Sleep: A Secret Ingredient to a Healthy Life!
Top Do's and Don'ts for a healthy night's sleep
Let me tell you a little secret: Sleep is one of the “Top 4” pillars of health that I talk about all day long at the office.
The Top 4 essentials for healthy living:
1. Sufficient Sleep
2. A Balanced Diet
3. Daily Exercise
4. Mindfulness
These all work together to help us be our best!
But here’s the problem: many people, especially teens and those with ADHD, anxiety, and other neurobehavioral struggles, aren’t getting the sleep they need. This can lead to all kinds of chaos, including mood swings, trouble learning, and even an increased risk of accidents.
Sleep Needs
First things first: knowing how much sleep you need is key!
Parents often think of an 8-hour night as adequate for their kids, but different age groups have different sleep requirements. School-aged kids and teens need more than 8 hours!
Sleep Banks
Think of sleep like money.
When you don’t get enough, you fall into a “sleep debt.” Just like money, a little debt is easy to pay back, but let it pile up, and you’ll find it tricky to dig yourself out.
Don't let the bank come after you in the form of health problems!
Too little sleep can affect your mood, make it harder to regulate your emotions, decrease the storage of memories, decrease reaction time, increase risk of accidents, and even affect your immune system. Long term sleep deprivation increases the risk of obesity, cardiovascular complications, diabetes, and more.
Make sleep a priority. You’re worth it!
Sleep: The Dos and Don’ts
Do make your room a sleep sanctuary! Dim the lights (consider blackout curtains), adjust the temperature to your liking (cooler usually is better for sleep — a fan can double as background noise), and find a cozy blanket that helps you drift off.
Don’t use your bed for homework, watching tv, doom scrolling, or other non-sleep activities.
Do use a pillow that suits your sleep position and a comfortable mattress.
Do use background noise. Many people enjoy the soothing sounds of white or brown noise. There are many options to provide these sounds.
Do stick to a regular schedule. Our brain and body function best when we’re on a routine. Keeping consistent bedtimes and wake-up times can do wonders when it comes to sleep. Remember that going to bed just 15 minutes late each weeknight gives over an hour less sleep during the week - it all adds up! If you stay up late on a weekend, try to stick to a max of two hours past your ideal bedtime — more than that might mess with school night sleep. A calming bedtime routine helps signal to your brain that it’s time to wind down.
Don’t over schedule. If there are not enough hours in the day to get everything done without compromising self-cares, cut back on your commitments. Make a list of all your commitments and activities. Sort them into must-dos (like school or work), want-to-dos that are important to you (like your sport or favorite activity), things that are fun but not as important (like seeing a movie with friends or gaming), and activities that waste your time and don’t really provide value (like doom scrolling or watching videos). Use the tracker apps in your phone to see where you spend time online — and if it’s spent doing things that improve your life or if it’s time wasted. Use your list of all commitments and activities to cut out the less important things that take up time and don’t benefit your life.
Do get up if you’ve been lying in bed for more than 30 minutes and can’t fall asleep. Do something else for 15-30 minutes: read, work on a puzzle, or color. Stay off screens - I know it’s tempting, but they keep you awake.
Do get moving every day. Exercise helps your body not only to be healthier in the sense many of us think, but you’ll also sleep better.
Do eat a balanced diet. What you eat can really influence your sleep! A well-rounded diet filled with fruits, veggies, healthy fats, and fiber is linked to better sleep.
Do eat a well-balanced meal in the evening that is high in protein and fiber to stabilize blood sugar throughout the night.
Do not eat large amounts of food or types of foods that increase heartburn (like acidic and fatty foods) too close to bedtime. Heartburn can keep us up!
Do eat foods with melatonin or tryptophan (used to make melatonin). Studies suggest that food containing these can improve sleep.
Do eat bananas, oats, cheese, chicken, and other foods with tryptophan. It’s not just in turkey! Do an online search of foods rich in tryptophan for more ideas.
Do go nuts (unless you’re allergic)! Walnuts and almonds contain high amounts of melatonin, while pistachios and cashews contain tryptophan.
Do have your milk (it doesn’t even have to be warmed). Milk contains both tryptophan and melatonin, substances that support sleep.
Do eat foods rich in omega acids, magnesium, Vitamin D, and calcium. They may help decrease anxiety and improve sleep.
Do eat foods with healthy fats and fiber can keep you feeling full longer, which can help sleep duration.
Don’t eat too many processed foods, red meat and added sugars. These have been linked to trouble getting sufficient sleep.
Do not drink (or eat) caffeine beyond about 3 PM. It tends to hang out for at least 6 hours in our system, so it can keep you up too late if you drink it in the late afternoon or evening. Beware of hidden caffeine in foods!
Do not drink alcohol - even if you’re of legal age. Many incorrectly believe that they can sleep better after a nightcap, but alcohol disrupts the circadian rhythm required for longer blocks of sleep. Plus, it increases the need to pee at night, so you’ll be up to use the bathroom.
Do set an electronics curfew. The light from screens keeps us awake, so turn off all screens an hour or two before bedtime.
Do charge your phone and tablet in another room. It’s just too tempting to check these one more time before bed and you might get an unwanted interruption from your insomniac friend in the middle of your dreamy night.
