Use Bedtime Routines and Relaxation Techniques to Sleep Better

A new study in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine examines the strategies people use to reduce daytime sleepiness.

Taking a bath was the most common sleep management practice for both men and women; 59 percent of men and 64.4 percent of women used it. Keeping a regular sleep schedule was the second most popular tactic.

People also wound down for the night by listening to music, snacking and exercising.

The results show that taking a bath and going to bed at the same time every night were the best ways to decrease daytime sleepiness. Snacking at night made people feel sleepier the next day.

One of the study’s authors said that culture influences the way people manage their sleep.

The study, conducted in Japan, includes data from 24,686 adults who completed a national health survey.

Don’t worry if you have a few sleepless nights. It is common to suffer from occasional bouts of insomnia. Stress, irregular sleep patterns and pain can cause you to lose sleep for short periods of time. This is known as adjustment insomnia. Once the problem is resolved sleep usually returns to normal.

What are some healthy ways to get better sleep?

The AASM recommends:

• Go to bed at a regular time each night.


• Wake up at the same time each night, even on weekends.


• Avoid naps if you can during the day.


• Don’t drink caffeine in the afternoon.

Find more tips about good sleep hygiene at Sleep Education.com.

Contact an AASM-accredited sleep disorders center if you have an ongoing sleep problem.

Image by Laura Taylor

Sleep Music: A Jewel “Lullaby” & Relaxation CDs

The new 15-track CD “Lullaby” from three-time Grammy nominee Jewel is an acoustic ode to sleep.

Released in May, the self-produced release features 10 original songs such as “Sweet Dreams.” The other songs are classic lullabies such as “Twinkle, Twinkle” and “Brahms’ Lullaby.”

“This isn’t just a ‘kids’ album, it’s really a mood album – perfect to relax to at the end of a long day,” Jewel said in a prepared statement. “It will soothe and lull children, but was also written and sung for adults to enjoy and unwind with.”

Currently the CD is the top-selling compilation of lullabies on Amazon.com.

But it’s not just parents who are hoping that music can promote a good night of sleep. Two of the top five recordings on Amazon’s best-selling “Self-Help” list also are sleep related.

At #2 is “Delta Sleep System” by Dr. Jeffrey Thompson. Released in 1999, it seeks to promote the delta waves that increase during deep, slow-wave sleep. It combines music, nature sounds and embedded “pulses” of sound.

At #5 is “Sleep Soundly” by Steven Halpern. Released in 1994, it is a collection of New Age music from the 1980s. The songs combine piano-based “sonic textures” with “subliminal, sleep-encouraging affirmations.”

In May the Sleep Education Blog reported that there is some research to support using music to sleep better. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is even studying the use of “brain music.” The goal is to help emergency responders sleep well when they end a stressful shift.

Relaxation training is one method of cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia. Learn more about CBT on SleepEducation.com.

Image courtesy of Fisher-Price