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Your sleep quality and wellbeing depends on your organizational habits – here’s how to ensure your room is ready for the perfect slumber

Clutter does have negative connotations, but it is an inevitable (and somewhat personal) part of every home. And recent design movements (spurred particularly by social media) have given us every permission to fill our rooms with meaningful things. However, if you’re looking for ways to sleep better, the solution could simply come down to decluttering and tidying up.

So, while the question of whether a messy bedroom affects sleep has always been important, current bedroom trends mean it is even more important to know the effects of mess on your sleep and, inevitably, your wellbeing. Below, sleep experts give us the low down.

Does A Messy Bedroom Affect Sleep?

‘It’s important to remember how much our environment can affect our sleep. A messy and cluttered bedroom will not only affect how fast you fall asleep – but also the quality of your sleep,’ says sleep expert and owner of Bed Guru Carl Walsh.

If you’re surrounded by mess and clutter before falling asleep, you are likely to feel anxious or on edge. So, even if you’ve invested in therapeutic paint – and found the best mattress for your posture, you’re still likely to suffer a bad night’s sleep.

Carl isn’t alone in his observations. Robert Pagano, the co-founder at Sleepline, similarly warns against any clutter in the bedroom. ‘A disorderly bedroom can be a distraction and make it difficult to relax and fall asleep,’ he says. ‘It can also be a source of stress, which can interfere with sleep.’

How Do Messy Bedrooms Affect Us?

Messy bedrooms may have an impact on our sleep schedules, but what makes them so influential?

‘The brain is a pattern recognition machine and makes strong associations between your environment and your behavior,’ says Dr. Chelsie Rohrscheib, the head sleep expert and neuroscientist at Wesper.'[Therefore] when your bedroom is calm, comfortable, and quiet, your brain will associate your bedroom with relaxation, making it much easier to relax and fall asleep.’

When your bedroom is messy, however, your brain is overstimulated. According to Dr. Chelsie, the brain will ‘quickly associate your bedroom with stress’ – meaning it is harder to fall asleep in this space.

How Do You Handle A Messy Bedroom?

Avoiding clutter and organizing your bedroom are two of the most impactful ways to promote better sleep. However, the process goes beyond simple cleaning tips. Here’s what sleep experts do to promote a healthy sleep schedule.

1. Only Showcase Sleep-Inducing Items
   The process of decluttering is one thing, but if you want to take your space further, you can do so by only exhibiting items that help you sleep better. ‘It’s recommended that your bedroom should have no clutter; there should only be items that help you sleep better,’ Carl says. He recommends choosing lights for their ambient lighting, white noise machines, a book, and the best luxury bedding you can find. ‘All these things help send your body into a sleepy state,’ he says.
2. Deep Clean Your Space Often
   Ensuring your room is clutter-free and clean is essential in maintaining a good sleep throughout the week. However, Dr. Chelsie recommends undergoing a ‘deep clean at least once a week’ to ensure your space continues to support your slumber without facing an overwhelming clean. This involves washing bedsheets and removing irritants that can affect the quality of your sleep, like dust.
3. Consider Sleep Hygiene
   While it is perhaps no surprise that poor sleep hygiene is linked to a bad night’s rest, Robert reminds us of the biggest problems that can impact your routine. ‘Sleeping in a noisy environment or eating late at night can increase the risk of developing a sleep disorder,’ he says. So, while it is tempting to dine later in the evening, it may be worth noting if you’re struggling to sleep over a long period of time.

My Room is Clean and I Still Have Sleep Issues

If a tidy environment isn’t helping, you may want to contact you doctor and ask for a sleep study…you could have a sleep disorder like obstructive sleep apnea. The experts at SSM can help. Call (866) 337-2536 today to find a sleep specialist near you.

The holiday season is a joyous time of year. From getting together with friends and family to eating delicious meals and travelling, it’s always a time to look forward to. But it can also cause unwanted stress that can negatively affect your sleep apnea condition. Follow along below as we outline certain steps you can take to make this holiday season pass by smoothly.

