Nothing Beats A Good Night of Sleep: How Rest Impacts Physical Therapy in Durham
Everyone knows good sleep is important, but getting it can be difficult. Try these tips to improve your sleep.
Trying to get a good night’s sleep shouldn’t feel like a chore. There are significant ties between sleep and pain. These two have a bidirectional relationship, meaning one entity can influence the other and vice versa. You have probably noticed this with yourself before. Waking up after a bad night of sleep—tossing, turning, and not staying asleep—and feeling more aches, pain, or stiffness than normal. The opposite has probably happened as well where you hop out of bed feeling invincible, ready to take on the world after a full night’s rest.
Sleep, pain, and their relationship have been studied for decades. Our bodies undergo numerous processes while we sleep that help us recover from the day or injury. It is a recharge for many cellular pathways and a moment of respite for our nervous and cardiovascular systems. As the research base has grown and those involved have sought ways to implement findings, the notion of “Sleep Hygiene” has emerged.
“Sleep Hygiene” describes good sleep habits—both at bedtime and throughout the day—that set someone up for success in achieving a full night’s sleep. Considerable research has gone into developing tips and practices designed to enhance good sleeping, and there is much evidence to suggest that these strategies can provide long-term solutions to sleep difficulties. The benefits of a good night’s sleep have huge implications for overall physical and mental health.
These sleep tips are often rolled into a broader discussion of Pain Neuroscience Education. PNE (as it is abbreviated) looks at the neurobiology and neurophysiology behind pain and pain processing and leverages it against the management of psychological and sociological contributors to pain. This ultimately helps an individual reframe their mindset and perception of pain.
A key discussion point in PNE is that the plasticity (re: adaptability) of the brain leads to hyper-excitability of the brain and spinal cord. This is a contributor to chronic pain and it is often mistaken for disease or dysfunction causing pain. A good night’s sleep may help decrease this central nervous system's hyper-excitability.
Here are some points to consider when trying to improve your sleep quality and consistency. It is not necessary to implement all of these as quickly as possible. I usually advise individuals to consider a few at a time—ones that might be the easiest to start trying. As habits improve, try to include others on this list or the many other lists that exist. I place the greatest importance on the first four ideas on this list. They are the ones I consider foundational in my sleep habits and hygiene.
Prioritize Sleep
Try not to skip sleep to work, socialize, or exercise. It’s vital to treat sleep as a priority. Find a target bedtime based on your fixed wake-up time and do your best to be ready for bed around that time each night.
Sleep Rituals
Developing rituals can tell your body that sleep is near. Putting on pajamas, brushing your teeth, taking a hot shower, gentle stretching, or reading (on the couch or at a desk) are great options. Allow 30 to 60 minutes for your ritual.
Set A Sleep Schedule
One of the best ways to train your body to sleep well is to go to bed and get up roughly the same time every day—even on weekends and days off.
Make Gradual Adjustments
If you want to shift your sleep times, doing it all at once can throw off your schedule. Instead, make small changes of 30 minutes so you can adjust and settle into a new schedule.
Don’t Toss and Turn
If you haven’t fallen asleep in 20 minutes or so, get up, try something calming, then return to bed, and try again. Avoid anything too stimulating—like using your phone.
Limit In-Bed Activities
Only use your bed for sleeping (and sex) to build a mental link that being in bed means sleep. This bolsters your ability to fall asleep and reduces time spent tossing and turning.
Maintain Daytime Routines
Even if you have a bad night of sleep and are tired, you must try to keep your daytime activities the same as you had planned. Don’t avoid activities because you feel tired.
No Naps
It is best to avoid taking naps during the day to make sure that you are tired at bedtime. If you can’t make it through the day without a nap, make sure it is for less than an hour and before 3 pm.
Exercise
Regular exercise is a good idea to help with good sleep but try not to do strenuous exercise in the 3-4 hours before bedtime.
Drink Water
Dehydration harms sleep. A good rule for how much water to drink in a day is to take a third to half of your body weight (in lbs.) and use that number (in fl. oz.) as a goal.
Conversely, too much water before bed can force you to go to the bathroom and disrupt sleep. Limit intake an hour or so before bed and attempt to relieve your bladder before going to sleep.
Eat Right
A healthy, balanced diet will help you to sleep well, but timing is important. Some people find that a very empty stomach at bedtime is distracting, so it can be useful to have a light snack, but a heavy meal soon before bed can also interrupt sleep.
Avoid Caffeine, Nicotine, and Alcohol
It is best to avoid consuming things like caffeinated coffee, tea, and sodas as well as cigarettes, beer, wine, and liquor at least four to six hours before going to bed. Caffeine and nicotine are stimulants and interfere with the ability to fall asleep. Alcohol negatively influences the quality of sleep, even though it may seem relaxing.