Not getting enough solid sleep is a common issue for many people. During each appointment, I ask my patients about their sleep. I'm curious how many hours they sleep, if their sleep is solid or interrupted, do they have difficulty falling or staying asleep, do they experience vivid dreams, and do they feel well rested in the morning. 

As many of us have experienced, when we don’t get a good night’s rest, it negatively impacts not just our physical bodies, but our minds and emotions. More importantly, when poor sleep becomes habitual, it greatly increases our chances of developing chronic diseases and cancer. 

Here are some tips that can help:

1.  Start with a routine. Developing good sleep requires conditioning. Most adults need 7-9 hours of sleep per night. One hour before bed, set an alarm. From this time on, focus on calming down your mind and physical body.

2.  Calm down your mind by reducing the amount of stimulus around you. Shut off all lights in your house except for the lights in the room you’re in. Dim the lights in the room you’re in and avoid TV, computer, iPad, phone, and anything electronic an hour before sleep. Avoid loud or stimulating music before sleep. Enjoy reading a fiction book or a mindless magazine. Consider listening to a 20-30 minute guided meditation to relax your nervous system. 

3.  Calm down your physical body by taking a hot bath with Epsom salt or a warm shower. Sip a cup of decaffeinated herbal tea containing one or more of these herbs: passionflower, valerian root, chamomile, or lavender. Diffuse essential oils such as lavender, roman chamomile, bergamot, ylang-ylang, cedarwood, or sandalwood, and/or apply them topically.

4.  Avoid drinking soda, coffee, or any beverage containing caffeine in the afternoon. Many people are affected by the delayed onset of these stimulants hours later.

5.  Avoid eating for 2 hours before going to sleep. If you’ve had a heavy meal for dinner, consider taking enzymes to aid in digestion.

6.  Exercise early in the day (sometime before noon). For many people, exercise can be stimulating, especially cardiovascular exercise at night. 

7.  Get regular exposure to sunlight during the day. Sunlight helps our body produce vitamin D and melatonin. Both are hormones (not vitamins) which help keep our body clocks (also known as circadian rhythm) regulated.