Tag: sleep

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How to get back to sleep and why it’s so important: @ClevelandClinic

cleveland back to sleep

Your bed should be a place of relaxation and rejuvenation. But if you’re having trouble sleeping, that’s likely not the case.

Not only can not sleeping be frustrating, but getting a good night’s sleep is vital to maintaining your overall health and mental well-being. Seven or more hours of quality sleep each night recharges your body physically, but can also help flush toxins from your brain and allow your mind to fully rest — which assist in your mental alertness, decision-making, and overall clarity the next day.  And if you’re sick, your brain needs to be in tip-top shape to help you recover.

That’s why sleep expert Nancy Foldvary-Schaefer, DO, says you should do everything you can to address any sleep issues you’re experiencing.

Different ways your sleep can be interrupted

Besides external influences like recurring noises (from a crying infant to a snoring partner) or travel-related time changes that keep you up at night, sleep deprivation may come in many other forms.

“For example, some people experience chronic insomnia — a sleep disorder in which you have trouble falling and/or staying asleep,” Dr. Foldvary-Schaefer says. “Others may experience cycles of waking up but not being able to get back to sleep.“

And sometimes, even if you’re able to fall asleep but were focused on unresolved issues or worries right before you closed your eyes — this may affect the quality of sleep you actually achieve. “You may find yourself groggy in the morning or feeling tired, cranky or unproductive,” Dr. Foldvary-Schaefer says. “Also, a lack of sleep can affect your judgement and emotional response to otherwise normal daily activities.”

How stress can affect your sleep

Many of us tend to bring our daily stress to bed with us — which is exactly the place it doesn’t belong. It’s not easy to leave stress at the end of your day. But keeping these stressful thoughts in focus right before sleep can definitely prevent you from getting some good shuteye.

“This is something you should try to avoid whenever possible, as it can cause a variety of sleep problems,” Dr. Foldvary-Schaefer notes. “It may take practice, but committing to stress-reduction behaviors at the end of your day is very important. The more active you are in kicking stress out of bed each night, the more likely your overall sleep quality will improve.”

How to de-stress before bed

You may not be aware that bringing stress to bed could be causing a negative cycle to form. If you have trouble falling asleep, the longer you lie awake, the more aggravated you may become. Soon you may unknowingly associate your bed as a place of discomfort, rather than one of comfort. The key is to remove any negative association with your sleep space by forming healthy pre-sleep habits. Dr. Foldvary-Schaefer offers these tips for developing better pre-sleep practices:

  • Plan for tomorrow earlier in the evening — Carve out time each night before or after dinner to “wrap up” your thoughts about the last 24 hours. Plotting out your next day well before bedtime can help you check that “planning box” early enough to give yourself time to transition and quiet your mind before bed.
  • Get up if you’re not asleep after 20 minutes — It may be a good idea to take your frustrations to a different room and leave them there — literally. A short walk will get your brain actively focused on motor coordination, rather than worrying. Write down what’s on your mind on a piece of paper and revisit it in the morning. You’ll return to bed anticipating a fresh perspective in the morning (a best practice, anyway) — and leave your bedroom as your special place to rest and relax.
  • Develop your pre-sleep ritual — Take a walk after dinner to catch a sunset, take a long bath or enjoy a nightly cup of caffeine-free herbal tea.
  • Avoid overstimulation — Avoid not eating, working, or browsing a screen of any kind in bed. Reading a book off-screen may help, or enjoying a relaxing playlist to give your mind something to connect with, but not be overstimulated by.
  • Practice yoga or meditation — Closing your eyes, practice simple mindfulness, awareness or concentrated focus on your breathing for five minutes. This can help your body and mind relax — and transition  you to a more restful sleep.

If trying some of the strategies above to reduce or manage your stress aren’t helping your insomnia, cognitive behavioral therapy (or CBT-i) might be a good option.

“CBTi is a structured program that helps you identify and replace thoughts and behaviors that cause (or worsen) sleep problems with new habits and thought patterns that promote healthy sleep,” explains sleep expert Michelle Drerup, PsyD.

“CBTi is offered by trained specialists nationwide, including at many larger hospitals or academic medical centers,” Dr. Drerup adds. “There are also several online programs, such as Cleveland Clinic’s Go! to Sleep program.”

Illness may be the reason you can’t sleep

A lack of sleep may also indicate a variety of sleep disorders or other health concerns that need to be addressed with proper medical diagnosis and treatment. Once your medical conditions are treated, you may eventually see your sleep improve.

