About Sleep
Make the most of your day by improving your night
Quality sleep is the foundation for good health, even more important than following a strict diet or exercise routine. Although we often think of sleep as a time when our bodies and brains shut down and go into autopilot mode, it’s actually quite the opposite. While you’re asleep, your body is hard at work, restoring energy, repairing cells, and releasing essential hormones. Sleep serves as the ultimate time to heal and recover so you can take on the next day feeling rejuvenated and sharp.
Struggling with sleep
Despite sleep's importance, many Americans fail to meet the recommended quantity AND quality of sleep.
Approximately 30% to 40% of adults in the United States report symptoms of insomnia at some point in a given year and the CDC has declared sleep disorders a public health epidemic.
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Poor sleep can be the result of a sleep disorder or just poor sleep hygiene. However, it is important to take actionable steps towards improving your sleep.
Sleep Disorder Symptoms May include:
Difficulty falling asleep at night
Waking up during the night
Inability to return to sleep during the night
Waking up too early
Not feeling well-rested after a night's sleep
Daytime tiredness or sleepiness
Irritability or problems with depression or anxiety
Difficulty paying attention, focusing on tasks or remembering
Stress
These days, stress seems to be everywhere. Let us help you insulate your sleep from the effects of stress.
Sleep Associations
Do you find yourself lying awake at night thinking, planning or worrying? Do you tend to sit in bed and try to “relax”, watch TV, or scroll on your phone but nothing seems to help? If so, we will help you to rewire your sleep associations so that your bed and bedroom feel like a sanctuary - a place where you go to become refreshed and rejuvenated.
Alcohol
​Many people believe that the sleepiness experienced after drinking can help sleep, but as alcohol leaves your system, it acts as a central nervous system stimulant causing poor sleep and awakenings, especially in the second half of the night.
Lifestyle
​Putting together a proper exercise routine with timing, duration and frequency is essential to healthy sleep. Making good food choices and timing of food and beverage intake are also key factors.
Mental Health Disorders
​Anxiety and depression can take a significant toll on your sleep. Identifying these issues and getting treatment may be an important step to solve your sleep problems.
Perpetuating Factors
Perhaps your sleep problem started when you were experiencing stress or when your children were little, and your sleep has “never been the same”. Patterns can develop during these times that even when the stressor is removed, the insomnia remains.
Poor Sleep Hygiene
​Inconsistent sleep and wake times, napping at the wrong time of day, noise or light in your bedroom, and uncomfortable bedding are all factors that can be examined to improve your sleep.
​Circadian rhythm problems
​Are you a night owl striving to be the early bird? Do you stay up late to have time to yourself and then expect yourself to get up early? Do you sometimes work unusual hours that interfere with your sleep? We can help you make adjustments to align your schedule with your biological clock.
Devices!
​Blue light from phones, computers and tablets is like a virtual form of caffeine. And the information on your device can bring life-related stress to bed. They can also bring a constant case of FOMO. If nothing else, devices in the bedroom just make you stay up later.
Medical Problems
Pain, illness and other medical problems can wreak havoc on your sleep. It is important to identify these factors and make sure they are appropriately managed with your primary doctor.
Sleep Apnea
Do you snore or stop breathing during sleep? You may need a sleep study at a local sleep lab. We can help you advocate for evaluation and the best treatment options.
Medications
Sleeping problems and insomnia can be side effects of many types of medications. In addition, when someone stops taking a drug, withdrawal or other aspects of the body’s reaction can create difficulties for sleep.
Causes of Sleep Problems
Sleep is a complex process and it can be difficult to figure out which factors are affecting your sleep the most. Let us help you to clear a path to optimal sleep!
What happens when you get proper sleep?
What if we told you there is a cutting-edge new treatment that is completely free of cost and can help you live longer? This treatment helps boost your immune system and even makes vaccines more effective. It can help prevent weight gain through the proper regulation of hormones. It can also reduce your risk of heart attacks! It increases your energy level and improves your mood. It has also been shown to improve concentration, memory and cognitive function which increases your likelihood of success in school and work. In addition, it improves your athletic performance through improved hand-eye performance, reaction time and muscle recovery.
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Turns out this “treatment” is not some new miracle drug, but rather the proven benefits of a full night of sleep. Most of us do not realize how remarkable sleep is.
Optimizing your sleep
Turn your bedroom into a sleep-inducing environment - Ditch the devices, invest in comfortable bedding, and make sure it is quiet, dark and cool.
Set a Consistent Sleep Schedule - Your wake time is especially important because it sends a clear signal to the body clock (circadian rhythms). We will help you keep sleep logs to better understand your sleep patterns.
Use Light to Your Advantage - Natural light keeps your internal clock on a healthy sleep-wake cycle. So let in the light first thing in the morning and get outside for a sun break during the day.
Ditch the substances! - Many of us love to start the day with that morning cup of Joe (that’s ok). However, it is important to understand how the timing, amount and choice of caffeine, alcohol, nicotine and other chemicals can interfere with sleep.
More Exercise! - Regular exercise can be a key factor to help you fall asleep faster and sleep more soundly.
Lighten up on the evening meals - A light snack prior to bed can be soothing and eating heavy foods late in the evening can disturb sleep.
Balance your fluid intake - Pre-loading your daytime meals with water can ease the thirst you may feel prior to sleep. Limiting fluids in the evening helps prevent night time wake ups for a trip to the bathroom.
Follow Through - Advocate for your medical health with your primary doctor or specialist to prevent physical problems from interfering with your sleep.
Getting back on Track
While there are many things that you can do on your own to improve your sleep, sometimes the help of a sleep specialist to diagnose the problem and create a plan to improve your sleep can be the key to success. We offer many services to help with these issues such as insomnia and even preventing jet lag. Be sure to check out our full services page to see what we have to offer.
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