Ask the Doctor

I sleep poorly

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I need your help over my poor sleeping habits. I can only manage about 4 hours of sleep daily even though the experts recommend 7 hours. I am a 50-year old tailor.

 Bitrus (by SMS)

According to sleep experts, its good not to look at the clock during sleeping hours. Without a clock, the “chore” of falling asleep goes away. You won’t start doing math in your head and worrying about how little sleep you’re getting. If your room is dark and cool and you’re “in the dark” about how much sleep you’ve missed, you’ll most often fall back to sleep soon.

One of the biggest reasons we don’t sleep is that we don’t respect it.  Try to go to bed as close to the first full darkness as you can, and rise with the sun. Going to sleep at 9pm, 10pm, or 11pm matters less than keeping the same sleep schedule every night. Getting 6 hours of sleep a night will sap your focus, moods, health, and well-being. Always get 7–9 hours of in-the-bed sleep time, even if you’re awake for some of it.

Even if you feel fine after six hours of sleep, your effectiveness suffers. Tired of being tired? Try switching to decaf after 2pm. Studies show that even drinking coffee 6 hours before bedtime can rob your sleep time

Listening to an audiobook can help you sleep. Turn the volume down and set the playback to its slowest speed. Then set a timer so it shuts off in an hour. Finally, those not getting good sleep should try cutting down on caffeine, coffee, tea, chocolates and cocoa products.

READ ALSO: Without tackling poverty and stigma, TB will keep spreading needlessly — Dr Jean-Louis

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