Sleep has always been a place I struggled personally. A busy mind seems to be associated with poor sleep based on my own interactions with clients and, at least, anecdotal reports and stories around some of the best minds in history.
Sleep Quality is always an area I try and make some changes with new clients and keep ongoing clients thinking about how to improve/maintain there good sleep patterns to enhance health and performance.
While it is tempting to turn to prescription or OTC medications and herbals for assistance with improving the main complaints or components of sleep studies show only small benefits to targeted use of drugs/herbals but huge benefit from behavioral interventions. Most studies deal mainly with two components for rating sleep: Sleep Onset Latency/time to fall asleep (SOL) and Wakefulness After Sleep Onset/Restlessness (WASO).
The below link to a governmental meta-analysis (a collaborative report based on all research done) shows ~0-1% improvements with use of medications with at least some component of risk in terms of side effects. Conversely, behavior interventions are strongly associated with 10%+ improvement in markers of sleep and minimal/no side effects. The best part is that adjusting behavior is FREE and SAFE
Relaxation therapy & cognitive/behavioral therapy effective in management of chronic insomnia
" Cognitive/behavioral therapy has been recognized as a valid and successful treatment approach for insomnia. Cognitive/behavioral therapy can include any combination of sleep restriction, sleep hygiene, stimulus control, paradoxical intention, and cognitive restructuring. Many of these commonly used clinical tools have not undergone rigorous testing to determine their efficacy and long-term safety. The efficacy of these treatments has been evaluated in some studies,4,19 but differences in the definition of insomnia and outcome measures make it difficult to compare study results."
A Basic checklist to improve sleep or see if sleep hygiene/routine is affecting your health/performance is:
- finish eating 2hrs before sleep
- off of screens 2hrs before sleep (yes your smart phone has a screen!)
- bedroom is pitch black even during day time with no electronics, lights and ideally no wireless signals ** this is HUGE and commonly skipped ... don't skip ***
- no animals, kids etc. in room and keep sheets/blankets well laundered and room dusted
- dim house lights in 2hrs before sleep
- avoid any stressful conversation / entertainment / decisions
- Avoid Caffeine after 12pm
- Journal on paper all thoughts, events of day past and anything to be done in future with exact details for when/how you will deal with it so there is less thought during sleep onset period.
- Attend at least a month of meditative yoga or actual meditation class to aid relaxation and quieting of mind.
*after a few weeks of adherence you can tinker with variables above to see what you can 'get away with'
Give it a try and let me know how you roll ... what works for you ?
Share on Facebook
Sleep Quality is always an area I try and make some changes with new clients and keep ongoing clients thinking about how to improve/maintain there good sleep patterns to enhance health and performance.
While it is tempting to turn to prescription or OTC medications and herbals for assistance with improving the main complaints or components of sleep studies show only small benefits to targeted use of drugs/herbals but huge benefit from behavioral interventions. Most studies deal mainly with two components for rating sleep: Sleep Onset Latency/time to fall asleep (SOL) and Wakefulness After Sleep Onset/Restlessness (WASO).
The below link to a governmental meta-analysis (a collaborative report based on all research done) shows ~0-1% improvements with use of medications with at least some component of risk in terms of side effects. Conversely, behavior interventions are strongly associated with 10%+ improvement in markers of sleep and minimal/no side effects. The best part is that adjusting behavior is FREE and SAFE
Relaxation therapy & cognitive/behavioral therapy effective in management of chronic insomnia
" Cognitive/behavioral therapy has been recognized as a valid and successful treatment approach for insomnia. Cognitive/behavioral therapy can include any combination of sleep restriction, sleep hygiene, stimulus control, paradoxical intention, and cognitive restructuring. Many of these commonly used clinical tools have not undergone rigorous testing to determine their efficacy and long-term safety. The efficacy of these treatments has been evaluated in some studies,4,19 but differences in the definition of insomnia and outcome measures make it difficult to compare study results."
A Basic checklist to improve sleep or see if sleep hygiene/routine is affecting your health/performance is:
- finish eating 2hrs before sleep
- off of screens 2hrs before sleep (yes your smart phone has a screen!)
- bedroom is pitch black even during day time with no electronics, lights and ideally no wireless signals ** this is HUGE and commonly skipped ... don't skip ***
- no animals, kids etc. in room and keep sheets/blankets well laundered and room dusted
- dim house lights in 2hrs before sleep
- avoid any stressful conversation / entertainment / decisions
- Avoid Caffeine after 12pm
- Journal on paper all thoughts, events of day past and anything to be done in future with exact details for when/how you will deal with it so there is less thought during sleep onset period.
- Attend at least a month of meditative yoga or actual meditation class to aid relaxation and quieting of mind.
*after a few weeks of adherence you can tinker with variables above to see what you can 'get away with'
Give it a try and let me know how you roll ... what works for you ?
Share on Facebook
