Hot Topics     Women's Health     Healthy Kids     Teen Health     Health Guide    

Sleep is good medicine



11 tips for healthier sleep

tips to get healthy sleep


Sleep can sometimes feel like self-care that can wait or a reward you need to earn. However, the opposite is true. When it comes to your health, sleep is just as important as physical activity and nutrition.

While you sleep, your body is busy healing and repairing itself, learning and actively preventing chronic diseases. For most adults, getting healthy sleep means sleeping for at least 7 hours each night without waking up frequently, going to bed and waking up at roughly the same times each day and waking up feeling refreshed. Healthy sleep helps the body boost immunity, manage weight, reduce stress and lower the risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes, cancer, heart disease and Alzheimer’s disease.

“We know chronic insufficient sleep can have a detrimental impact on personal health and increase the risk of many diseases,” said Jennifer L. Martin, a licensed clinical psychologist and professor of medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. “Healthy sleep is also important for mood regulation and mental health, helping to reduce the risk of problems such as anxiety and depression.”

READ MORE: Self-care tips to do before bedtime

However, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 1 in 3 adults in the United States report getting less than 7 hours of sleep per night. Your daily routine – what you eat and drink, the medications you take, how you schedule your days and how you spend your evenings – can significantly impact the quality and duration of your sleep.

These tips from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine’s “Sleep Is Good Medicine” campaign – which aims to emphasize sleep as a key pillar of health, equivalent with nutrition and exercise – can help you create a healthy sleep routine to improve your health today and in the long run.

  • Keep a consistent sleep schedule. Get up at the same time every day, even on weekends and during vacations.

  • Set a bedtime early enough to get at least 7 hours of sleep each night.

  • Use your bed only for sleep and sex, or when you are sick. Watch TV and work outside the bedroom.

  • Make your bedroom quiet and relaxing. Keep the room at a comfortable, cool temperature.

  • Reduce fluid intake before bedtime.

  • Turn off electronic devices at least 30 minutes before bedtime.

  • Don’t eat a large meal before bedtime. If you are hungry at night, eat a light, healthy snack.

  • Avoid drinking caffeine in the afternoon or evening.

  • If you don’t fall asleep after 20 minutes, get out of bed. Do a quiet activity without a lot of light.

  • Avoid alcohol before bedtime.

  • Keep a sleep diary. Over a two-week period, track when you go to bed each day, wake during the night and wake in the morning. Also track when you exercise, nap, take medication or have caffeine or alcohol.

Even if you don’t think you have a sleep problem, talk to your doctor about your sleep and share your sleep diary. Together, you can figure out what healthy sleep looks like for you and how to get it. This can help prevent sleep difficulties before they become harder to treat.

Learn more about the role sleep plays in your health and find more tips to help improve your sleep habits at sleepisgoodmedicine.com.

(Family Features) 
Photos courtesy of Getty Images



Other articles by HVP News Reporters


  • 7 ways to creatively display favorite photos

    Showcase those pics of your adorable family

    Family photos, vacation pictures, candid snapshots of friends and family – they’re often visual representations of some of your most treasured moments, so it’s likely you’ll want to give them some special treatment. read more »
  • 3 energy-saving home improvement ideas

    Make an impact on your energy bills

    Making improvements around the house to curb energy usage is not only good for the environment, it can make a big impact on your utility bills, too. read more »
  • How to improve your home's look with wallpaper

    Add instant flair to your room

    To understand the mood of a room, look no further than its walls. Wallpaper can add instant texture and flair, and today’s DIY-friendly options make it easy to create inspired spaces with little fuss. read more »
  • Understanding 'Warning Strokes'

    What to expect if you experience stroke symptoms, even if they disappear

    Diagnosing a transient ischemic attack (TIA), sometimes called a “warning stroke,” can be challenging because symptoms often disappear within an hour. However, it’s important to seek emergency assessment to help prevent a full-blown stroke. read more »
  • Managing your family's year-round health

    Protect everyone from infectious diseases

    According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), vaccines help create protective antibodies that fight off infections. read more »
  • What to know about Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension

    treatment can help control symptoms and improve quality of life

    Each year, an estimated 500-1,000 people nationwide are diagnosed with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). While there’s currently no cure, treatment can help control symptoms and improve quality of life. read more »
  • Bring back family bonding this fall

    3 ways to free up busy schedules to spend time with loved ones

    Busy fall schedules often leave little time for the things that matter most – sharing special moments with those you love. This year, as time seems to speed up during another school year, making family bonding a priority in your household can start with a few simple tricks. read more »
  • Top tips for a more organized kitchen

    Save time and money

    Better organization in the kitchen means spending less time searching for the right ingredient or tool so you can have more time for savoring meals with family and friends, and more time for personal pursuits. read more »
  • 6 small, kind gestures to make a big impact each day

    Performing acts of kindness improves individual well-being

    Everywhere you look, you can see moments of kindness. From a friend sending a thoughtful text message to a stranger holding the bus for someone running late or a person paying for someone else’s coffee, acts of kindness happen every day. read more »
  • Keeping babies safe

    Tips to help prevent some of the biggest dangers

    Tips to help prevent some of the biggest dangers for babies include safe sleeping habits, product recalls, baby proofing & car safety read more »