Tips to Improve your Sleep as we 'Fall Back'

CLEVELAND - As we turn the clocks back one hour on Sunday, you may also want to think about improving some of your sleep habits.

Especially since nearly 40% of adults in the United States are sleep deprived. 

“When we’re getting consistently under seven hours every night, we put our bodies and brains at risk for a host of adverse medical consequences down the road. We want to make sure that we’re not setting ourselves up to be chronically sleep deprived, and so that means at least seven hours for adults and more than that for kids and teens,” said Nancy Foldvary, MD, sleep specialist at Cleveland Clinic.

Dr. Foldvary said there are many healthy habits we can adopt when it comes to getting better sleep, like not eating or exercising right before bed. 

Both can make it harder to fall asleep and stay asleep. 

And while it may be tempting, it’s best to avoid using your cellphone or watching TV right before bed. 

Dr. Foldvary explains that the blue light can disrupt our body’s melatonin production, which helps promote sleep. 

Finally, she recommends keeping a consistent routine. 

“We want to go to bed early enough to avoid being chronically sleep deprived. And so, if we’re waking up at 6:30 or 7 o’clock during the week but then sleeping until 10 on the weekends, that’s either a sleep problem, a medical or psychiatric problem, or it’s compensatory for being chronically sleep deprived. None of these things are good,” she noted. 

Dr. Foldvary said if your sleep issues don’t seem to be improving with time, it’s important to consult with your physician. 

They can help figure out if something else is wrong.