Live with Regis and Kelly

LIVE with Regis and Kelly - Sleep Week
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Dr. Carol Ash, the Medical Director of Sleep for Life tells us how to make your bedroom the sleep haven that will give you an excellent night's rest. Visit www.sleepforlife.com to take an interactive sleep assessment or watch a sleep study video!

10 Problems in your Bedroom
Clutter
Lap Top Computer
Fabric
Color
Light
Temperature
Food
TV
Pets
Bed

Sleep Facts
According to the National Sleep Foundation (NSF)

  1. 34 percent of Americans are at increased risk for insomnia.
  2. Nearly 60 percent of those at increased risk for insomnia say that their symptoms affect their daily activities at least a few days a week.
  3. Many who are desperate for dreams engage in stimulating activities an hour before getting into bed at least a few nights per week.
    1. Watched TV (90 %)
    2. Were on the computer or Internet (33 %)
    3. Completed household chores (43 %)
  4. Millions of Americans suffer from excessive daytime sleepiness(EDS), a condition that can significantly reduce quality of life, decrease productivity and interfere with relationships. Most people feel tired occasionally, but excessive sleepiness that persists is neither normal nor healthy.
  5. Primary cause- self-imposed sleep deprivation.
  6. In the U.S. and many other parts of the world, sleep loss may occur as a result of economic or societal pressures.
  7. People may skimp on sleep in hopes of getting more done, and widespread access to technology makes it possible to stay busy (at the computer, for example) around the clock.
  8. By some estimates, people now sleep about 20 percent less than they did a century ago.

How to cope

  1. Focus on healthy sleep habits will promote better sleep and alertness during the day which has been shown to be important for mental and physical health. Healthy sleep habits include:
  2. Developing a regular, relaxing bedtime routine
  3. Using your bedroom only for sleep and sex; if you do this, you will strengthen the association between bed and sleep
  4. Create a sleep environment that is dark, quiet, comfortable and slightly cool
  5. Removing all work materials, televisions, phones, and other distractions from the bedroom

Decorating Tips for the Sleep Savvy

  1. Get rid of the excitement. Decorating themes or colors that we have emotionally attached to energy or excitement, such as red, should be removed.
  2. Calm soothing colors. Incorporate into the room soothing colors such as tranquil blue or earth tones. You need to not only consider the colors on the walls but also the colors of the bedding and pajamas.
  3. Create comfort. Focus on bed clothes and pajamas that are comfortable and are made of soft embracing materials.
  4. Clean your room. Remove clutter from the room or reminders of things you are likely to stress over (i.e. pile of unpaid bills, work from the office, or picture of an old boyfriend. If you cannot get to the clutter wear an eye mask. That will get rid of the clutter in a hurry and will also serve to block out any light that may disturb your sleep.
  5. Create a room that is quiet, dark, and cool. Machines designed to create the sounds of nature cannot only block out background noise but can become part of a relaxing bedtime routine and can block out intrusive thoughts. Remove any sources of light (including the alarm clock). You can use an eye mask. Temperature plays an important role. The proper temperature not only allows you to slip into slumber but will help you to maintain sleep. We fall asleep on a temperature drop and maintain sleep in a cooler environment.
  6. Get rid of the clock.
  7. Set your alarm clock for your morning wake up time and remove it from sight. Clock in the room that you can see with the seconds and minutes ticking away will only increase anxiety when you cannot sleep. In addition sleep impairs our ability to detect passage of time. Therefore our estimates of time spaced are inaccurate and many times we are sleeping more than we recognize. If you look at the clock at 1 am, close your eyes and then it is 2 am we might erroneously think an hour has passed with no sleep when in fact we were sleeping the entire time. Get the clock out of the bedroom.
  8. Get rid of the pets from the bedroom.

About the American Academy of Sleep Medicine
Sleep for Life, the largest licensed sleep lab in New Jersey and one of the largest in the United States, is committed to helping patients understand and manage their sleep disorders. Our comprehensive approach to care uses the latest technology, equipment and techniques to centralize each stage on the road to recovery – from diagnosis to selecting treatment to follow up and reassessment. We treat a variety of sleep disorders in both adults and children, including sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome and narcolepsy.


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