How do you improve your sleep quality?

[sfranklin156]

Hello-

I just started on FitBit, and was wondering how you can improve the quality of your sleep? I know the Flex tracks those types of things, and was just wondering is there is a way to do so.

Thanks!

[maddy]

Hello!

The first step to improve your sleep quality is to create a healthy sleep schedule! Try going to bed around the same time every night and waking up at the same time in the morning, so that your body can create a normal sleep habit for you. Make sure you schedule in enough hours of sleep you need- which depends on your age. Here is a reliable source (mayo clinic) to compare and base your sleep hours on- click here.

Avoid caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, and other sleep interfering chemicals. If you can't avoid them completely, try to refrain from using any of those chemicals around bedtime. Especially if you smoke.

Drink plenty of water to avoid waking up due to thirst, but try to avoid drinking a ton before bedtime- or else you'll be getting up for bathroom breaks throughout the night! Try not to eat a huge meal before bed either- because your digestive system will want to digest all those nutrients and you'll find yourself restless at night. Try to eat at least 2 hours before you go to bed. 

The key to healthy sleep is to sleep without disturbance. Make sure anything distracting, like your TV or lights in the room, is turned off. If you have a pet that wakes you up a lot at night, have them sleep outside of your room. Keep the room dim, the bed comfortable, and regulate your temperature (with blankets, or less blankets, or with space heaters..) to avoid waking up at night due to being cold or sweating from too much heat.

Finally, exercise in the morning. It will help use up extra energy so that you have a more restful sleep (because nothing is harder than trying to force yourself to go to sleep when you're not tired) and it will be good for your overall health. Try to avoid exercise before bed. If you go on a run before bed, the stress hormones that are secreted in your body during vigorous activity are saying 'GO! GO! GO!' and you may find you have trouble falling asleep.

Hope that helps! 

[bob1121]

thanks- it did help-- the link to Mayo didn't open for me- 

[sandycrochet]

Some interesting points, but I usually go to bed right after finishing my last glass of wine, and reviewing my sleep charts since getting my One, shows the ONLY night I didn't have 15-25 ish wakes/restless periods was a night hubby and I consumed extra wine.  I actually slept through that night.  

The lights and the pets certainly makes sense.  Luckily I don't have a pet so don't have to contend with that and the room is pretty dark.

A schedule of sleep, I'm way off the charts there.  I work a very bizarre schedule in that there is no schedule.  I might work traditional day hours, I might work traditionally evening hours, I might work both in the same week; therefore I eat and sleep at differnt times.  Must review this and see if there's a way to minimize how drastically the eating and sleeping is.

[oboist]

Interesting about the wine. I noticed the same, even though the medical wisdom seems to be saying the opposite is true.

[loveabull]

Yep, it's vodka Really though if you're under fifty it's about routine and setting a regular time to go to bed and get up even on weekends. No electronics...except there are many people like my husband who can only sleep soundly with the TV on. When you're over fifty your sleep starts to go to heck in a handbasket...stress, urges to pee, hot flashes, hormonal changes, vivid nightmares. Not for all seniors, but it happens sometimes.