Article Tags: 5 Keys | lifestyle | health education | Healing Sleep
Sleep is such an important part of our overall health, but it is often given too little attention both by doctors and in our own lifestyle choices.
Here are my 10 Tips for Healing Sleep.
Sleep is essential for daily energy and good health. More than half of our country does not sleep well, and this can cause all kinds of health challenges. For improving sleep quantity and quality, we start with looking at our “sleep hygiene,” our habits around sleep, and then consider natural remedies and lastly, prescription drugs.
- What to Avoid – alcohol, coffee, black tea or chocolate, or eating too much in the couple hours before bed.
- Use your bedroom for sleep primarily and romance/intimacy—not work, TV, computer or cell phone time—and make sure it’s free of disturbing noises or too much light. Make the room into a comforting environment, a haven that gives you a sense of peace and relaxation.
- Keep the bedroom dark and reduce or remove electronic devices, including your cell phone, from your sleep area, or on silent and at least 6 feet away from you. Plan to dim the lights and turn off screens at least a half hour before turning in.
- Noise often disturbs our sleep be it traffic, neighbors, or barking dogs and such. Try using a white noise machine, or some people do okay with earplugs.
- Experiment with your thermostat. Most studies show that a temperature between 60 and 67 degrees Fahrenheit is optimal for sleeping, while temperatures above 75 degrees or below 54 degrees can disruptive. Sleep partners often have different temperature needs (women tend to run colder) and this can affect room temp or blankets. Also, having the heat going on and off throughout the night can also interfere with quality sleep. Find what works for you so you feel cozy and comfy under the covers.
- Exercising during the day can improve sleep. However, exercising too close to bedtime might leave you too energized and unable to sleep. You can get some presleep fresh air and light exercise if you find that helps you relax. A walk outdoors to see some stars and experience the quiet of night can be a helpful way to calm yourself. Experiment and find out what works for you.
- Anxiety can interfere with quality sleep. Write down any worries on paper in an area other than your bedroom—leave them there and forget about them before you turn in. Also, you can write your to-do list for the next day before you get into bed so that you’re not thinking so much about the next day. Find a way of relaxing that works for you, from music to guided meditations and visualizations, or progressive muscle relaxation exercises. Try different plans and see what works.
- Try keeping a sleep log for a couple of weeks so you can see the lifestyle patterns that are already in place. What you do during the day will also affect your sleep so track that too. Go to my website – elsonhaasmd.com – and read my blog called A First Step to Better Sleep for more tips on what to log and when.
- Supplements If you do need additional help then try natural remedies before going on to stronger pharmaceutical medicines:
- Tryptophan or 5-HTP supplements can promote sleep by directly enhancing serotonin and melatonin in the brain. (Bedtime dosages: 500 to 1,500 mg tryptophan, 50 to 150 mg 5-HTP.) Start with lower amounts and work up. If your issue is waking in the middle of the night and being unable to fall back to sleep, take the lower amounts of either nutrient if and when you wake between 2:00 and 4 a.m.
- L-theanine (about 200mg) and GABA (500-1,000mg) can also be taken to help calm the brain and help us sleep with calming the active mind or even better, help us to get back to sleep during the night when we are stressed and mentally too active.
- Melatonin taken 30 minutes before sleep (helps align diurnal sleep rhythm but not for people with hyperactive immune states, like autoimmune conditions). Melatonin also can activate dreams and is too much for some people.
- Also try herbs like valerian, chamomile (caution for people with allergies to ragweed) and catnip, or formulas like Sleepytime or Nighty Night teas. Note: if you’re prone to nighttime trips to the bathroom, you might want to use herbal capsules instead. Try rubbing a few drops of lavender oil on the bottom of your feet. You can also massage drops into your temples, or rub a few drops on your pillow. For generations, the scent of lavender has been used for inducing relaxation and sleep. Mugwort herb (leaf) dried and placed under your pillow is known to help with sleep and dreams.
Sweet dreams!
Dr. Elson
You can download a PDF of the tips HERE.
© Elson Haas 2025