Better Sleep. Better Health. Better Life.

By: Krishna Mettu, M.D.

Good-quality, restorative sleep is quite important. Not only does achieving 7- 8 hours of quality sleep recharge you for the day ahead, but a good night’s rest can also lower your risk of developing serious health conditions such as heart attacks, strokes, cardiac arrhythmias, memory, mood issues, infections, and other diseases.

Sleep is a basic, essential need for the body to function properly. You spend almost one-third of your life asleep. While asleep, your body rejuvenates itself and prepares you for the next day. If you’re not getting optimal sleep in terms of both quality and quantity, it can contribute to or worsen other health problems. The importance of restorative sleep is increasingly recognized as part of preventive care and wellness.

According to the CDC, almost one-third of Americans may not be getting enough sleep on a regular basis. A few nights of poor sleep are quite normal when dealing with work, daily stress, or life-related events. However, some of you may have habits that are not conducive to sleep—what we call “Poor Sleep Hygiene.” If you have continued trouble falling asleep, staying asleep through the night, or waking up feeling unrested, incorporating a simple series of sleep-promoting health practices and environmental adjustments might help achieve sleep better and improve your quality of life.

Below are some good sleep practices to try:

1. Try to go to bed at the same time every evening. Set your alarm for approximately the same time every morning, even on weekends and holidays. This will help regulate your internal clock.
2. Discontinue caffeine 6–8 hours before bedtime and minimize your total daily intake. Caffeine is a stimulant and might disrupt sleep.
3. Avoid nicotine, especially near bedtime and upon night awakenings; it is also a stimulant and can make it difficult to fall asleep.
4. Avoid drinking alcohol late in the evening to aid sleep onset; alcohol can cause awakenings later in the night.
5. Avoid heavy meals too close to bedtime, as they can interfere with sleep. A light snack may help induce sleep.
6. Some prescription and non-prescription medications can cause sleep disturbances. Check with your doctor or pharmacist about possible side effects of any medications you take.
7. Minimize noise, light, screen exposure, and excessive temperature during sleep. A white noise machine may help block out extraneous sounds.
8. Move the alarm clock away from your bed—it is a source of distraction.
9. Use the bed and bedroom only for sleep and sexual activity. For example, avoid using your bed for work or bill payments; likewise, do not place a desk in the bedroom.
10. Dedicate the hours before bedtime to comforting activities.
11. Regular exercise in the late afternoon may deepen sleep. Take a walk, ride a bike, or engage in moderate exercise for at least 30 minutes every day. However, vigorous exercise within 3–4 hours of bedtime may interfere with sleep.
12. It is impossible to eliminate all stress from your life, but reducing stress with relaxation techniques, visualization, and exercise can greatly improve the quality of your sleep. If you cannot fall asleep within a reasonable period, leave your bed and move to another room until you feel drowsy.

If you still struggle with poor sleep after trying these changes, make an appointment with Dr. Mettu, at JCMG Sleep Wellness Center. Dr. Mettu will perform a thorough evaluation to determine the cause of your sleep problems, with consultation & testing if necessary, and help you create a plan to get the rest you need.

Dr. Krishna Mettu, MD, is a fellowship-trained, board-certified sleep medicine physician (with additional board certification in neurology and fellowship-trained clinical autonomic neurophysiology at BIDMC, Harvard School of Medicine, Boston. Dr. Mettu practices at the JCMG Sleep Wellness Center and has provided services to the region for the past 16 years.

The new JCMG Sleep Wellness Center, started in 2024, under Dr. Mettu’s direction is evolving into a comprehensive care center for sleep disorders in Mid-Missouri. JCMG Sleep Wellness Center offers individualized treatment through consultation, testing, treatment, coordination of care, long-term sleep care management and DME-related supplies, in a cost-effective manner locally. The Sleep Wellness Center addresses various sleep conditions such as snoring, obstructive sleep apnea, excessive daytime sleepiness, restless legs syndrome, periodic limb movements in sleep, insomnia, parasomnias, and other types of sleep disturbances.

For more information or to make an appointment, please request your primary care physician to send a referral. We look forward to helping you sleep well!