Transcription:
Sleep Hygiene

Melanie Cole (Host):    With our busy lives, it can be so difficult to get a good night's sleep and to get enough sleep, but getting sleep and quality sleep is so important for your overall health. Welcome to Say Yes to Good Health with Memorial Hospital. I'm Melanie Cole and we are discussing sleep hygiene today. Joining us is Mary Jane Clark. She's the West Central Illinois AHEC director and a DIPACLM Certified Lifestyle Medicine Nurse at Memorial Hospital. Mary Jane, I'm so glad to have you join us again today. This is such a great topic and people, I don't think realize the importance of good quality sleep and we know our teens and 20 somethings don't. So, tell us a little bit about sleep disorders and how common they are.

Mary Jane Clark, MS, RN, CHES®, CHWC® (Guest): Sleep disorders are actually very common. And like you said, we don't value the importance of sleep in our society. And that comes with at a cost. Being awake for 18 hours is the same as someone having a blood alcohol content of 0.05, and being awake for 24 hours is equal to having a blood alcohol content of 0.1. So, our bodies don't function as well when we don't have enough sleep. So, whether you're a student trying to take that exam and not had a good night's rest and not had breakfast, or you're an adult trying to make it through a workday, we make more mistakes. We are less productive when we don't have routine sleep.

Host: Well, I can tell you pulling an all dayer without a good night's sleep is a very difficult thing. So, tell us a little bit about the recommended amount of sleep and does that include naps?

Mary Jane: It can. So, there's maybe a little controversy out there about that, but some research is saying that you need to make up the sleep with a nap. Others say not to sleep too long. So there's a healthy balance there. Adults, healthy adults need between seven and nine hours of sleep per night. Women need about one hour more hours of sleep than men. And so that's important. And then, you know, as we age, it's a little bit different, but people over the age of 65 should get at least seven hours of sleep per night.

Host: Really?

Mary Jane: Yes.

Host: And I thought as we get older, we don't, you know, our sleeping gets less and I did not know that women needed about an hour more. That is so interesting. So, what are some of the ways that people can know if they're not getting enough sleep? I mean, there's sleep disorders like insomnia and sleep apnea and all these things, but we don't always know about them. Sometimes it's our partner that tells us, right?

Mary Jane: Right. So, excessive snoring, not feeling rested when you wake up, even though you've maybe been asleep for a really long time, all of that, not being able to sleep, women who are premenopausal or menopausal, often have insomnia. And so that can be a real challenge to actually having a good night's sleep.

And so what are some things that you can do? As we think about it, there are things like restless legs syndrome, where you might need to go see a provider to find out if there are things that can be done medically, narcolepsy, where you're falling asleep standing up, you can fall asleep in the middle of a conversation. You know, those kinds of things are not normal. And so we would encourage you to talk to your provider about those types of things. Sleep is so important for both our physical health and our mental health and just having a productive quality of life. And so we want to make sure if people are suffering from sleep disorders, that they do talk to their providers about that.

Host: Really important information. Now you mentioned women needing an hour more, but women as the caregivers of the world, that you know that we are, Mary Jane, insomnia and maybe not clinical insomnia, but you know, just restless. We can't turn our minds off. We're making lists in our head and the stress of our days and the things that we know are coming the next day.

And certainly with COVID and everything going on in the world today. I mean, I know, myself, I find it very difficult sometimes to fall asleep or stay asleep because I just can't turn my mind off. Do you have some advice for us on that? And we're going to get into sleep hygiene after the break, but before we do that, just you know, tell us about turning our minds off and the stress so that we can get that good night sleep.

Mary Jane: According to the Sleep Foundation, one of the best ways is to develop routines for sleep. And we'll talk about that as we talk about sleep hygiene and tips for that as far as that goes. But I thought something was so interesting as I was researching this topic too, is that when we didn't have electricity, people slept nine to 10 hours per night. So, as we've gotten electricity and all these devices and everything that keeps our mind engaged, it's harder for us to turn that off. And so, because our synapses are moving all over the place all the time, and so it has become more of a challenge, I think, for people to sleep and have good quality sleep. And if you're not getting good quality sleep, figuring out what the reasons are, that you're not having that good quality sleep.

