Health Tips for April 30

Health Tip: Create a Space for Sleep

Difficulty sleeping can be caused by simply having too many distractions and discomforts in your bedroom.

Try these steps to create an environment for better sleep, courtesy of the National Sleep Foundation:

* Make sure your room is quiet. If necessary, try using a white noise machine or earplugs.
* Keep your room at a temperature that's comfortable. Slightly cooler temperatures often are best for sleep.
* Keep the bedroom dark. Also make sure you get plenty of exposure to light during the day.
* Make sure your bed and pillows are comfortable and clean, and big enough for you and your sleep partner to share.
* Avoid TV or a computer in the bedroom.
* Offer pets their own bed or other comfy sleep spot.

Health Tip: Keep a Sleep Diary

If you're having trouble sleeping, you may be able to pinpoint the cause of your problem by keeping a sleep diary.

Helpguide.org suggests what to record in a sleep diary:

* The time you woke and went to bed.
* The number of hours you slept.
* How well you slept.
* How often and what time you woke during the night, and what you did to get back to sleep.
* Any caffeine or alcohol that you had during the day; what time you had it and how much you had.
* What foods and drinks you had during the day, and what time you had them.
* Medications that you took that day.
* How you were feeling before you went to sleep -- stressed, sad, happy, anxious, etc.