Underlying medical conditions that may prevent you from sleeping include:

  •  Chronic pain.
  •  Acid reflux.
  •  Restless legs syndrome (RLS).
  •  Sleep apnea (in both men and women).
  •  Hormonal changes caused by menopause.
  •  Narcolepsy.
  •  Diabetes.
  •  Night terrors.
  •  Sleepwalking.
  •  Depression.
  •  Common issues related to aging.

“If any of these are the case, you likely won’t sleep comfortably through the night until the problem is identified and properly treated by a knowledgeable primary care physician or specialist,” Dr. Foldvary-Schaefer says.

Make sure you keep track of symptoms you are experiencing, and tell your doctor about them as soon as possible. Your primary care physician may explore your sleep history and/or give you a physical examination. This could include examining your upper airway muscles, for example. If sleep apnea is suspected, you may be referred to a sleep disorders center for a comprehensive sleep study. Or you may be suffering from other conditions that could result in treatments like short-term hormone replacement therapy, antidepressants or other kinds of medicines — all which depend upon proper diagnosis.

Be aware and stay proactive 

Overall, the key to getting better sleep comes from first identifying your sleepless activity, reducing your stress before you hit your bed, and talking with your doctor if you notice other symptoms — so you can get back on track to a good night’s sleep.

https://health.clevelandclinic.org/what-to-do-if-you-cant-sleep

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Can early bedtime help you catch some ZZZs? @ClevelandClinic

Cleveland Clinic

Is It Healthy To Sleep Naked?

Wearing no clothes could lead to cooler skin temperatures that put ZZZs within reach

Many people believe they were born with the only pajamas needed for a good night’s sleep, but here’s the naked truth: No research directly confirms that sleeping in the buff leads to better slumber.

There is, however, some validity behind the idea of sleeping naked — namely regarding how a cooler skin temperature improves sleep quality.

So, should you consider stripping down at bedtime before sliding under the sheets? Let’s look at the potential benefits (and risks) with behavioral sleep disorders specialist Michelle Drerup, PsyD, DBSM.

Is sleeping naked better?

There are some possible perks to nude sleeping … so, maybe? Here are a few reasons why you might want to slip off your clothes before slipping off to sleep.

Falling asleep faster

Your body naturally works to lower its thermostat to doze off at night through its circadian rhythm, which regulates your sleep/wake cycle. The faster you cool off, the faster you typically catch some ZZZs, says Dr. Drerup.

That’s also one of the reasons why sleep experts recommended that you keep your bedroom temperature between 60 degrees Fahrenheit and 67 degrees Fahrenheit (15.5 degrees Celsius to 19.44 degrees Celsius) for optimal snoozing.

Improved sleep quality

Ever toss and turn in bed because you’re too hot? Sleeping naked certainly removes any possibility of pajama-induced overheating interfering with a good night’s rest. It’s the absolute final move in shedding layers to stay cool.

“There’s no question that cooler is better than warmer for overall sleeping,” says Dr. Drerup.

And getting enough rest is key to … well, just about everything in day-to-day life. Waking up refreshed can help you manage stress more effectively, improve focus, boost performance and make you a more pleasant person.

For women: reduced risk of yeast infections

Tight-fitting underwear can trap heat and moisture between your legs. What makes a yeast infection thrive? Yep — heat and moisture.

Sleeping naked (or even in loose-fitting cotton bottoms) allows for some air circulation around your vagina. Keeping the area cooler and drier may help reduce your chances of getting a yeast infection, too. 

For men: potential fertility boost

Heat isn’t a friend of male fertility. Regular exposure to higher temperatures for your testicles can cause sperm counts to drop. Wearing underwear that keeps things packed tight doesn’t exactly offer a cooling effect.

Studies show that men who wear boxers have a higher sperm count than their buddies in briefs. So if loose-fitting boxes help that much, imagine what 8 hours of no clothing might do.

Reasons to keep your PJs on

Sleepwalkers may want to give the idea some extra thought to going au natural to avoid any potential awkward encounters, notes Dr. Drerup.

And if you’re not a fan of doing laundry, consider this: Your washing schedule for bedding may need to increase with more skin-to-sheet contact. (Gross fact: The skin cells you shed in a day can feed 1 million dust mites. You don’t want to turn your bed into their buffet.)

Can you be cool and clothed?

Going to bed “nearly” naked while wearing lightweight and loose-fitting garments can bring you similar quality sleep results as taking everything off. “Tank tops and boxer-style briefs don’t possess a ton of warming qualities,” says Dr. Drerup.

And while being cool is desirable for sleep, you also don’t want to be cold. There’s even evidence that wearing socks to bed to warm your tootsies can help you drift off to sleep.

