Tips for Better Sleep

Occupational Therapists understand that restful and adequate sleep is essential for our functioning and participation in daily activities. Our quality of sleep impacts our mood, energy level, and alertness the next day. It is essential to maintaining our overall physical and mental health and well-being. Chronic poor sleep has been linked with conditions such as depression, anxiety, cardiovascular disease, hypertension and obesity. 

Here are some recommendations to get good and restful sleep: 

Getting your sleep environment just right. 

• Light: The bedroom needs to be dark for the sleep-inducing hormone melatonin to be produced optimally. 

• Temperature: Ensure your bedroom is not too hot or too cold. The recommended temperature for sleep is 16-18 degrees celsius. 

• Smell: Some essential oils have been shown to be relaxing for sleep such as lavender, germanium, and chamomile. 

• Noise: Block out all distracting noise. Listening to white noise may be helpful.  

Develop good sleep habits with your daily decisions and routine.

• The bedroom should only be associated with sleep. Try not to use the bedroom as an office or recreation room. 

• Develop a bedtime routine. Set consistent sleep and wake times to allow your body to get used to falling asleep at a certain time. 

• Limit screen time 1-2 hours before bed.

• Avoid naps throughout the day. 

• Avoid alcohol and caffeine 4-6 hours before bedtime. 

Some activities to try before bed: 

• Write down your thoughts. Worrying thoughts can make it hard to fall asleep and keep us up at night. Try writing down your thoughts to clear your head.

• Engage in relaxing activities before bedtime. Some examples can be mindfulness meditation, deep breathing, yoga or reading a book.