Top Tips for Developing Better Sleep Habits In The New Year

With a new year ahead, you might be ready to make some changes to help encourage better sleep. Do not discount the ways that better sleep can influence every part of your life. Making changes now can help you feel better, have more energy, and meet more of your goals during the upcoming months. While some of these changes will take time to implement, others are small changes you can start making today.

Create a Better Environment in Your Bedroom

If you don’t feel calm and relaxed in your bedroom, it’s harder for your brain to relax and get to sleep. Start by removing any excess clutter or furniture from the room to open things up and help you feel like there is more space in the room. Making changes to the environment in your bedroom for better sleep can mean installing blackout shades to keep sunlight from brightening the room too early, getting new sheets that keep you cool at night, or foam pillows to provide proper neck support. You can also try changing out lamps and lights to create a more ambient light that encourages your brain to produce melatonin, the hormone that signals the need for sleep to the body. Additionally, battery–powered LED candles can create a warm flickering glow that naturally encourages relaxation without the fire risk that traditional candles present.

Start Prepping Your Body for Sleep Early

There are many things you can do to signal to your system that it is time to slow down and get ready for bed. Keep lighting levels in the home low at night time and avoid looking at screens for at least thirty minutes before bed. Exercise is a great way to get rid of excess energy that may be keeping you up, but if you’re going to hit the gym, make sure you give your body at least two hours to process the natural energy surge that typically hits after a workout. The same goes for working on extra tasks you may have brought home for work or side jobs based out of your home. These activities will keep your brain engaged and firing, so stopping them well before bed will help you relax when your head hits the pillow.

Use Your CPAP Machine Regularly

If you have a CPAP machine for sleep apnea treatment but do not use it every night, you aren’t taking full advantage of the relief you could be getting. If you aren’t comfortable wearing the mask to sleep, try wearing it around the home while you’re awake to get used to it, or laying down for short naps with the machine on. If you can’t get used to the mask no matter what you try, there are a few things you can do:

Try another type of mask that may sit more comfortably. If the traditional mask that covers your mouth and nose makes you uncomfortable, try switching to one that only covers the nose.
Ensure that you have enough straps to keep the mask secure. Some patients find they are unable to sleep if they are worried about the mask falling off once they do. Adding extra chin straps to the mask can help keep it in place no matter how much you move around during your sleep.
Clean your face to wash off excess dirt and cover your skin with a thin layer of lotion before putting the mask on. This will help encourage the mask to form a seal around the edges where it meets your skin, keeping the mask in place naturally.

Clean Your CPAP Machine Weekly

In addition to using your CPAP on a regular basis, you’ll have to keep it clean to get the most effective operation of the machine. If you avoid cleaning the machine due to the time and effort it takes, try using a CPAP machine cleaner and sanitizer to make the process easier. Using a CPAP machine cleaner like VirtuCLEAN makes the process much easier for the patient and cuts the amount of time needed to clean the machine down to just thirty minutes.

If you’re ready to put better sleep habits in place, one of the tools you’ll need is a good CPAP cleaner and sanitizer. One of the best ones on the market is VirtuCLEAN, which is designed to help keep your CPAP unit working for many years with little effort from you. Click here to get your VirtuCLEAN CPAP cleaner today.