Pack spare parts and equipment

Like a lot of people around the country, you may be travelling this holiday season. Except, you have a few more pieces of luggage to account for before you hit the road: masks, hose setups, battery packs, the actual CPAP machine itself. But before you depart, consider packing extra or replacement CPAP supplies. Here are some additional essentials we think you’ll want to have on the road with you:

• Proper power adaptors. Many newer model machines have universal power supplies, but in case you have an older one and you’re leaving the country, the best practice is to bring an adaptor with the correct voltage.
• Cushions. The cushions on your mask will eventually need to be replaced so have a few packed away as backups for when they do fail.
• Prescription. In case your machine breaks down, has a malfunction or you need to replace a part, having your prescription will make replacing the proper supplies a breeze while you’re far from home.
• Extra battery pack. Power outages can happen at any time, but with a back-up battery pack you won’t be left high and dry when the lights suddenly go out. You can also choose to rent one if you don’t want to spend the extra cash for a new one.

Prepare for unfamiliar surroundings

Whether you’re at a relative’s house or a hotel, staying in an unfamiliar setting with all of your sleep apnea equipment in tow can be a struggle.

Don’t let the extra company and/or unfamiliar surroundings affect you negatively. Taking preventative steps like securing sleeping arrangements well before your arrival and finding a secure spot for your device to sit when not in use will help ease any of the added stress of being away from home.

Stay away from certain foods and drinks

The holidays are a time for reuniting with friends and family, exchanging gifts, taking time off work and of course, indulging in all sorts of delicious food and drink. You’re going to be tempted to eat pretty much anything you want—those Thanksgiving Day football games are a foodies delight—but certain foods can have a negative effect on your sleep and sleep apnea condition. Here are some foods to avoid this holiday season²:

• Red meat. Do your best to hold off on the steaks this year.
• Anything fried. Doesn’t matter if it’s fried chicken, fish, zucchini or anything else, stay away from the fried stuff.
• Eggnog. It’s a dairy-base beverage that’s made with milk egg whites and yolk, cream, sugar and milk. Since anything with high-fat dairy is a no-no, leave the eggnog to the rest of the family.

Don’t let family matters disrupt you

Staying at a relative’s house or having them stay with you can be heaps of fun. You get to mingle with people you haven’t seen in a while and maybe even meet a new niece or nephew or two. But it can also be extremely stressful. Especially if you’re carrying around your CPAP machine and all of its corresponding parts. Here’s a few tips to keep the family stress of the holiday season to a minimum according to R. Morgan Griffin of WebMD:

• Positivity. If last year’s holiday get together was a semi-disaster—obnoxious uncle, long-standing feuds between cousins, etcetera—show up this year as positive as ever. Your happiness may rub off on some of the usual curmudgeons.
• Change it up. Instead of travelling far this year, try hosting at your house. You’ll be in a comfortable, familiar setting with much more control over the entire situation.
• Limit yourself. Just because you may be hosting doesn’t mean every minute of every day needs to be filled with activities. Set aside some time to relax and enjoy your personal face.

Travel accordingly

Traveling with your CPAP machine used to cause all sorts of trouble. Problems may arise when going through airport security. Here are a couple small steps you can take to make your travelling experience as painless as possible:

• Medical tag. Not everyone does this, but we recommend placing a medical equipment luggage tag on the bag containing your CPAP device. Even though most airport security personnel have seen these machines plenty of times, it never hurts to have it properly labeled.
• Be prepared. Before walking through the security line, have your device out of its bag and ready to go through the X-ray machine just like you would a computer. You never want to be the one holding up the line.

Whether you’re traveling far or staying close to home, the holiday season always adds a little more pressure to your daily life and this season is no different. Hopefully, you find the above tips helpful in order to make this holiday season as comfortable and as enjoyable as possible.

This blog post contains general information about medical conditions and potential treatments. It is not medical advice. If you have any medical questions, please consult your doctor.

With Thanksgiving coming, it’s time for many Americans to indulge in some of their favorite pastimes: food, football and naps! Our friends at Sleep Foundation have some interesting information for you about a Thanksgiving favorite.

Feeling sleepy after Thanksgiving dinner is common. Many people find they cannot stop yawning as they clean up dishes, while others nod off during a football game. This is often blamed on turkey, since it contains tryptophan

Tryptophan is an essential amino acid that plays several important roles in the human body, including the process of making serotonin. Serotonin is a hormone that helps balance your mood. The byproduct of the tryptophan-to-serotonin process is melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleeping and waking.

Does Turkey Make You Tired?

Although it may be tempting to blame the turkey, the tryptophan likely doesn’t make you sleepy on its own. Rather, eating foods with tryptophan in addition to a large number of carbohydrates leads to sleepiness. Carbohydrates come from the other typical foods at the Thanksgiving table, such as breads, potatoes, peas, corn, sugary drinks, and desserts.

