Debunking myths: What actually helps improve sleep
TAMPA, Fla. - There are a lot of questions about what it takes to get good sleep.
For instance, does your sleep position matter when choosing a mattress?
"Someone will say a mattress is good for a back sleeper. Well, if it's good for a back sleeper, it's good for a side sleeper because you have the same amount of weight in the same areas," said Chris Podgorski, a District Manager with Bed Pros.
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Also, if you have a hard time falling asleep, should you stay in bed?
"We usually recommend trying to stay in bed for about 20 to 30 minutes. If you have not fallen asleep within 20, 30 minutes, we do recommend just getting out of bed and doing some sort of other kind of relaxing activity outside the bedroom," said Dr. Lara Wittine, the Medical Director of the Sleep Lab at AdventHealth Tampa.
And is loud snoring normal?
"No, in fact, heroic snoring, especially if it is associated with kind of gasping, choking periods of not breathing, needs to be investigated for one of the most common sleep disorders there is, which is something called obstructive sleep apnea," said Dr. Wittine.
How about drinking alcohol before bedtime?
"Alcohol can get somebody to sleep, but it won't keep them asleep. It's also worsening the quality of the sleep to calm. And so that's why we don't recommend, drinking alcohol before bedtime," said Dr. Wittine.
Is watching TV before bed a good idea?
"I actually don't have so much of a problem with people winding down to television. I think the benefits of it are that it can distract from the day. You can. And it kind of lets the mind disengage from the day, it is usually across the room," said Dr. Wittine.
But you may want to stay off your phone or tablet.
"When people are exposed within a foot of their face to blue light signals, it actually gives them a signal to stay awake and to activate the wake pathways of the circadian rhythm, not the sleep pathways. So, you're giving your brain a very mixed signal when you're trying to wind down and go to sleep," said Dr. Wittine.
What about exercise before bedtime?
"Where it will disturb your sleep is if it's within two to three hours of your sleep. You release melatonin naturally about two to three hours before you go to sleep," explained Dr. Wittine.
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Should you eat just before going to bed?
"I'm of the mindset to not eat close to your bedtime. Some people have to take a little bit of a snack because they have medications that they take at night, and they can't be taken on an empty stomach. I just tell people try to give yourself at least a minimum of three hours of digestion time, ideally probably about five to six hours of digestion time, especially in people who have a lot of susceptibility to heartburn," said Dr. Wittine.
Does counting sheep help put you to sleep?
"I think it's more useful when people do not necessarily count sheep, but they actually kind of think about something that has been relaxing to them in the past, it's all about getting the body in that brain into that nice, relaxed state. And it does have power. It's called guided imagery," said Dr. Wittine.
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