Do something relaxing before bed — take a shower, color, work on a puzzle, listen to relaxing music, or read a familiar book. Reading before bed can be a delightful escape, but if you pick up a gripping page-turner, remember to set a timer and stop when it’s time to stop. If you’re the type to get too into the story and read until wee hours of the morning, choose another relaxing bedtime routine and read earlier in the day.
Do a brain dump before bed. Use a personal journal or any paper to write out your worries. This is a fantastic way to get the thoughts out of your brain, so it can be calm when you climb into bed.
Do practice mindfulness.
Mindfulness and meditation apps can help you learn an effective daily practice.
Progressive muscle relaxation is one form of meditation that can help prepare your body for sleep.
Deep belly breathing is another fantastic technique—try it with a stuffed animal on your abdomen to see it rise and fall with your breaths!
Use your app store to look at reviews for meditation apps like Balance, Calm, Headspace, or Insight Timer to find one that suits your needs best. Many have sleep-specific activities but using them during the day can help you achieve overall calmness to your mind, which supports sleep too. I personally use the Balance app because it offered a free one-year trial (it takes time to develop new habits!) and I’ve really enjoyed it - enough to purchase it, but you could search your app store and find one that suits you.
I’ll be teaching teens about mindfulness in December. Learn how they can join me from TEACH Me ADHD Director’s Cut Series - look for “Magic on the Set” — a workshop devoted to mindfulness and how our tricky brains work.
Do say goodnight to your pets. Pets can either help an anxious child calm down and sleep or can keep kids awake. Know the situation and act accordingly.
Don’t hit the snooze. Hitting snooze might feel like you’re getting a few more minutes of rest, but it steals effective sleep! Set your alarm to the latest time you really need to rise and shine. Knowing you don’t have a minute to spare will help motivate you to get up and moving!
Don’t fight fatigue at bedtime. Sometimes if you push yourself to stay up “just a little later” you will struggle with insomnia when you finally get to bed. Being overly tired makes it harder to fall asleep!
Do use melatonin wisely. It should be a last resort after trying other sleep tricks. Dr. Craig Canapari is a pediatric sleep expert who has written a great deal on how melatonin works, when it would be appropriate to try it, what concerns there are regarding melatonin, and more. Check out his Melatonin Guide for Parents. Consult with your doctor before trying it.
Do reset your circadian rhythm (internal clock) if your sleep is off schedule. Natural sunlight in the morning can help reset your internal clock. If it’s cloudy outside, turning on the lights in the morning can help. As bedtime approaches, gradually dim the lights and avoid screens, since blue light can be a sneaky thing that keeps you wide awake. If you absolutely have to be on a screen, try using a night mode or a blue light filter app, like f.lux, but the activity on the screen also stimulates your mind, so getting off is best.
Do nap wisely. If you’re overly tired, you need to make up sleep. Taking a brief (20-30 minute) nap in the afternoon can help refresh your brain. If that nap is too long though it will interfere with a normal bedtime, so you need to set an alarm and get up when nap time is done.
Do tell your doctor if you feel the urge to move your legs when trying to fall asleep or if you have the sensation that bugs are crawling on you. This can be a sign of restless leg syndrome, and there are effective treatments your doctor may be able to help you with.
Do consider anxiety. Kids (and teens) will not always say they’re scared, but they may struggle to fall asleep due to anxiety. Things to watch for include wanting to sleep with lights on or in someone else’s room. They may not want to stay in their room alone. Anxiety also tends to wake people up in the middle of the night. If kids are anxious, talk to their doctor.
Do talk to your doctor if you use CBD or other substances. Cannabidiol (CBD) is growing in popularity to decrease pain and anxiety as states have started legalizing it. It may help with sleep, but its effects can vary — as can the product you use. The FDA doesn’t regulate non-drug CBD products, so it can be difficult to know exactly what you are taking. Products have been shown to have significantly either more or less CBD than the label shows. Your doctor should know if you take a CBD product as well as any other medications and supplements. Ask your pharmacist if there are any known interactions among all the products you take.
Don’t use nicotine — smoking, vaping, and pouch forms all can negatively affect sleep. Nicotine acts as a stimulant, much like caffeine. People who use nicotine spend more time falling asleep, have more sleep disturbances, and generally suffer from poorer sleep quality. Many people who use tobacco want to quit. The good news: free help is available! People who use phone coaching and quit medications are twice as likely to successfully quit.
Call 1 (800) QUIT-NOW or Text QUIT to 47848.
Visit CEASE Tobacco: CEASE, the Clinical Effort Against Secondhand Smoke Exposure for online resources.
If you’re in Kansas:
The Kansas Tobacco Quitline is a free, 24/7 resource available to Kansas residents to help them quit tobacco. Individuals aged 18 and up may qualify for 4 weeks of free Nicotine Replacement Therapy. The Quitline can be reached by calling 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669) or visiting https://kansas.quitlogix.org/en-US/
The Quitline program also has a program tailored specifically to Kansans aged 13-17. My Life, My Quit can provide free, confidential coaching sessions and provide developmentally appropriate education to teens who want to quit tobacco. Teens can enroll in the program by calling or texting 855-891-9989 or by visiting ks.mylifemyquit.org.
If Sleep Still Eludes You...
If you or your child are having persistent trouble catching those Zzzs or feel sleepy during the day, it might be time to chat with your doctor about possible reasons.
We all deserve to rest easy and embrace those sweet dreams! 🌙💤