Many people think that they’re sleepy after a big meal thanks to turkey and its L-tryptophan. L-tryptophan is an amino acid that gets converted into serotonin. Serotonin calms us down and can help us sleep. But, L-tryptophan can really only make us sleepy if we eat or take it directly.

So what’s really making us sleepy after a big Thanksgiving meal if we can’t blame the turkey? It may be that the big meal is actually blocking blood flow to the brain as the body increases blood flow to the stomach to help with digestion, thus making a nap sound wonderful after indulging.

Or, an entirely other culprit may be to blame: sleep apnea.

What is sleep apnea?

Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder that causes breathing to repeatedly stop and start throughout the night. Sleep apnea can cause you to snore loudly and feel tired even after a full night’s sleep.

So if it’s not just a big Thanksgiving meal that’s making you sleepy, it may be time to consider that sleep apnea may be part of the reason those post-meal naps sound so appealing.

Loud snoring and sleep disturbances can be signs of obstructive sleep apnea, and your oral health can be an important part of the picture.

Teeth grinding and sleep issues

The first sign of sleep apnea is often bruxism, or teeth grinding. A custom night guard can help with both the grinding of teeth and the sleep apnea.

If you think you may be extra tired because of sleep apnea, bring it up at your next dental cleaning. Our team can let you know symptoms of sleep apnea as well as some treatment options to help you get a full night of rest, which is something to truly be thankful for.

What Foods Are High in Tryptophan?

Our bodies do not naturally produce tryptophan, so we have to get it through the foods we eat. Aside from turkey, tryptophan can be found in many protein-based foods, including:

• Meats such as chicken, and fish
• Eggs
• Dairy products such as milk and cheese
• Seeds, including pumpkin, sunflower, and sesame seeds
• Legumes such as soybeans and peanuts

If you’re looking for a food to make you feel sleepy, turkey probably should not be your first choice. While sleep can be affected by your overall nutrition, there are a number of other foods that help you sleep.

What Makes You Tired During the Holidays?

Other customs, foods and beverages, and seasonal responses may contribute to your sleepiness.

Overeating

A holiday food table is often packed with tasty dishes. While additional helpings of pumpkin pie may taste delicious, eating too much food can make you sleepy. Research shows that high-carbohydrate, high-fat meals lead to post-meal sleepiness, with peak fatigue happening an hour to an hour and a half after you finish eating.

Carbohydrate-based, high-glycemic-index meals also cause you to fall asleep faster. The glycemic index measures how quickly food increases your blood sugar. High-glycemic foods, such as potatoes and sugar, cause your blood sugar to rise quickly. Higher blood sugar encourages the body to produce insulin, which makes it easier for tryptophan to travel in the bloodstream to your brain.

Alcohol Consumption

During the holiday season, you may consume more alcohol than usual. Alcohol consumption affects sleep in several ways. Because alcohol slows down the brain and depresses your nervous system, after a few drinks you’ll likely feel sleepy. Alcohol can make you fall asleep faster than normal and sleep heavier during the first portion of the night.

However, alcohol can disrupt your sleep during the second half of the night. You might wake up during the night several times after drinking. Insomnia at night then impacts your alertness during the day. You may experience excessive daytime sleepiness, which can make it difficult to concentrate or stay awake.

Seasonal Affective Disorder

With fewer sunlight hours in the autumn and winter, you might find your mood and habits changing. Less sunlight can disrupt your circadian rhythm, which then affects your sleep cycle. As many as 3% of people experience seasonal affective disorder, a form of depression with typical onset in the fall and winter. Other symptoms include low energy, decreased enjoyment of activities, increased sleep, and increased cravings for carbohydrates.

Circadian Rhythm

Most people have a 24-hour circadian rhythm that influences when they sleep. In this rhythm, you have two peak times for sleepiness. The first is in the middle of the night when you sleep the deepest. The second peak of sleepiness is about 12 hours later. For many people, this sleepy time falls in the hours after lunchtime. If you have your big holiday meal in the early afternoon, you may feel naturally sleepy shortly afterward.

How Do I Avoid Feeling Sleepy During the Holidays?

