Nothing has more impact on your overall health than the quality of your sleep, yet up to 30% of adults are routinely sleep-deficient and over 50% of adolescents suffer from excess daytime sleepiness.  Inadequate sleep - less than 7 hours a night in adults or 8 hours in teens - has been shown to cause weight gain, impaired executive functioning and attention, changes in memory and emotional dysregulation. People who routinely get less than 7 hours of sleep per night have a significantly higher risk of developing diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, and stroke.  Inadequate sleep decreases immune function, increases sensitivity to pain, and increases risk of alcohol and substance abuse.  

Rather than take a pill, the most important key to better sleep is plenty of physical activity during the day.  If you can’t motivate to exercise, try cleaning out your garage or a cluttered closet; organizing and getting rid of unnecessary things has tremendous mental and physical benefits.  

Here are my favorite sleep tips that anyone can try:

• Aim to get 7 - 8 hours of sleep per night (adolescents need 8 - 10 hours per night.)

• Limit blue light exposure at night - change the settings on your phone and computer to automatically block blue light after 8pm.

• Use a weighted blanket and a weighted eye pillow. The pressure on the skin and eyes activates the parasympathetic nervous system which is conducive to sleep.

• Lower the temperature of your bedroom to 60 - 67 degrees F.

• Use a HEPA filter in your bedroom to keep the bedroom free from allergens and as a white noise device.

Everyone experiences insomnia from time-to time, but if difficulty sleeping persists for 3 months or longer, it’s best to seek professional help - early treatment has been shown to prevent development of long-term sleep problems.  In addition to trouble falling asleep, symptoms such as loud snoring, frequent awakenings during the night, inability to stay awake during the day, and leg discomfort before bed may be signs that an underlying medical problem exists and should be evaluated by a sleep physician.