Sleep Tracking

Image Source: The Daily Beast

Up to 70 million Americans have trouble sleeping at night. There are a slew of reasons why—stress, work, and technology to name a few. In light of April being Alcohol Awareness Month, today we’re looking at alcohol and how it affects your sleeping habits.

A 2009 poll of 2,000 people found that 58 percent of them didn’t realize that sleep problems could be caused by drinking too much. Not only does excessive drinking cause you to need more trips to the bathroom at night, it also disrupts your REM sleep stage. The lack of an adequate REM stage (or any of the 4 stages of sleep) means you’ll wake up without feeling truly rested.

It’s not just excessive drinking that can cause problems. You, or someone you know, have probably had a glass of beer or wine before bed to help induce sleepiness. Doctors actually used to recommend a “night cap” to help patients fall asleep. However, even a small amount of alcohol before going to bed can affect sleep stages, therefore reducing the quality of your sleep.

Board-certified sleep specialist Russell Rosenberg, PH.D, gives the following tips for sleeping well, without using alcohol as an aid:

1. Sleep/wake consistency. Your sleep routine should be as consistent as your personal hygiene routine. Just like you brush your teeth and comb your hair in a certain order each morning, try to maintain a regular sleep/wake cycle by going to bed around the same time every night and waking up around the same time every morning (yes, even on weekends).
2. Get moving! Exercise is a good way to reduce stress. Exercising in the late afternoon or early evening raises your core body temperature above normal. Your temperature will start falling by bedtime and this natural decrease in body heat helps initiate the sleep process.
3. Let the light shine in the morning. While you probably know that light tells the brain it is time to wake up, it also helps set your internal sleep/wake clock. Try eating breakfast outside — sunlight exposure for just 30 minutes in the morning should help you stay alert throughout the day.
4. Kick your caffeine habit. It’s no secret that caffeine is a stimulant. Avoid coffee, soda and tea after 2 p.m. If you need a natural boost, sip on a glass of ice water.

We’d also add using a sleep monitor to this list. SleepTracker will help wake you up at the optimum time, so you feel rested, alert, and ready to take on the day.