Advice on sleep hygiene that can be given in primary care *
- Go to bed only when you feel sleepy
- If you do not fall asleep within 20 minutes, get up and do something boring until you feel sleepy
- Do not have long siestas (i.e. more than 30 minutes)
- Try to go to bed at the same time. Develop rituals for going to bed
- Use your bed only for sleeping or having sex. Avoid watching TV in the bedroom
- Avoid taking caffeine, nicotine or alcohol for at least 4-6 hours prior to going to bed
- Ensure that your bedroom is quiet and comfortable
- Use sunlight and physical activity to synchronise your biological clock
* Reproduced with permission of the European Respiratory Society©
Is sleep apnoea a specialist condition? The role of general practitioners. M.A. Martínez-García, P. Catalán Serra. Breathe 2010; 7: 144-156. Weblink to the article.