So, which is it: off or on?

Ultimately, what you wear to sleep is a personal choice. “There’s no proven benefit or harm to sleeping naked,” says Dr. Drerup. “Just do what feels right and then rest easy with your decision.”

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Stress Dreams: Why Do We Have Them ― and How to Stop? @ClevelandClinic #healthaware

Learning to control stress is your best defense against these anxiety-ridden dreams

Contributors: Michelle Drerup, PsyD, DBSM and Alexa Kane, PsyD.

There are a lot of areas of sleep that science and medicine can understand and explain. But dreams are an entirely different territory, as the question ‘why we dream’ remains largely unanswered.

Vivid and frequent dreaming is often left open to interpretation through things like dream dictionaries and discussing with friends. Did that dream about your ex-boss really mean you have pent-up guilt and anxiety about your last job? Frequently having stress or anxiety-ridden dreams is usually a red flag for real life stress and the role it’s playing on your body. If you’re constantly waking up panicking in a cold sweat over a dream, it’s time to get your thoughts and stress in order.

Stress: we all have it, but it doesn’t have to control us

Stress is an emotional, physical or mental tension that results from something that’s outside of us.

Some of the bigger stressors or stressful life events include moving to a new place, changing roles at school or work, relationship issues or losing a family member. Stress can cause sleep difficulties, including insomnia, by making it difficult to fall asleep and stay asleep. This impacts the quality of rest. Stress can also cause hyperarousal, which can upset the balance between sleep and wakefulness.

Being stressed is associated with poor sleep in general, and may trigger more frequent dreams. So it’s not uncommon to experience a distressing dream prior to a big event like a job interview, taking an exam or an important appointment.

And although there’s limited research about controlling the content of dreams, anxiety dreams can generally be a result of increased stress during our day-to-day lives. Daily stress can also increase the frequency of these dreams.

The good news? You have a great deal of control over your stress. If you learn to better manage stress in your life, you’ll likely decrease anxiety-ridden dreams and improve your sleep.

Here are four simple strategies to help your mind and body relax before turning in for the night:

  • Spend time winding down before bed: This can be thought of as a “buffer zone,” which is a period of time to allow the activating processes in the brain to wind down and allow your sleep system to take over. It’s generally a good rule of thumb to start about an hour before bedtime. During this time, engage in relaxing activities that you enjoy like reading or listening to music.
  • Schedule “worry time”: If you’re finding it difficult to control your worrying prior to bedtime, scheduling a specific time when you’re allowed to worry may help. Find a time that’s convenient for you and write down your concerns. Limit the time to a specific amount and stick to it by planning something to do afterward. For example, you can plan 15 minutes in the evening, before your favorite TV show.
  • Think of your bedroom as a place just for sleep, sex and pleasant activities: Try to limit the time you spend in bed worrying or being anxious. If you find yourself lying awake in bed stressed out, leave the bedroom and spend time in another room until you feel sleepy.
  • Practice relaxation techniques: There are other ways to relax while getting ready for bed, such as breathing exercises, guided imagery and progressive muscle relaxation movements. (You can even check out free apps that help guide you through these exercises.) These techniques can be some of the most critical aspects of stress management and you can use them close to bedtime or throughout your day.

When you wake up panicking at 3 a.m.

We’ve all been there – a nightmare or stress dream causes you to wake up. The next thing you know you’re lying there overthinking your finances and everything you have to do the next day.

When this happens, what can you do to get back to sleep?

  • Stop watching the clock: Counting the minutes will only heighten your distress. Turn your alarm clock around and don’t pick up your phone.
  • Try to relax your body: Use a relaxation strategy that helped prior to bed to relax your body and mind.
  • Get out of bed: If you can’t fall back to sleep after a stressful dream, then try getting out of bed to help decrease the frustration. Don’t spend time in bed hopelessly trying to get back to sleep or interpreting your dream. (If your dream caused you anxiety, you may find yourself attempting to interpret it. But this can further increase the worry. This process will result in your brain associating your bed with stress and not sleeping well.)  Once you leave your bed, find an activity that is uninteresting or boring. When you start to get drowsy, go back to bed.

Since dreams obviously aren’t measurable, there’s no real answer to what meaning they hold in our day-to-day life. But we do know that we generally have control over daily stress, which can trigger weird or anxiety-clad dreams. Learning to control the crazy and manage your stress is your best defense to help you sleep peacefully

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Ready To Quit Alcohol? Here’s How @ClevelandClinic #drinkawaste

Done With Alcohol? Here’s How To Stop Drinking

Set a date, avoid triggers, and get help and support along the way

Looking to take on a sobriety challenge, like Dry January? Or maybe it’s a pregnancy that made you realize it’s time to stop drinking. Or maybe you’re just looking to improve your health, wake up hangover-free and give your liver (and your heart) a break. 