Host: Well, how do they figure out the reasons? We've heard the word sleep study? And if you do go to your primary care provider and they recommend you to a sleep specialist, how do you get a good night's sleep in a sleep study if you're hooked up? I mean, I know people are pretty hesitant to even try one of those studies. I myself would like to, but I wonder, can you tell us about those?

Mary Jane: I have seen them done, and been part of that, but part of getting it done and the fear of going and doing it or whatever can limit you because you know, if you have sleep apnea or you have something else that's keeping you from sleeping well, it's better to go and do the test than it is to wait and just continue to feel fatigued. There's lots of things that can cause us to be fatigued, but I think the first place is to start with a conversation with your provider. And even some dentists are collecting information on our sleep. You know, do you snore a lot? Do you wake yourself up in the middle of the night, you know, what are some of those symptoms?

And it's important to figure out what's causing that. Is it sleep apnea? Do you need a C-PAP, BiPAP machine that will help you get good quality sleep? Some patients will say that after they put their C-PAP on for the first time, they actually dream because they have not been dreaming because they weren't getting good quality sleep.

Host: Well, it's so important. And can you tell us some of the health risks? Because we're learning more and more all the time. I mean, we all know sleep is important, right. It seems obvious, but people don't realize the connection that we're learning more and more about now between obesity and diabetes and heart disease, all these things when we're not sleeping well.

Mary Jane: And mental illness and you know, it messes with our nervous system. So, we're not able to you know, make quick responses to things. We have inability to concentrate. Some increases mood swings. And so there's lots of things and you're absolutely right. It's been linked to obesity, cardiovascular disease because our body takes that time to reset in the middle of the night.

You know, when we're or during the day, if you're a night shifter, people who are on shift work, often don't value getting good quality, consistent sleep, especially if they bounce between different shifts. It's estimated that new parents in the first year will lose 400 to 750 hours of sleep in that first year. So, you know, expecting them to be you know, functioning sometimes.

Host: I remember people telling me about that. They said, when you get your full night's sleep, you'll be a new woman. You know, I remember those.

Mary Jane: Exactly. So, we underestimate the value of sleep, I think, and we don't prioritize it like we would other things. We're like, oh, we can miss a couple of hours here. We can miss a couple hours there. And you know, over time, even over a two week period, individuals make more mistakes if they've lost two hours of sleep every night for two weeks, than they would if they got a good night's sleep.

Host: True. And then there's also impending health problems, like drowsy driving, you know, or if you're somebody that has a job with machinery or any of that. So, it's true. Can you just give us your best advice about the reasons that we need that good night's sleep?

Mary Jane: Well, I think prioritizing sleep is important. I think that it improves our mental and physical health. We don't often identify it as the central part of health. And so it's often the first thing to go when commitments are high, instead of making it a priority.

Host: Certainly true. And it's something that we all, you know, maybe don't realize, and certainly our teens and we're going to get into all of that because as a parent of a 21 and 18 year old, I want to hear from Mary Jane, her best advice for getting our kids to get off their devices and get a decent night's sleep. I'm telling you because it really messes with the whole family unit when even one person in the family does not sleep. Am I right? Everybody else suffers for their bad mood. Right? And you mentioned mental that's right. You mentioned our mental health and everybody suffers. So Mary Jane, what do we do if we are having trouble sleeping, and then we're going to talk about your steps for sleep hygiene. Actually, why don't you get into the sleep hygiene? What should we do so that we get that good night's sleep? And then we'll go from there.