If you want to avoid feeling sleepy during the holidays, there are several steps you can take:

• Get Enough Sleep: Holiday gatherings may disrupt your routine, but it’s important to keep your sleep schedule as consistent as possible. Most adults need at least seven hours of sleep each night.
• Eat Smaller Portions: Smaller portions and foods lower in carbohydrates can help reduce your feelings of sleepiness.
• Reduce Alcohol Consumption: Especially in people who do not frequently drink, low amounts of alcohol reduce the time it takes for them to fall asleep.
• Exercise Regularly: Regular exercise helps you maintain overall health and well-being and is recommended for healthy sleep. However, it is best to avoid exercise two to three hours prior to bedtime.
• Create a Healthy Sleep Environment: Make your sleep environment dark, cool, and quiet, and avoid light from electronics in the hours before bedtime.

With attention to food habits and sleep hygiene, you can enjoy the festivities of the holiday season and avoid nodding off too early.

On average teachers get just six hours’ sleep a night. Neurologist Judy Willis explains why this is detrimental and offers her tips on how to nod off with ease in this article from The Guardian.

If you are a sleep deprived teacher you may not be aware of the term woodpeckering, but you’ve probably done it. It happens the day following a bad night’s sleep. You’re sitting in a long meeting and you can barely keep your eyes open, so you prop your head up with your hand. Next thing you know, you are jerking your sleeping head back to its upright position. Do this a few times and you are woodpeckering.

I thought I knew sleep deprivation when I did my medical internship in hospital. That year I frequently went 36 hours with no sleep. When I finished my residency in neurology, I welcomed the promise of full nights of sleep ever after. It went pretty well for the next 10 years until I became a school teacher and experienced a whole new level of sleep deprivation.

Teachers’ working hours go far beyond the 8am to 3pm schedule of kids in school. There are hours spent at faculty meetings, correcting homework, preparing for the next day – and then there is the worrying. Nothing I ever did in a hospital emergency room or doing CPR required the intense mental energy needed to keep 30 kids attentive enough to learn what I was teaching.

Good teachers are like jugglers keeping a dozen balls in the air so come nighttime, with alarm set for 6am to finish grading papers, memories of the day that’s gone – including the students who didn’t understand something, forgot their lunch or were embarrassed by wrong answers – become sleep-resistant barriers. Add to these financial stress – potential loss of income from spending cuts and job losses – and you have cycle of insomnia with its band of unwelcome consequences.

What is the impact of not getting a good night’s sleep?

With inadequate sleep comes irritability, forgetfulness, lower tolerance of even minor annoyances, and less efficient organisation and planning. These are the very mental muscles teachers need to meet the challenges of the next day. In wanting to do a better job the next day, the brain keeps bringing up the worries that deny it the rest it needs.

Studies of teachers’ response to high job strain reveal that they spend more time than most people ruminating about work-related issues and their brains take longer to unwind. Sleep hours suffer as well as sleep quality.

We need sleep to think clearly, react quickly, and create memories. It is during the later hours of sleep (especially between the sixth and eighth hour) when the brain releases the neurochemicals that stimulate the growth of the memory connections. The average teacher is reported to sleep six hours a night, falling short of the most valuable sleep time.

It is also during sleep that the brain has some its most profound insights and does some of its most creative problem solving. During the day, the neural networks for highest cognition are kept busy directing the rest of the brain’s moment-to-moment decisions, choices, prioritising, and just getting through the day. At night, these executive control circuits are free from those distractions. As seen on brain imaging, these regions can be extremely active during sleep.

After such brain activity, the subjects often awaken with solutions to problems, new insights, and ideas for creative innovation.

How to get a good night’s sleep: tips before bedtime

Increasing sleep time from six hours or less to eight hours promotes the growth of the brain connections that increase memory up to 25% and restore emotional calm, alert reflectiveness and job efficiency. Here are some general and teacher-specific tips:

1. The best sleep hygiene includes regular sleep and wake schedules – even on weekends. Exercise is also good, but avoid vigorous exercise in the two hours before bed. Vigorous exercise releases adrenalin and noradrenalin, both stimulants that could delay falling asleep. Vigorous exercise before bed also means it will take longer for your body to cool down to the lower temperature that promotes sleep. That said, calming music and gentle stretching, yoga, and progressive muscle relaxation (going through each muscle group and tensing and relaxing it) before getting into your cosy bed is great.

2. Thinking about what you eat and drink before bed also has an impact. You may think you are avoiding caffeine, but look carefully at teas, soft drinks, cold and headache medications where caffeine may be hiding. Alcohol near bedtime might help you fall asleep, but when it wears off, you’ll wake up in the middle of the night and have trouble falling back to sleep.

