Week 2: Self-Assessment and Sleep Hygiene

Caffeine

Caffeine is a stimulant drug. It increases alertness. Caffeine can interfere with sleep in these ways:

•  It makes it take longer for you to fall asleep.

•  It makes you wake up more often when you  are sleeping.

•  It lowers the amount of deep sleep you get.

Limit caffeine to 300 mg a day.

More than 500 to 600 mg a day may cause you to feel anxious and nervous and make it harder to sleep well.

Early is better.

Drink caffeinated beverages early in your day. It can take eight to 14 hours to clear caffeine from the body. Avoid caffeine at least six hours before bedtime.

Cut down gradually.

Daily usage of caffeine can result in physical dependence. If caffeine is stopped abruptly, withdrawal symptoms can occur. These include headache, feeling down, having a hard time concentrating, and fatigue.

Avoid All Nicotine

Nicotine is a stimulant. Nicotine raises blood pressure, increases heart rate, and makes you feel more alert. Health problems from smoking, chewing, or vaping may make sleep more difficult.

QUIT smoking, chewing, or vaping. Nicotine withdrawal can cause you to wake up during the night, but this will go away. It is worth it to quit.

Alcohol

Alcohol may help you to fall asleep, but it will interfere with quality sleep. Alcohol can lead to lighter sleep and waking up often. All stages of sleep are affected, but deep sleep and REM sleep are most affected. You may not reach the sleep stages needed to feel restored and refreshed upon waking.

After drinking alcohol you may experience:

•  More dreaming

•  More nightmares

•  Faster heart rate

•  Sweating

•  Need to use the bathroom

Limit Alcohol

Don’t have more than one alcoholic drink with or after dinner. If you take sleep medicines or other medicines, ask your health care provider if you can have any alcohol. If you are taking sleep medicine, it can be extremely dangerous to drink alcohol.