Mary Jane: Okay, well, let's start with devices. Okay. So, we all know that this can be an issue and turning off devices, turning off notifications, not worrying about the little blue light that is blinking on your phone all night. A lot of our young generation is attached to devices. And so how do we create an environment which allows them to disconnect. And so, and making that the norm. You know, when I was growing up, you didn't dare call somebody's house after a certain time. And so, yeah, so now we have no limits on time. So, you know, as part of those tips for getting a better night's sleep, one of the things is to either turn devices off or put them on silence or have, you know, emergency numbers that could call through if they needed to, so, you know, if you're on call or those kinds of things, but other things don't come through. That's one thing, the other thing is turning those devices off an hour before bed. And so that just helps your brain kind of slow down and get ready for sleep. Some of the best things that we can do is to actually create a bedtime routine.

And so we do that for our kids. Right, when they're little, take a bath, get a book, go to bed.

Host: We do, don't we right. Always a routine and that helps the kids to settle down, but we don't do that for ourselves, do we?

Mary Jane: No. And then, you know, we've been running around like crazy, and then we try to go get in bed and then our brain won't shut off. And then we can't calm down and relax, to get ready for bed. So, again, part of it has become our part of our culture, whereas TVs used to only be in the living room. Now they're in every room in our house, you know? And so falling asleep with the TV on does not allow us to get a good night's sleep. It also, so I had one of our gentlemen from our conference was talking about sleep and sleep hygiene and for the American College of Lifestyle Medicine. And he said the bedroom should be saved for sleep and sex. And so instead we're on our devices in the bedroom, we've got the TV on. And then we turn it all off and try to go to sleep and our brain isn't in the process of this is sleep time because we do lots of things in our bedroom or in our bed.

Maybe we're working on our laptop or we're, we're doing some of these things. You know, where if as before we were out in the main part of the house, and then we came to the bedroom to go to sleep. It wasn't a recreational area. So, how do we then protect that area? You know, if you can't fall asleep, get up, you know, don't lay in bed and toss and turn, get up, try a different environment. If you need to sleep with a fan on, you know, what does it look like for you? It's different for everybody. Making sure you don't eat right before bed. Eating a big meal right before you go to sleep can be really hard, one it's hard on your digestive system because your body is slowing down.

And then we've got all that food in there that still needs to be a digested. So, that's one thing is not to eat really late. Set consistent wake up and sleep times. I have no internal clock. Some people can go to bed and they'll say, I'm going to wake up at six o'clock and they just wake up. I don't have that. So setting,

Host: I dont either. I have to have an alarm.

Mary Jane: Setting, yeah, me too. So, setting consistent times gets our body ready for sleep at that time, it's setting up a schedule, just like we do for babies. We set them up on a schedule, or try to, and then not having caffeine late in the day is also an important part of that. It takes a long time for caffeine to be metabolized in our body. And people will say, you know, I can drink a pot of coffee and go to bed. That's great, but your body is still metabolizing that caffeine. So, you may not be getting the deep sleep that you need, because it is not processed out of your body.

Host: What a good point. These are all such great points. Keep going. You got more for us?

Mary Jane: I got more for ya. Are you ready?

Host: I'm ready.

Mary Jane: Okay. And then having irregular nap times, you know, older people fall asleep in the chair and then they wonder why they can't sleep at night. Sometimes that can be an issue. We talked about not being able to clear your mind. So, there are things that you can do to clear your mind at the end of the day, whether it's meditation, being mindful, journaling, writing down five things you're thankful for, you know, all of those things can help people fall asleep. Making a list by your bed of all the things you need to do for the next day. Sometimes we lay there in bed and think about all the things that we have to do tomorrow. So, if we keep a notepad by our bed, sometimes we can just jot those things down or plan for the next day before you go to sleep. That can be very helpful.

Host: I should really repeat what you just said, the make a list by your bed, put them all down so that you don't have it swirling around in your brain, put it on paper and then it's somewhere and you won't forget. Sometimes I get up and I go, shoot, I wanted to write down this and this. And I started keeping that list next to me and it's easier. And then I can just lay down and go, okay. It's there. I'll remember it tomorrow.

