Sleep Well

Download & Print PDFs

- Sleep Well Advice
- Sleep Questionnaire
- Sleep Disorders and the Dental Patient

Maintain a regular sleep routine

- Go to bed at the same time. Wake up at the same time. Ideally, your schedule will remain the same (+/- 20 minutes) every night of the week.

Avoid naps if possible

- Naps decrease the ‘Sleep Debt’ that is so necessary for easy sleep onset.
- Each of us needs a certain amount of sleep per 24-hour period. We need that amount, and we don't need more than that.
- When we take naps, it decreases the amount of sleep that we need the next night – which may cause sleep fragmentation and difficulty initiating sleep, and may lead to insomnia.

- Don't stay in bed awake for more than 5–10 minutes

- If you find your mind racing, or worrying about not being able to sleep during the middle of the night, get out of bed, and sit in a chair in the dark. Do your mind racing in the chair until you are sleepy, then return to bed. No TV or internet during these periods! That will just stimulate you more than desired.
If this happens several times during the night, that is OK. Just maintain your regular wake time, and try to avoid naps.

Don't watch TV or read in bed.

- When you watch TV or read in bed, you associate the bed with wakefulness. The bed is reserved for two things – sleep and sex.

Do not drink caffeine inappropriately

The effects of caffeine may last for several hours after ingestion. Caffeine can fragment sleep, and cause difficulty initiating sleep. If you drink caffeine, use it only before noon.

Avoid inappropriate substances that interfere with sleep

- Cigarettes, alcohol, and over-the-counter medications may cause fragmented sleep.