Whatever your reason to quit drinking, know that you’re doing yourself a favor. Alcohol impacts our sleep, relationships, weight, risk for serious chronic conditions and more.  

“Increasingly, I’m hearing from a lot of people who don’t necessarily have alcohol use disorder but who realize that they feel better when they drink less or stop drinking altogether,” says addiction psychiatrist David Streem, MD.

But you probably have questions about how to quit drinking. Is it better to wean off gradually? Go cold turkey? How will you keep up a sober lifestyle? 

Whether you’re sober curious, know for sure you’re ready to quit, or fall somewhere in between, Dr. Streem shares advice for how to stop drinking. If you’re living with alcohol use disorder (also known as alcoholism), you’ll likely benefit from additional medical interventions. We’ll talk about that, too. 

Tips for quitting alcohol 

When you consider how to go about giving up alcohol, account for factors like how much you drink and your reasons for drinking. 

“At its core, quitting drinking is a behavioral change,” Dr. Streem says. “It’s about breaking a habit and starting new habits.” 

But if you’re living with alcohol use disorder, drinking is more than a habit. It’s a medical condition. People with alcohol use disorder can’t stop drinking even when it causes problems, like emotional distress or physical harm to themselves or others. 

“If you drink every day — if you crave alcohol and have a compulsion to continue drinking even when the effects of alcohol are obvious — it’s best to seek medical treatment rather than stop drinking on your own,” Dr. Streem advises. “In many cases, it may not be safe for someone with alcohol use disorder to stop drinking without professional support, and you’re less likely to be successful on your own, too.” 

1. Understand your relationship with alcohol 

In order to change your drinking habits, your first step is to take a close look at your current behaviors and find patterns.

Dr. Streem suggests starting with the World Health Organization’s Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT). It can be a particularly helpful way to help you get a clearer understanding of your drinking habits and your relationship with alcohol. It’s a 10-question screening test that gives you research-backed, personalized advice for quitting or reducing your intake of alcohol. 

Making lists can help, too. Ask yourself questions like: 

  • How often am I drinking? And how much at a time? 
  • In what situations or moods am I more likely to drink?  
  • Who do I typically drink with? 
  • What days and times of day am I most likely to drink? 
  • Why do I drink? 
  • How is alcohol affecting my life? My health? My relationships? My work? 

Laying it all out in black and white can take time and some serious self-examination. That’s OK. Understanding your habits and your motivations to quit drinking can help you understand the change you’re making in your life and reinforce why it’s important.

2. Set a date (and stick to it) 

Dr. Streem says that if your goal is to stop drinking altogether, you’re more likely to have success quitting all at once, rather than weaning off alcohol. But that advice changes if you’re living with alcohol use disorder.  

“If a person with alcohol use disorder stops drinking suddenly, it can be dangerous,” Dr. Streem reiterates. “If you’re choosing to quit drinking for your health or for other reasons, though, you have a better chance of success if you choose a date to quit and don’t look back.”  

He suggests setting a concrete start date for when you’ll quit drinking. Leading up to that date, talk with your family, friends and other important people in your life. Tell them your plan and ask for their support as you make this life change. 

3. Be aware of your triggers 

We all become conditioned to have certain responses to triggers throughout our lives. It’s normal for certain stimuli to cause a reaction in your mind and body without even being aware of it.  

You smell a pot of chili simmering on the stove and then suddenly feel ravenously hungry. You feel your phone vibrate and then anxiously reach to see who texted. Even dogs do it — you say “walk” and they high-tail it to get their leash. 

Drinking works in a similar way, Dr. Streem says. You can become conditioned to reach for a drink when your environment offers up certain cues. 

So, when you’re trying to quit drinking, steering clear of triggers will help. 

There’s a saying in the Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) community that sums up the triggers that can derail sobriety: “people, places and things.” And it’s not only people in recovery from alcohol use disorder who are well-advised to avoid drinking triggers when trying to quit. 

People: If there are certain friends or other people in your life that you typically drink with, you may want to take some time away from them while you’re working on creating new, sober habits. At least, let them know your intentions to quit drinking so they can be supportive. 

Places: Here’s another AA saying: “If you hang out in a barbershop long enough, you’re going to get a haircut.” In other words, if you go places where the alcohol is flowing — like bars or house parties — chances are, you’re going to drink. It’s almost inevitable. When you’re cutting alcohol out of your life, you’re best off if you can avoid places where alcohol is abundant. 

