Sleep hygiene.

Before I started studying sleep disorders, I have never heard of sleep hygiene! Sounds like making sure you are clean before going to bed. After years of treating people with sleeping problems, I decided to specialise. Clients reported a myriad of problems, and no Dr had ever questioned their sleep. Sleep apnoea and insomnia are on the rise. Many clients refuse to consider a CPAP machine, no matter how severe their sleep apnoea is. So one of the things I teach clients is sleep hygiene.

Sleep hygiene is effective.

One client comes to mind as a shining example. He is young, in his 20s. He is overweight and a tradie. He came to me, referred from a sleep physician. His home sleep study, put him in the severe sleep apnoea category. But being young and single he refused to try a CPAP machine. He was referred to me as the only other alternative. I started treating his head, neck and upper back and taught him sleep hygiene. No 1 rule is wake up at the sometime each day. This was great when he was working, but weekends are for sleeping in aren’t they? No! I encouraged him to go to bed when he was tired and wake up at the same time each day regardless of the day. He agreed and stated getting up in the dark on weekends and drank coffee and read the paper. He said he felt stupid. Before too long he reported an enormous improvement in his insomnia.

Bed is for sleeping and sex.

Yep that’s right. No iPad, iPhone, laptop, late night discussions. The brain associates the bed and bedroom with sleep and sex only, if you want longterm great sleep. Phones are switched to flight mode and all noises and lights are kept to absolute minimum.