Mary Jane: Right. And so some people like to take a relaxing bath or a shower with essential oils or lavender to help us relax or use essential oils for sleep. Those are all things that you can do. Again, you have to find what works for you. I have found that getting up out of bed, if I'm not sleeping is helpful, moving to a different environment. So, finding the things that work for you, making sure you have a comfortable bed and mattress, a comfortable pillow. Sometimes it's as easy as washing the sheets and putting fresh sheets on the bed. Sometimes that's helpful. And then getting sunlight in the afternoon. This is one of those things that people who work inside all the time, maybe struggle with. Go for a break in the afternoon. Having that sunshine at that, in that afternoon period and being exposed to it will actually help you sleep. Exercising regularly, but not before bed. Those are all things not before bed. Because you know, part of the sleep process is relaxing your body, unless you're doing sleep yoga or something like that.

There are things that you can do before bed. But you know, practicing stretching, or doing some things that are helpful for you to go to sleep. You know, some people, maybe drink a cup of hot tea or those kinds of things. If you have problem with bladder issues and getting up in the middle of the night,

Host: Then don't drink the cup of hot tea.

Mary Jane: Um, You know, don't cup of hot tea. Maybe you water off at at six. Maybe you need to get all your water in before evening time.

Host: But that brings up a really good point. So let me ask you about alcohol because people have always thought, and it used to be as sort of a wive's tale have a glass of wine before bed, or, you know, two or whatever, and that'll help you sleep, but we're learning more and more that alcohol may get you to sleep, but not keep you to sleep.

Mary Jane: Exactly. That's exactly what the research is showing. You don't have good quality sleep. It does cause sleep disturbances as the alcohol is being metabolized. So, you may be able to fall asleep quickly, but you may not stay asleep.

Host: Yeah, that's really an important point. And I think a lot of people don't realize that. And as somebody who loves a glass of wine myself, I do know that if, if I have more than one, I am tossing and turning in the night and I've kind of figured that out. We only have a few minutes left, so I'd like you to talk room temperature and darkness and your best advice for sleep hygiene and good sleep hygiene. Because we have learned in this show today about the complications of untreated sleep disorders and certainly not quality sleep and not enough sleep. So, wrap it up for us, Mary Jane, with your absolute best advice.

Mary Jane: Well, like you said, making sure you have a dark room, making sure you're not falling asleep to the TV, making sure that you're turning devices off and figuring out what works for you for relaxation. There are tips and things to falling asleep faster by relaxing every part of your body, dropping your shoulders, releasing tension, you know, going through each part of your body. Making it relax using your, brain, if you will, to make every part relax, taking deep breaths, clearing your mind, and really trying to make a routine for yourself are some of the best things that you can do.

Host: I was just doing that right along with you, as you were saying that relaxing all the parts. I don't want to fall asleep right now cause I'm in show, but I mean, that is really great information and, and you can even like find some of those online, right? Like Calm or Headspace or one of those things that you can, that help you to learn to relax. Right. And tell us quckly -

There are

Mary Jane: meditations, so you can look that up.

Host: That's right. You can look up bedtime meditation. That's a great idea. And very quickly tell us when we should look for help from our providers.

Mary Jane: If you are having trouble staying awake when you're talking to somebody, if your spouse says you snore a lot, or they catch you gasping for air or see that you're not breathing through the middle of the night. If it scares your spouse or significant other, you probably need to make sure you go see a provider. You know, if you're having long bouts of insomnia, they may recommend that you take a melatonin or something like that to sleep. You know, be careful with sleep aids because they can have a counter intuitive issue. So, you want to make sure you talk to your provider about those kinds of things. And then, you know, if you can't stay awake while you're driving or anything like that, make sure you follow up with a provider.

Great information, Mary Jane, what a great guest you are. Thank you so much for joining us today. And that wraps up this episode of Say Yes to Good Health with Memorial Hospital. And for more health tips, please visit our website at mhtlc.org to get connected with one of our providers. I'm Melanie Cole.