In the normal cycle, deeper REM sleep does not come until several hours in. Alcohol before bed results in early onset REM thus helps with falling asleep. However, after several hours, the early REM is followed by sleep fragmentation – frequent awakenings. One lies in bed awake and come morning does not feel refreshed. The environment in which you sleep should also be cooler as this is more sleep conducive.

3. For teachers, bedtime rituals can clear your brain of that ruminating about work-related issues so why not have a warm bath with relaxing music before you go to bed?

4. If some worries do wedge themselves into your sleep cycle, write them down on an external notecard. Most importantly, let your last thoughts include self-recognition for the vital work you do and drift to dreamland recalling the day’s school successes and the faces to which you brought smiles.

Judy Willis is a neurologist and former teacher. She writes books and does international presentations about how the brain learns best.

The month of August is National Eye Exam Month. Did you know that some eye conditions are associated with sleep apnea? According to our friends at eyenvision.com and the National Sleep Foundation, more than 18 million Americans have sleep apnea, and Health Canada reports similar prevalence. It’s a sleep disorder where people stop breathing — often multiple times per night — while sleeping.

If you have sleep apnea: it tends to take longer for your tears to be replenished, you’re more likely to have ocular irritation, you have a higher chance of developing floppy eyelids, and you’re at increased risk for glaucoma.

What Is Obstructive Sleep Apnea?

There are different types of sleep apnea. The most common one is obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). During OSA, your airway becomes partially blocked due to relaxed muscles in your nose and throat. This causes apnea (the absence of breathing) or hypopnea (abnormally shallow, slow breathing). It’s twice as common in men, and is more likely to affect people with obesity, hypertension, diabetes or heart disease.

What are the common symptoms of sleep apnea?

Sleep apnea occurs when the muscles in the back of your throat relax too much to allow normal breathing. These temporary breathing lapses cause lower-quality sleep and affect the body’s oxygen supply, which can lead to potentially serious health consequences.

While snoring is a common symptom, not everyone who snores has sleep apnea. Interrupted sleep can cause excessive daytime sleepiness, fatigue, irritability or depression, headaches in the morning, difficulty concentrating and thinking, and a sore throat.

Which Eye Conditions Are Associated With Sleep Apnea?

Glaucoma

Glaucoma occurs when increased pressure within the eye damages the optic nerve, which connects the eye to the brain, leading to vision loss and sometimes blindness. In some cases, it might be due to a drop in blood oxygen levels, which happens when you stop breathing. However, CPAP machines, one of the most common treatments for sleep apnea, can also cause glaucoma.

So, people with sleep apnea — even if it’s being treated — need to get their eyes checked on a regular basis for glaucoma.

Floppy Eyelid Syndrome

Floppy Eyelid Syndrome (FES) is an eye condition where a person has an unusually large and floppy upper eyelid. It can cause eye redness, irritation, discharge, or blurry vision — and over 90% of people with FES also have sleep apnea.

Non-Arteritic Anterior Ischemic Optic Neuropathy

Non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION) is an eye condition that occurs when there is a loss of blood flow to the optic nerve. Patients typically complain of significant vision loss in one eye without any major pain. Approximately 70-80% of patients with NAION have been found to have OSA.

Retinal Vein Occlusion

Also referred to as an ‘eye stroke,’ retinal vein occlusion (RVO) is a blockage of the small veins that carry blood away from the retina. A recent study of 114 RVO patients found that sleep apnea was suspected in 74% of the patients that had previously been diagnosed with RVO.

Other Eye Health Issues Associated With Sleep Apnea

Some other ocular conditions that are more common in patients with sleep apnea include: papilledema, keratoconus, and central serous chorioretinopathy. Furthermore, in addition to glaucoma mentioned above, CPAP machines are associated with dry eye syndrome and bacterial conjunctivitis.

Talk To Your Doc

Get eye exams regularly to rule out eye disorders and prevent potential vision loss, especially if you have been diagnosed with sleep apnea. At Sleep Specialists Management, we encourage you to share your medical history with your optometrist, so they can better diagnose and treat any eye conditions or ocular diseases you may have, and help you keep your eyes nice and healthy.

Program your brain for more restful sleep.

In July 2021, our friends over at Woman’s World posed the question, “Do you find yourself struggling to get to sleep more than usual in the summertime?” They answered that question in the following article.

