Sleep and Health: Improving Sleep Habits

Katherine Sharp, MD, MPH, Preventive Medicine and Internal Medicine

A good night’s sleep can have important effects on our emotional and physical health. Can you reflect on how you felt the next day after a sleepless night? Sleep impacts many aspects of our health including glucose control, insulin sensitivity, mood, behavior, obesity, regulating appetite, memory, cardiovascular health, immune system regulation and poor sleep is even linked to certain cancers. Improving our sleep habits can have a profound impact on our overall health.

It is important to monitor sleep behaviors and incorporate healthy sleep habits into our everyday routine. Sleep experts have determined that with as little as 2-3 nights of less than 6 hours of sleep per week for three months can be an indication that one has chronic insomnia. Approximately 20% of US adults average less than 6 hours of sleep per day! The recommended sleep duration for optimal health for adults 25 and older is 7-9 hours of sleep per night. Luckily, there are ways to improve sleep quality and duration.

To start, make sure you pay attention to what may be interfering with your sleep. Is it pain, anxiety, hunger, caffeine or difficulty sticking to a schedule? There are ways to get your circadian rhythm back on track. Sleep hygiene techniques can include sticking to a schedule even on the weekends, setting your room up for sleep, avoiding blue light at least one hour before bed, light exposure early in the day, avoiding caffeine in the afternoon, limiting naps during the day, adding in an exercise routine, mindfulness, meditation and relaxation before bed.

You can check out our sleep hygiene video for tips to incorporate into your sleep routine. Set one sleep hygiene goal to maintain for the next few weeks.

If you believe your sleep is a problem, please discuss your concerns with your provider.