Things: As you prepare for the date you set to quit drinking, Dr. Streem advises getting rid of all alcohol and drinking accessories (wineglasses, tumblers, flasks, cocktail recipes and so on) — the ol’ “out of sight, out of mind” technique. These physical reminders of drinking can prompt a trigger response that can be counterproductive to your goal of quitting drinking. 

4. Find community 

A sober life doesn’t have to mean more time at home as you try to block out triggers. It can mean more time for your other interests, and even new interests. More time to meet new people, catch up with old friends and try new things.  

Try these alcohol-free ways to enjoy time with new (and old) friends: 

  • Suggest going for a bike ride with a co-worker instead of hitting up happy hour. 
  • Catch up with friends at a coffee shop instead of a club. (It’s easier to have a conversation that way, too!) 
  • Enroll in a class: Try ballroom dancing, knitting, creative writing … whatever piques your interest.  
  • Join a volunteer group. 

5. Consider professional support 

Talk therapy is an important part of treatment for alcohol use disorder, but Dr. Streem says just about anyone who is making a life change, like quitting drinking, can benefit from therapy. 

“You may learn things about yourself and about your relationship to this substance that you never even thought about,” he adds. 

Therapy can help you understand why you drink and learn new habits so you can live a healthy lifestyle that doesn’t rely on alcohol as a crutch. It can also help you gain a new perspective as you consider how your life will change without alcohol.

6. Check in with your body for signs of detox 

If your body is used to a certain amount of alcohol, you may feel certain effects when you stop. How you feel when you stop drinking is largely based on how often and how heavily you drink. People who only drink occasionally probably won’t notice any physical or psychological symptoms. If you drank heavily, you may have some mild symptoms. People who have a severe reaction to quitting alcohol should seek emergency treatment. 

Emotionally, you may feel some anxiety or sadness about ending a chapter of your life and nervousness about the future. You may feel irritable or have trouble thinking clearly.  

Physically, people who drink heavily may experience some mild symptoms like:  

  • Headaches. 
  • Clammy skin. 
  • Trouble sleeping. 
  • Nausea or lack of appetite. 
  • Shakiness.    

Again, severe alcohol withdrawal symptoms, including pain, passing out, hallucinations and more may be a sign that you’re living with alcohol use disorder and should seek professional medical intervention before quitting alcohol. 

Recognize the signs of alcohol use disorder 

If you’re living with alcohol use disorder, quitting drinking is important for your health. But quitting on your own can pose risks to your health and is unlikely to be successful. Rehabilitation facilities can help you on your path to sobriety by addressing alcohol withdrawal symptoms and becoming involved in sober living support groups, like AA. 

But Dr. Streem knows that it can be hard to recognize signs of alcohol abuse in ourselves. Often, people with alcohol use disorder find that other people in their lives spot their addiction long before they do.  

“If there are people around you who are encouraging you to make this change, that should be a big red flag that your alcohol use is problematic,” he says. “People often see us better than we see ourselves, so if someone is telling you that you need to stop drinking, that should be taken seriously.” 

Another clue that can be an indication of an unhealthy relationship with alcohol is if you make “rules” around drinking.  

“If you say things like, ‘I don’t have a drinking problem because I never drink on Mondays,’ or, ‘I only drink X or Y … never Z,’ and so on, that can be an indication of alcohol use disorder,” Dr. Streem says. “Rules are a way of trying to create an illusion of control when you are, in fact, out of control. People who don’t have an alcohol use disorder don’t make rules about drinking. They don’t have to.” 

Other signs of alcohol use disorder include: 

  • Continuing to drink even if it causes distress or harm to you or others. 
  • Drinking more or longer than you planned. 
  • Feeling irritable or cranky when you’re not drinking. 
  • Frequent hangovers. 
  • Getting into dangerous situations when you’re drinking (for example, driving, having unsafe sex or falling). 
  • Giving up activities so you can drink. 
  • Having cravings for alcohol. 
  • Having repeated problems with work, school, relationships or the law because of drinking. 
  • Needing to drink more and more to get the same effect. 
  • Not being able to stop drinking once you’ve started. 
  • Spending a lot of time drinking or recovering from drinking. 
  • Wanting to cut back but not being able to. 
  • Obsessing over alcohol. 

If you’re living with alcohol use disorder, treatment at a medical rehabilitation facility is your best option. Through therapy, support groups and medication, you’ll be supported on your path to recovery. 

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