Go to sleep! And 9 ways to get it

This story is brought to you by Dr. Jacob Curtis from Grand Peaks Medical and Dental, a multi-specialty, non-profit, Community Health Center in St. Anthony and Rexburg.

The need for sleep is universal, yet nearly as universal is the belief that we do not have enough time to get the sleep we need.

There is the familiar saying: “You snooze you lose,” and Thomas Edison said, “Sleep is an incredible waste of time.”

Without exception, these ideas are wrong.

Suffering through poor sleep can mean suffering through psychological distress, depression and anger, poor memory, increased impulsiveness, and poor judgment. This is in addition to the detriment to physical health, such as weight gain, lack of energy and suppressed immunity making you more likely to get sick.

Then there’s the massive amount of work that needs to get done in your brain that can only happen after you lie down and close your eyes. Sleep is a time of intense neurological activity. It is a time of rest and restoration and renewal. It is a time of energy conservation and cognitive maintenance. It is also a period of time appointed for brain processing and memory consolidation.

The only question, then, is how do we fall and stay asleep? Here are nine excellent practices, a composite of the most scientifically based, most tried and true methods existent today.

• Create a bedroom environment that’s dark, quiet, and cool (between 60 and 67 degrees).
• Unplug. Turn off electronic devices at least 30 minutes before bedtime. Don’t charge your phone next to your bed. Even better: Gently escort all devices completely out of your room.
• Maintain a regular sleep and wake schedule.
• Use your bed for sleep and intimacy only — no work! If unable to sleep within 20 to 30 minutes, consider meditation, getting up temporarily or reading a calm book.
• Keep pets off the bed … and children too!
• Take a hot bath with Epsom salts in the evening to help calm your mind and body.
• Wear sleep clothes: pajamas, nightdresses or even a special T-shirt. It’ll send a sleep-friendly message to your body. If you wore it to the gym, don’t wear it to bed.
• Do not read in bed. If you do, choose a real book or an e-reader that does not emit blue light, if you like to read in bed. And make sure it’s not work-related: novels, poetry, philosophy — anything but work.
• Incorporate into your diet foods that help with building blocks of sleep: calcium, vitamin B6, tryptophan and magnesium. Stop drinking caffeine after 2 p.m. When taken even six hours before bed, caffeine can decrease sleep by as much as one hour.

Sweet dreams!