Why is sleep so important?
High-quality, restorative sleep is vital for your overall health. Getting 7–8 hours each night helps recharge your body and mind, allowing you to function at your best. During sleep, your body repairs itself, boosts immune function, and supports brain health. Inadequate sleep, whether in quality or quantity, can raise your risk for serious conditions like heart disease, stroke, arrhythmia, mood and memory issues, and infections.
If you have continued trouble falling asleep, staying asleep through the night, or waking up feeling unrested, incorporating these simple sleep-promoting habits and environmental adjustments may help you sleep better and feel better.
Healthy Sleep Habits
- Stick to a Sleep Schedule: Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, even on weekends, to help regulate your internal clock.
- Limit Stimulants: Avoid caffeine 6–8 hours before bed and skip nicotine, especially at night, as both can disrupt sleep.
- Monitor Evening Habits: Avoid alcohol and heavy meals late in the evening; both can interfere with sleep quality. A light snack is okay.
- Check Your Medications: Some prescriptions and over-the-counter drugs may affect sleep—consult your doctor or pharmacist.
- Create a Sleep-Friendly Environment: Minimize noise, light, screen time, and temperature extremes. A white noise machine may help.
- Remove Distractions: Keep your alarm clock out of sight and reserve your bed for sleep and intimacy—not work or screens.
- Wind Down Before Bed: Spend the hour before bedtime doing calming activities to help your body relax.
- Exercise Smart: Regular moderate exercise in the afternoon can improve sleep but avoid vigorous workouts within 3–4 hours of bedtime.
- Manage Stress: Use relaxation techniques, visualization, or gentle movement to reduce stress and improve sleep quality.
- Don’t Force Sleep: If you can’t fall asleep, get out of bed and do something relaxing until you feel drowsy.
When to Seek Help
If sleep is still a struggle after trying these changes, it may be time to talk to a specialist. Dr. Krishna Mettu at the JCMG Sleep Wellness Center offers expert care for a wide range of sleep concerns. Dr. Mettu works with patients to identify the cause of sleep issues and to create personalized plans for testing and treatment.
Dr. Mettu is a fellowship-trained, board-certified sleep medicine physician, also certified in neurology and trained in clinical autonomic neurophysiology at BIDMC, Harvard Medical School. He has been serving the region for over 16 years.
The JCMG Sleep Wellness Center provides individualized care for conditions such as:
- Snoring
- Obstructive sleep apnea
- Excessive daytime sleepiness
- Restless legs syndrome
- Periodic limb movements in sleep
- Insomnia
- Parasomnias
- Other sleep disturbances
Visit JCMG.org/sleep to learn more or ask your primary care provider about a referral! We look forward to helping you sleep well and feel your best.
By: Krishna Mettu