Don’t lose sleep over the Astros

Many Astros fans may be losing sleep this week to stay up late and watch the games. Sleep experts at Baylor College of Medicine offer this advice for staying well rested:

• Limit caffeine and alcohol as too much can result in poor quality of sleep and leave you feeling tired and groggy the next day.
• Limit light exposure and screen time in the bedroom to help you fall asleep faster and improve your sleep throughout the night.
• Consider taking a short nap during the day. Naps should be only about 30 minutes and not close to bedtime.
• Make time for exercise before the game or the next day – exercise has been proven to improve quality of sleep and can help wake you up if you are feeling sleepy.
• Use the weekend to catch up on sleep.  

“Try catching up on sleep by going to bed earlier or waking up later,” said Dr. Ritwick Agrawal, assistant professor of sleep medicine at Baylor. “However, this strategy only works for the short term. If someone needs to catch up on sleep on a more frequent basis, then that needs to be addressed because long-term sleep deprivation is a serious problem. It increases the risk of heart disease and Alzheimer’s and has been associated with other significant health issues.”

Agrawal also said to remember to return to your normal sleep schedule after the championship is over. Our bodies love routine, so keeping the same or within 10-15 minutes of the same bedtime and wakeup time throughout the week is an easy way to repair your sleep schedule and get the best quality of sleep and overall performance the next day.