Ways to Improve Sleep
Have you been experiencing problems getting or staying asleep? If so, there’s lots of ways that you can improve your sleep using natural, effective, and fast techniques. Especially if you’ve tried other methods unsuccessfully, it’s worth giving other methods a shot. Below are some of the most effective ways to improve your sleep. If you’re looking for Osteopathic Medicine in Andover MN, Dr. Leah Novak D.O. is here to help.
Talk with a Physician
If you’re having trouble sleeping, talk to your doctor. You may need a prescription or non-prescription medicine to help you sleep better. If you’re not feeling sleepy, they may recommend a different treatment. While there are steps you can take on your own to try and improve your insomnia, you’ll almost certainly need to see a doctor if you’re having trouble falling asleep, staying asleep or waking up too early.
Keep a regular sleep schedule
Try to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, even on weekends. This will help your body get used to falling asleep at a certain time each night. If you have trouble falling asleep, try to avoid watching television or using electronic devices before bed. The light from these devices can make it harder to fall asleep. If you must use them, dim the lights and turn off all notifications.
Explore Lifestyle Medicine
If you’re not sleeping well, it could be a sign of a bigger problem. You may need to explore lifestyle medicine with Dr. Leah Novak D.O., who can help you get to the root cause of your sleep issues. Ultimately, you need to find the cause of your insomnia, not just treat the symptoms. If you’re having trouble sleeping and want to improve your quality of life, contact Dr. Novak today to get started.
Understand underlying causes
Sleep problems are almost always complex, and are due to a number of factors. Many of these may be out of your control, but it’s still worth taking time to understand what factors are affecting your wakefulness. Especially if insomnia has come on to you recently, rather than being a long-term problem, it’s worth considering if there could be any underlying causes. We all have stresses in our lives, and sometimes it can be hard to let go of these stresses at night. If you are feeling anxious or worried about something, try writing down what is bothering you and how you feel about it. Then put the paper away until tomorrow when you can revisit it with a clearer head.
Reduce caffeine intake
Unfortunately, the caffeine you’ve been using to help stay awake is making it more difficult to fall asleep. Caffeine can stay in your system for up to 12 hours, so if you’re having trouble sleeping, avoid caffeine after 2 p.m. and limit yourself to one cup of coffee or other caffeinated drink per day. If you’re a heavy coffee drinker, try cutting back gradually to avoid withdrawal symptoms. Instead of drinking coffee, try herbal tea or warm milk before bedtime.
Try out a Personalized Medicine approach
While it may not be your first instinct, a specialist in osteopathic medicine can be a great source of information about how to improve your sleep. An osteopathic physician can help you understand why you’re having trouble sleeping, and can offer practical suggestions for making changes that will improve both the quality and quantity of your sleep.
Find new ways to stay Active
One of the best ways to improve your energy is by finding a way to stay active. If you’re someone who struggles to fit activities into your daily routine, it may be worth experimenting and trying new physical activities. Especially if you have friends who are willing to help, this can be an exciting and fun way to improve your energy. While you won’t immediately feel more energetic, over time you’ll begin to see results. In fact, research has shown that people who exercise at least 30 minutes a day tend to have higher energy levels than those who don’t exercise at all. Finding new and engaging ways to stay physically active isn’t for everyone, and that’s okay. There are many other ways to improve your energy that don’t require such dramatic shifts to your daily routine. If you want to find out how to improve your energy, talk with your local osteopathic medicine expert today for advice and help.
With Dr. Leah Novak, you can receive help related to Personalized Medicine, Health Consulting, Life Coaching, and more. If you’ve experienced low energy, depression, stomach weight, or undesired weight gain, Dr. Leah Novak can help with a personalized action plan.
