How to Sleep Well To Feel Good

Sleep is required for daily functions

Since humans spend about a third of their lives asleep, we can't underestimate its importance.  It is a required activity for normal body and brain functioning.

"Getting enough rest" ultimately means an average of about 6 to 8 hours per night, and making sure the cycle of REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, or dream phase, is achieved.  This is the period of deep, restful sleep. You only have to watch TV to see the commercial emphasis on creating comfortable sleep conditions beds that adjust to different sleep positions, mattress types, pillow shapes and sizes, etc.

The Mayo Clinic offers seven tips to make sleep a restful, rejuvenating experience:

• stick to a schedule--consistency helps reinforce your body's sleep-wake cycle and helps you fall asleep better
• eat light and right--a light dinner two hours before sleeping, with limited liquid
• regular exercise--at least three hours before bedtime
• create a sleep oasis--cool, dark, quiet and comfortable
• don't sleep the day away--no more than a half-hour in the mid-afternoon
• develop a bedtime routine--to transition your body toward sleep
• time it right--go to bed when tired and ready to fall asleep

For more information, go to www.MayoClinic.com

Robert G. Tupac, DDS, FACP, Inc., 
Diplomate, American Board of Prosthodontics
(661) 325-1275 | www.drtupac.com
5060 California Ave., #170, Bakersfield, CA 93309 (map)