Sleep Program 2020

6-week Sleep Program 2020

Sleep Program Introduction

Introduction

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has linked insufficient sleep to the development of chronic diseases and conditions, including diabetes, heart disease, obesity and depression. This guide features informational articles on sleep and sleep disorders, as well as tips to help you improve your sleeping habits. It also features space in which you can enter notes about your daily sleep, including what you ate or drank before bed, how many times you woke up and how many hours you slept.

This guide is meant for informational purposes only, and is not intended to address serious sleep disorders. For more information regarding sleep disorders or any issues you may have with getting enough sleep, please consult your doctor.

This guide is intended for informational use only. Seek professional medical advice for any medical-related questions. Š 2019 Zywave, Inc. All rights reserved.

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Sleep Program Weeks 1 and 2

Weeks 1 and 2: Why Is Sleep So Important?

Did you know that 1 in 3 American adults don’t get the recommended seven hours of sleep? While this might not seem problematic, consistently failing to get enough sleep can put you at risk of significant health problems. In fact, not getting enough sleep is linked to a variety of chronic conditions like Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, depression and obesity. Moreover, failing to regularly get enough sleep can lead to chronic fatigue, which can increase the risk of productivity issues at work and distracted driving crashes.

Benefits of Getting Enough Sleep Sleep takes up about one-third of your life, and for good reasons. Sleep is essential for maintaining a healthy, productive and low-stress lifestyle. Here are just a few benefits of getting a good night’s sleep: 1. Increased productivity and work performance—Giving your body enough time to go through all the sleep stages is necessary for energy, muscle repair, improved memory, and the release or regulation of important hormones that are essential for everyday functions within the body.

2. Decreased weight gain—According to the National Sleep Foundation, not allowing your body enough time for rest and regulation can lead to an increased appetite. The particular hormones that give you the feeling of being full or hungry can become irregular, which may cause increased feelings of hunger that lead to weight gain.

3. Improved mental health—Getting enough sleep can help alleviate feelings of fatigue that may contribute to stress, depression and anxiety. Symptoms of fatigue can be drowsiness, loss of energy and even mood swings.

Getting Started If you’re not getting enough sleep on a regular basis, it’s never too late to start focusing on improving your sleep schedule. Use the space on the following pages to track your sleep over the next seven days so you can get insight into areas you can potentially improve.

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Sleep Program Weeks 1 and 2 Weeks 1 and 2 Sleep Tracker Enter notes in the following boxes about what time you went to bed, how many times you woke up and what time you woke up for the day.

Day 1 Day 2

Day 3

Day 4 Day 5 Day 6

Day 7 Day 8 Day 9 Day 10

Day 11 Day 12 Day 13 Day 14 4

Sleep Program Weeks 3 and 4

Weeks 3 and 4 Choosing the Right Foods Before Bed Now that you’ve tracked your sleep for two weeks, it’s time to analyze that data. Do you have a fairly consistent bed time? Were there specific days that you woke up more often than you usually do?

Looking for trends in your sleep data is a great way to identify specific areas to work on to improve your sleep.

With the baseline knowledge you’ve gathered, it’s time to expand your focus on areas that may be impacting—or could improve—your sleep. One of those areas is choosing the right foods or beverages to consume before you go to bed. Yes, that’s right, some of your favorites in the kitchen may be just the ticket to send you snoozing.

Approximately 90 minutes before you want to fall asleep, make yourself a snack of roughly 200 calories from the items listed below. These sleep-inducing foods will help your muscles relax, quiet your mind and produce sleep-inducing hormones (serotonin and melatonin) to get you right off to bed.

Bananas—These power fruits contain serotonin and melatonin, and the muscle relaxant magnesium.

Chamomile tea—This beverage has a mild sedating effect, which will calm your mind and body.

Warm milk—This beverage contains tryptophan, which is sedating, and calcium to help your brain use the tryptophan. Warm milk also has a calming effect and is comforting to drink.

Honey—The small amount of glucose in honey communicates with your brain to turn off orexin, a neurotransmitter that contributes to alertness. Place a spoonful in a bowl of oatmeal to head off to bed quickly.

Oatmeal—Oats contain melatonin, which is great for inducing sleep.

Almonds—These nuts contain a healthy dose of tryptophan and magnesium.

Flaxseeds—These seeds are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which will brighten your mood if sadness or anxiety is keeping you from getting to sleep.

Whole-wheat bread—Whole-wheat contains insulin, which assists tryptophan in making its way to your brain. Once there, it is converted to serotonin to send you to sleep in no time.

Turkey—This meat is the best-known food source of tryptophan, which works best on a fairly empty stomach with a small amount of carbohydrates. Eating a slice of turkey on whole-wheat bread before bedtime can help you fall asleep.

Over the next two weeks, experiment with these sleep-promoting foods and see if any of them make a difference in how early you fall asleep or how many times you wake up throughout the night.

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Sleep Program Weeks 3 and 4 Weeks 3 and 4 Sleep Tracker Enter notes in the following boxes about what you ate or drank before going to bed, what time you went to bed, how many times you woke up and what time you woke up for the day.

Day 15 Day 16

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Day 18 Day 19 Day 20

Day 21 Day 22 Day 23 Day 24

Day 25 Day 26 Day 27 Day 28 6

Sleep Program Weeks 5 and 6

Weeks 5 and 6

Now that you’ve tracked your sleep for an additional two weeks, it’s time to analyze the new data. Did you notice any differences between your sleep and the foods you ate before bed? Did any foods or beverages help you fall asleep more quickly? Did anything keep you up longer? Making notes of these trends will help you accomplish your long-term goals of improving your sleep.

Another way that you can improve your sleep is to limit the amount of time you spend using an electronic device before going to bed. According to a new study, using your phone before you go to bed can disrupt your sleep schedule and prevent you from getting a good night’s sleep.

Specifically, the study found that those who used smartphones or tablets before bed went to bed later and had a later sleep onset than those who didn’t. They also had lower levels of the sleep-regulating hormone, melatonin. Lastly, the study found that electronic device usage before bed reduced the period of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, a vital component in our sleep patterns.

If you’re having trouble sleeping, try putting your phone or tablet away before heading to bed. Watching TV before bed could also make it harder to fall asleep, so try avoiding that too.

To reduce the sleep-stealing effects of electronic devices: • Check your device’s settings for a “nighttime” mode, which adjusts the screen lighting to promote sleep.

• Refrain from using your phone for at least an hour before bed.

Over the course of the next two weeks, track your electronics usage before bedtime. Gathering this data will give you valuable insight into how electronics may impact your sleep.

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Sleep Program Weeks 5 and 6 Weeks 5 and 6 Sleep Tracker Enter notes in the following boxes about what you ate or drank before going to bed, what time you went to bed, how many times you woke up and what time you woke up for the day.

Day 29 Day 30

Day 31

Day 32 Day 33 Day 34

Day 35 Day 36 Day 37 Day 38

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Sleep Program Conclusion

Conclusion

Over the past six weeks, you’ve tracked your sleep and identified trends in your sleep habits. Hopefully, you’ve gained insight into how you can change your sleep patterns for the better. Remember, getting enough sleep is essential for your health.

Getting at least seven hours of sleep every night will help keep costly chronic conditions at bay and help you combat fatigue. The strategies included in this guide are just the start to shaping healthy sleep habits. For more information on how to improve your sleep habits or to address sleep issues, contact your doctor today.

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