My Sleep Plan My Sleep PlanActivity Step 1 of 4 25% Getting enough sleep is important for your health, and lack of sleep can affect every aspect of your life. You may notice that it's harder to get anything done when you don’t sleep well. This activity will help you think about your sleep and ways to improve your sleep quality. At the end, we will email your custom sleep plan and tips to get you started! Enter your name and email to receive your custom plan. Note: We do not share your email and will not send you emails you did not request.First NameEmail Poor sleep is linked with health conditions such as anxiety, pain, depressed mood, fatigue, heart, digestive, and weight problems. This activity describes how improving your sleep habits can contribute to your good health. Are You Getting Enough Sleep?On a scale from one to five, where five is really good, how well do you think your sleep is? 1 - Sleep? What's that? I can barely keep my eyes open now. 2 - Poor - I hardly ever sleep. This sometimes impacts how I feel during the day. 3 - Some good nights, some bad nights, some staying up late with friends nights (I am a teen after all!). 4 - Who needs sleep! 6 hours is enough for me 5 - Really good! I live to sleep and arrange my life to get my zzzzz's! That's Great! Sounds like you make sleep a priority! This activity might help you sleep even better. 6 hours! You may be surprised by how increasing your sleep could benefit you. Read on and keep an open mind! Sounds like you are doing some things right but have some room for improvement. You came to the right place! You may be surprised by how increasing your sleep could benefit you. Ok, your sleep habits may need a little work. You came to the right place! You may be surprised by how increasing your sleep could benefit you. Wow! You are really struggling. Great job in setting a goal to have better sleep. You may be surprised by how increasing your sleep could benefit you. In general, adults should get seven to nine hours of sleep and teens should get eight to nine hours of quality sleep every night. Keeping a regular sleep schedule can help you stay healthy and strong. Remember, it's worthwhile to build good sleep habits. Sleep affects your mood, memory, and thought process. Common symptoms of poor sleep include trouble remembering, increased stress, irritability, anger, discomfort, and lack of focus. Poor sleep also weakens your immune system. Improving Your SleepWhich of the following can be managed and improved by good sleep?* Focus Chronic Pain Physical Fitness Problems Mood Anxiety Weight Problems Fatigue Depression Truth is... All these conditions can be improved by getting more sleep each day. Remember, it's worthwhile to build good sleep habits. Sleep affects your mood, memory, and thought process. Common symptoms of poor sleep include: Trouble remembering Increased stress Irritability Anger Discomfort Lack of focus Weak immune system Sleep TipsPracticing good sleep habits can help you increase your sleep quality. Which of the following sleep tips would you add to your routine? Go to bed and get up at the same time each day Spend some time outside in natural light each day Avoid caffeine in the evening Don’t nap in the afternoon or early evening Don’t watch television in bed Avoid stimulating activities before bedtime, like video games, action movies, or doing complex tasks Exercise each day, but not too close to bedtime Make your bedroom a restful place by limiting light from clocks, computers, TV’s, or through windows. Don’t smoke or drink alcohol. Avoid heavy or spicy meals before bedtime. Relax before bedtime by deep breathing, listening to soothing music, or taking a warm bath. Read before bed to relax the mind and increase sleepiness (not murder mysteries!). Train your mind to think of positive thoughts vs. negative thoughts in the early moments of sleep. We will send you a reminder email with the choices you've selected. These choices can really make a difference on improving your sleep and getting the best out of your day. For more information about sleeping tips, visit HelpGuide. If you practice good sleep habits and still have have trouble sleeping, you may need to talk to your doctor. A doctor can help diagnose and treat specific sleep problems. Sleep and Relaxation Learning to relax can help you fall asleep and reduce stressful feelings. We relax when we calm our minds. Some people practice relaxation techniques at bedtime or in the middle of the night to help them clear their minds of worries so they can fall asleep. Others use relaxation techniques during the day as a way to manage stress. The following relaxation strategies can be used for both. Relaxation TechniquesSelect a relaxation technique to learn more Deep Breathing Music Progressive Muscle Relaxation Meditation Deep Breathing Deep breathing is a relaxation technique you can use anywhere to help calm yourself. Most people breathe from their upper chest when they are awake and from their belly when they sleep. Consciously learning to belly breathe when you are awake can help you relax. Practice Deep Breathing Step 1: Get Comfortable Find a comfortable position, either sitting or lying on your back. Step 2: Inhale Concentrate on breathing in through your nose and following the air all the way down to the lower parts of your lungs. When you do this, your belly rises as you inhale and falls when you exhale. Step 3: Zone Out Ignore thoughts and focus on the act of breathing to get the most relaxation out of deep breathing. With each breath, visualize clean air entering, circulating and refreshing your body. Step 4: Exhale Take the air in through your nose and let it out slowly by pursing your lips as if you were whistling. Download Our Deep Breathing Practice Postcard so you can master deep breathing and sleep better! For more detailed directions explore the Mayo Clinic breathing exercises for relaxation. Music Throughout history, music has played an important role in healing and community life. Soothing music can help you relax. In general, music without lyrics, such as classical or new age, tends to be more relaxing. Music with lyrics is generally more stimulating. Practice Music for Relaxation Step 1: Find a Quiet Place Find a quiet time and a place where you can block out extra noise. Headphones – even cheap ones – are good for this. Step 2: Concentrate on the Music Start the music and either sit or lie down. Then, concentrate on the music for 20 to 30 minutes. Step 3: Let Music Guide You Visualize the places and scenes it suggests. Just enjoy the sound of the music and the images in your mind. Download our Music for Relaxation Practice Postcard and start practicing to improve your sleep! Progressive Muscle Relaxation The technique of progressive muscle relaxation can help you relieve stress by learning to relax your muscles when they are tense. Practice Muscle Relaxation Step 1: Tense your Body Slowly tense and release each of your major muscle groups, starting at your feet and going all the way to your face. Step 2: Hold and Release Tense and hold each group for about 10 seconds. Then let the muscle group relax completely so that it feels limp or loose before moving to the next. Step 3: Observe Observe how each muscle group feels as you tense and release. With regular practice, progressive muscle relaxation can help you manage muscle tension throughout the day. Download Our Muscle Relaxation Practice Postcard! Use it with deep breathing to enhance your feelings of relaxation. For more complete instructions explore the Helpguide website. Meditation Meditation is a practice to calm your mind and help you relax. Meditation can take many forms. These include guided imagery, mindfulness meditation, tai chi, and yoga. Practicing Meditation Step 1: Focus During most meditation, you focus your attention on a specific image, sound, object, or action. Focusing on a neutral image or action distracts you from stressful thoughts. Step 2: Find a Quiet Place Meditation usually includes some form of deep breathing in a relaxed and quiet environment. Download Our Meditation Practice Postcard so you can see them at any time! Set a Goal Making changes to your sleep or relaxation habits can move you closer to achieving and maintaining a meaningful life. When setting a goal to change your sleep or relaxation habits, it is important to be realistic. Think about where you are now, and then think about where you want to be. Begin by making a few changes in your sleep or relaxation habits, and work up to your goal from there. What is your sleep goal?Share with a friend:Sometimes when setting a goal, you will be more successful if you share your goal with someone. Who would you like to share your goal with? This could be anyone you are close to.Remember to keep track of your progress and reward yourself for accomplishments! You completed your sleep activity! Receive a summary of your answers and more great tips by clicking submit. NameThis field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Δ
