I … but I try my best to go to sleep and wake up at a sensible time.
Do you wake up in the middle of the night and have trouble going back to sleep because you keep looking at the clock? I used to do that, but now I’m pretty good at just rolling back over and not allowing myself to obsess about topics or situations that will keep me awake.
What about your bedroom? Do you watch TV or any other screens while in bed? This is not going to be conducive to good sleep. It’s also helpful to make sure your bedroom is at a comfortable but not too warm temperature.
You also want to consider habits during the day that could be contributing to bad sleep, and what you could do to improve them.
Getting exercise during the day, but not too late, will help, as will minimizing caffeine and avoiding drinking coffee or soda very late in the day.
And while alcohol might help you feel calmer before you go to bed, it also can interrupt sleep patterns, causing you to wake up more in the middle of the night.
CDC research indicates that adults need seven or more hours of sleep per night. Once you reach 60 and beyond, the need for more sleep can increase.
While improving your sleep hygiene could be very beneficial toward a more restful repose, there might be other issues to target as well. Talk to your health care provider if you think that issues like weight or stress might be keeping you from your best sleep.
In some instances, your doctor might consider prescribing a sleep study, which often can be done in the comfort of your own bed, using rented equipment.
According to the National Council on Aging, approximately 39 million U.S. adults have obstructive sleep apnea. Snoring is a common symptom of sleep apnea in 94% of the patients, the information continues. Untreated, this can lead to heart, kidney and metabolic health complications.
Spending the time and effort to improve your sleep is one of the best investments you can make, with dividends that can make you feel better in just about every aspect of your life.
Mary Wade Burnside is the public information officer at Monongalia County Health Department.