How did you sleep last night? Do you feel well rested, refreshed, energized and ready to take on the day? Or are you feeling sluggish, “draggy,” lethargic and wondering how you’ll ever get through today? Is your thinking “sharp” and clear or do you find yourself unable to stay focused, your mind “foggy” and your thoughts scattered?
Ensuring adequate rest and quality sleep is a foundational piece in the development and maintenance of a healthy lifestyle. Poor quality sleep can contribute to hormonal changes in your body that increase your appetite, leading to obesity which is a factor in the development of diabetes. It’s very hard to make healthy lifestyle choices when you’re stressed and sleep deprived. Sleep is often undervalued in our culture and one of the first things to go for many people trying manage the demands of their daily lives. Here are a few behaviours and ideas to consider when trying to ensure adequate rest.
Ask yourself how many hours do I need to feel really well rested, not how few can I get by on.
Consider establishing a regular bedtime as much as possible, even on weekends or your days off.
Including regular daily exercise may contribute to a more restful, sounder sleep, but try exercising no later than three hours before going to bed.
Look at your bedroom. Is it a setting that promotes sleep or is it cluttered? Do you have lots of distractive devices like your laptop, TV or cellphone there?
Look at how you structure your day? Accomplishing the busier, more physical tasks like exercising, earlier in the day and leaving the quieter tasks for the evening may help to prepare your body and mind to relax
Avoid rushing in the evening to finish “just one more thing.” Maybe that “to do” list is unreasonable and could be spread out over a week instead of a day. Do you really have to do it all by yourself? Is there anyone in your household that you can delegate some of the household tasks to (making lunches, emptying the dishwasher)?
Try turning off the News, the TV, your computer and consider a quiet activity like reading or listening to soothing music to help with relaxation.
Other ideas are taking a nice warm bath before bed, setting time aside to meditate or taking some deep relaxing breaths
Try avoiding late meals, caffeinated beverages and alcohol (alcohol may help you to fall asleep but it disrupts the normal sleep cycle).
If after you make the changes that best suit you, you find that you still feel draggy, lethargic and sluggish, consider seeing a health care provider to rule out conditions like diabetes or sleep apnea, among others. Check with your Family Health Team to see if they offer any programs that promote healthy sleep or teach relaxation techniques.
For more information about any of the free services offered by your local Family Health Team ask your doctor or nurse practitioner during your next visit, visit the website www.afhto.ca or google ‘family health team locations’.
Mary Lou Morris is diabetes nurse educator at Louise Marshall and Groves Memorial Community Hospitals.
