Symptom Management

Here are some suggestions for getting a good night’s sleep.

• Establish a regular sleep time. Give your own natural sleep cycle a chance to be in synchrony with the day-night cycle by going to bed at the same time each night (within an hour more or less) and arising without being awakened by an alarm clock. This will mean going to bed early enough to give yourself enough time to sleep. Try to maintain your regular sleep times on the weekend. Getting up early during the week and sleeping late on weekends may upset the rhythm of your sleep cycle.
• Create a proper (for you) sleep environment. Sleep occurs best when the sleeping environment is dark, quiet, free of distractions, and not too warm. If you use radio or TV to help you fall asleep, use an autotimer to shut off the noise after falling asleep.
• Wind down before going to bed. About 20 to 30 minutes before bedtime, stop any activities that cause mental or physical arousal, such as work or exercise, and take up a “quiet” activity that can create a transition to sleep. Transitional activities could include reading, watching “mindless” TV, taking a warm bath or shower, meditation, or making love.
• Make the bedroom for sleeping only. Make the bedroom your place for getting a good night’s sleep. Try not to use it for work or for discussing problems with your partner.
• Don’t worry while in bed. If you are unable to sleep after about 30 minutes in bed because of worry about the next day’s activities, get up and do some limited activity such as reading a magazine article, doing the dishes, or meditating. Go back to bed when you feel drowsy. If you cannot sleep because of thinking about all that you have to do, write down what’s on your mind and let the paper hold onto the thoughts while you sleep. You can retrieve them in the morning.
• Avoid alcohol and caffeine. Some people have a glass of beer or wine before bed in order to relax. Large amounts of alcohol, while sedating, block normal sleep and dreaming patterns. Because caffeine remains in the body for several hours, people sensitive to caffeine should not ingest any after noon.
• Exercise regularly. Exercising 20 to 30 minutes three or four times a week enhances the ability to sleep. You should not exercise vigorously within three hours of bedtime, however, because of the possibility of becoming too aroused to sleep.