Seven Tips For Better ZZZ's

Sleep on it tonight with a few simple tips to fight insomnia

By Jeff Schnaufer
CTW Features

Sure, there's plenty to worry about these days: the economy, job security and, for some of us, the latest cut on "American Idol." It's enough to lose sleep over.

Not that we need any help with insomnia. According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM), one out of ten adults has insomnia so severe that it has daytime consequences. As many as 30 percent of adults have symptoms of insomnia, which may include feeling grumpy, tired or falling asleep during the day, as well as having trouble concentrating at work. Of course, we may have these symptoms as a result of being out too late or just a bad night's sleep.

Studies show that women are more likely than men to have insomnia. Physical problems related to aging make insomnia more prevalent among middle aged and older adults, as well. Insomnia may also be a side affect of people under certain medications.

For most of us, insomnia fades away in a few days. Stress or depression, however, can prompt insomnia that last weeks, according to the AASM.

The AASM offers a website (www.sleepeducation.com) to help answer questions about troubles with sleep. This includes a sleepiness scale, sleep evaluations, links to resources and even a blog. If you suspect you have a sleeping disorder, consult your primary doctor.

Of course, it doesn't hurt to hear from the experts. We've compiled seven tips to help you get to sleep, courtesy of Dr. Ralph Downey III, chief of sleep medicine at the Loma Linda University Medical Center in Loma Linda, Calif. and Dr. Clete A. Kushida, acting medical director of the Stanford Sleep Disorders Clinic at Stanford University in Stanford, Calif. Both are spokespersons for the AASM.

1. "Keep a regular bedtime and awakening time", says Kushida.

2. Use The 20 Minute Rule - "If you can't fall asleep, do something for 20 minutes in another room that makes you drowsy, because if you toss and turn, it makes it more difficult to fall asleep," Kushida says. "You want to condition the bedroom environment as the space where you fall asleep, not toss and turn."

Downey suggests going to another room for 20 minutes that is "without the Internet, TV or other things that might be interesting and interrupt sleep."

3. "Use the bedroom for sleep and sex," Downey says.

4. Synchronize Your Internal Clock - Within 30 minutes of awakening, Kushida suggests exposing yourself to bright light in the morning, such as daylight from an open window. "There's a nucleus in the brain called the suprachiasmatic nucleus, which is responsible for synchronizing the internal clock," Kushida says. Exposure to bright light "can help put a time stamp on the brain to synchronize the clock."

Be careful, however, to avoid any bright light at night, which, Kushida says, can delay the onset of sleep.

5. "Get regular exercise as part of a healthy lifestyle," Downey says.

6. "Restrict the time in bed to about 90 percent of the time that you are sleeping," Downey says.

7. "Do not drink caffeine after lunch," Downey says. "[It] will disturb sleep."

"If having persistent difficulty with sleep, beyond the usual tips, see a sleep specialist who is experienced in cognitive behavioral techniques," Downey says. After about five to six one-hour sessions, treatments for insomnia have been shown to be "as effective, if not more effective, than sleeping pills and it does not have the side effects that many sleeping pills may have."

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