Healthy Living Starts With Sleep

Your overall health is important to your oral health. One of the best things you can do to encourage healthy living is to make sure you’re getting plenty of sleep. Here’s some info from your Tempe dental office on how to get a great night’s sleep.

While how much sleep you need is an ongoing debate, you can still maximize the restorative benefits of the sleep you get by following these tips.

  1. Go to sleep at the same time each night. It’s best to choose a time when you’re normally tired. It’s tempting, but try not to break your routine during the weekends. If you decide to change your bedtime, make the change in small increments, like 15 minutes earlier or later each day.
  2. Naturally, regulate your sleep-wake cycle. While insomniacs may be tempted to take sleeping pills, the best thing you can do is take a melatonin supplement. Melatonin is naturally produced in the pineal gland when it gets dark outside, but if your melatonin is a bit out of sync, you can try supplements. Melatonin supplements are typically safe in low doses for short-term and long-term use, but be sure to talk with your doctor about taking them.
  3. Create a relaxing bedtime routine. Stress is the biggest enemy of a great night’s sleep. Practicing relaxation techniques before bed can help rid you of stress and prepare for sleep. Some simple relaxation techniques include deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, and visualizing a peaceful scene. There are even apps available that help you focus on your breathing or produce sounds to help create a relaxing environment.
  4. Eat right and get regular exercise. Studies have shown that regular sessions of moderate exercise can improve the sleep of chronic insomnia sufferers. The exercise reduced the amount of time it took to fall asleep and increased the time that the sufferers stayed asleep.
  5. Preserve your sleep environment. The bedroom space should be a relaxing place and not a source of stress. In general, try to keep electronics like televisions and computers out of your sleep environment. Not only will they keep you from falling asleep, but they may wake you back up in the middle of the night.
  6. Getting plenty of restful sleep is absolutely important for every aspect of your body and your life. For more information on how to get the best night’s sleep possible, go to https://www.helpguide.org/articles/sleep/getting-better-sleep.htm