Poor sleep quality is a common complaint among our kidney patients. Use of sleep aid medication is a very short term solution. What DOES work. Here are our top ideas.
1.Stop Napping-tempting BUT will thwart your efforts to sleep a full night
2.Set a bedtime and wake time and stick to it
3.Exercise. But not before bedtime.
4.Avoid large meals, especially after 6pm.
5.Turn off computers, ipads, cell phones etc. The light from these screens inhibit restful sleep.
6.Keep room cool. 68 degrees is an ideal temperature.
7.Shut out light, including bedside clocks and other forms of light in your bedroom.
8.Use your bedroom for sleep and sex only.
9.Eliminate caffeine and alcohol 6 hours before bedtime, and nicotine at all. If you refuse to stop smoking, please avoid 3 hours before bedtime.
10.A bedtime routine that you follow every night helps.
11.Dim lights several hours before bedtime. Helps your natural Melatonin level prepare you for sleep.
12.Eliminate noise. Use a sound machine, ear plugs and dare we say it- separate rooms if need be, if your partner’s snoring is the culprit
13.If your partner claims you snore loudly, ask your doctor to evaluate you for sleep apnea, which can rob you from sleeping well.
14.If you try all this and still have problems, ask us about referral to a Sleep Specialist. We work with one who has remarkable results, even in refractory cases.