According to sleep experts, there are actually a few reasons why it’s harder to catch those Z’s during this season. Summer insomnia is something that should be addressed.

We spoke to Dr. Carleara Weiss, PhD, Scientific Adviser at Aeroflow Sleep, who explains that the summer confuses our body’s “biological clock” — also known as the circadian clock, or circadian rhythm. Below, she shares why our sleep changes when the temps rise, and what we can do to get more of it.

What is summer insomnia?

According to Dr. Weiss, summer insomnia isn’t the same as regular insomnia. If you notice you can’t sleep more in the summer, here’s why: “Sleep is affected by the extended daylight duration during summer and its implications to the natural production of melatonin,” says Dr. Weiss. “Melatonin is a hormone produced naturally by our body at the right time to support sleep, thanks to a master biological clock in our brain. This biological clock uses information from the body and the environment to identify the right timing for hormones, metabolism, and sleep. It understands light as a signal to stay awake and ‘blocks’ melatonin.”

Dr. Weiss says that the earlier sunrise during the summer signals to our brain that it’s time to wake up, and later sunsets delay the release of melatonin. The result? Shorter sleep duration, and more trouble falling asleep.

Warmer temperatures might also contribute to poor sleep quality in the summer. “In normal conditions, the body temperature lowers before bedtime, creating a sleep signal to the brain,” says Dr. Weiss. “However, during the summer, the high temperatures affect the natural thermoregulation in our bodies, keeping the temperature high for longer and making it difficult to fall asleep. An ideal room temperature is between 60 to 67 degrees Fahrenheit.”

There’s one more thing Dr. Weiss says is particularly important to highlight: “An additional factor that is often overlooked is changes in our schedule,” she notes. “During summer, we tend to spend more time outdoors, try to participate in more activities with family and friends, and eat meals later than usual. Frequent changes in the schedule ‘confuses’ the biological clock and affect sleep quality.”

What can we do about summer insomnia?

If any of these issues are causing you to lose precious hours of restful sleep, Dr. Weiss says all you have to do is make a few, minor changes.

Stick to a schedule (as much as possible).

While summer days can be hectic, Dr. Weiss says we can benefit from some consistency. “Start by keeping a consistent schedule for meals, activity, and sleep,” she suggests. “It is okay to deviate a little on special occasions, but the more consistency, the better for the biological clock.”

Turn out the lights.

As bedtime rolls around, Dr. Weiss says it’s time to put down the devices. “Avoid exposure to bright light (either natural or electronic devices) at least one hour before bedtime,” she warns. “Use blackout curtains and a sleep mask to reduce lighting.”

Make your bedroom cool.

Dr. Weiss says you can get more rest if you turn the thermostat down. “Use a fan or air conditioning to reduce room temperature. Light-weighted sheets and blankets are helpful to keep the temperature low.” Check out some of our favorite cooling sheets and cooling comforters.

Take a warm shower.

And while you want to make your room cool, warm your body up first. “Interestingly, a warm shower is more effective than a cold one to support sleep,” Dr. Weiss notes. “This is because during a warm shower, the body temperature increases. As a result, right after the shower, the natural thermoregulation process will bring body temperature to a lower point. A decrease in body temperature gives a sleep signal to the brain.”

Make a bedtime routine.

Dr. Weiss says that since our routines in the summer aren’t always the same, it’s important to — at least — have some consistency at bedtime. “Aside from adjusting the sleep environment, it is important to remember that summer can be stressful,” she explains. For women with busy lives, doing a short meditation for sleep can make all the difference in getting a full nights rest. “New activities for the family and summer camp for kids may represent an extra workload for women. Create a bedtime routine, including a warm shower and meditation in a low-lit room.” These small acts can help you sleep better during the summer.

When is it time to see a doctor?

Dr. Weiss emphasizes that consistent sleep problems shouldn’t go unaddressed, and there are a few tell-tale signs that it’s time to see a doctor. She mentions two red flags to look out for. “The first is excessive daytime sleepiness. If you are likely to fall asleep while watching TV, driving, attending a webinar, during a conversation, or at work, you may be sleep-deprived.”

Another red flag is persistent insomnia. “Suppose you are having trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking up not feeling refreshed at least three times a week for a few weeks,” Dr. Weiss says. “In that case, you may have insomnia and need to see a sleep doctor.” So if you’re exhausted all the time or can’t seem to shake your sleep issues, be sure to talk to your GP.