How can healthcare staff promote healthy sleep habits?

And there are other kinds of rest, that can be restorative; in addition to sleep! Physical rest, mental rest, emotional rest, spiritual rest, social rest, sensory test and creative rest!

I my experience, employers can do much more to minimise the effects of shift work on sleep patterns, by offering stable shifts over longer periods, especially for those on the night shift. We know from sleep studies that circadian rhythm is disturbed significantly by working overnight, and that thus derangement takes as long as 6 weeks to settle, so rotating shifts, involving rapid changes from day to evening to night and back again should be avoided. And despite this being a discussion about sleep quality, this issue also is known to aggravate work accuracy and safety, so employers need to seek ways to ensure their rostering practices aren’t the cause of workplace errors and accidents!

Exercise and physical activity during the day and no later than 8 pm promotes and enhances a good night sleep . Also limiting caffeine intake during the day also can be a game changer

Setting a routine is spot on. However, it often is exactly what most frontline healthcare workers cannot afford or control! When the control is with you, then by all means, set a routine to help stabilize your system. Even when one needs to get a proper diagnosis of a sleep disorder, an understanding of how the sleep pattern has been is very helpful. To achieve a routine requires intentionality and the combination of multiple elements. At the center of this effort is having crucial conversations with people who make related decisions in one’s life - supervisors, administrators, partners, etc. Stay open to try several approaches. And be patient with yourself because you didn’t arrive at wherever you’re at now in a day or even in a year!

Often healthcare workers focus on going to bed at a consistent time and, although this is important to go to bed early enough to allow as close to 8+ hours sleep as you can, people often overlook the value and importance of getting up at a consistent time in each morning. This should include weekends, or non-working days, and over time you'll notice that whether you get a lot of sleep, or not as much as you like, your body clock will know that when you wake up it should be ready for action and you'll find your morning self to be more alert and less foggy over time. Having said this, I empathise with parents and other people with variable elements impacting consistent wake up time (I've been there!). Sometimes, you can only do your best.

Make sure you make your sleeping area a no-work zone. Keep tabs, laptops or any work media to the living room areas. Let the bedroom area be free from any work distractions so that you can practice mindfulness as well. Have scented candles, diffusers, a vase of flowers or anything to help you relax while you sleep. A good plant I recommend to always have near your bedroom window is Jasmine(lady of the night) plant. It emits a sweet smelling aroma all night to help relax you.

Use your bed for sleep only, try not to eat , watch TV and use electronic devices ( phones, laptops, tablets) in bed.Doing all of these can make it difficult to fall asleep. Also, if you must take naps during the day make them short usually less than 30 minutes.During the day we usually build up a 'sleep debt' that helps us fall asleep at night.Taking Naps during the day pay off this debt which might make it difficult to fall asleep at night.

Keeping phones, tablets, and laptops out of the bedroom can reduce the temptation to check them during the night and limit the disruptive effects of blue light exposure. Charge your devices elsewhere, and invest in an analog alarm clock if you rely on an alarm to wake up.

Dropping code body temperature is another “hack” that can be used to help sleep. Easiest way to do this is a warm shower before bed as the rise in core temperature, followed by loss of heat though the extremities can aid sleep. If you can’t get a full shower then warming the hands and feet has similar effects.

The dark room creates melatonin hormone which helps in pituitary adrenal axis and make direction to mind that there is dark and its right time to sleep. A comfortable bed and postures are just add in.

Here is my 90210 routine for quality sleep. 9 hours before bed no caffeine 0 exceptions to that curfew 2 hours before bed no work 1 hour before bed no phones 0 things to plan for the morning Give it a try and let me know what you think.

Consider incorporating herbal teas like chamomile, valerian root, or lavender into your evening routine. These caffeine-free alternatives can promote relaxation and help you wind down before bedtime.

Make sure you follow your pharmacist's instructions on meds you can take at night. Some can alter your sleep like those containing caffeine, some heart meds, or some antidepressants. These can alter sleep-wake patterns and patients often complain of insomnia. Ask if you can have the dose reduced, or altered where necessary. About alcohol, its a story for another day....

Be mindful of what you drink or eat, when you do it and how much you do it. Anything in excess and at the wrong time will affect your sleep. Drinking stimulating drinks containing caffeine like coffee or colas, taking alcohol or even eating a heavy fatty meal which we usually do along with alcohol can affect your sleep. Also take your prescribed meds on time. They help keep your other lifestyle problems in control and help improve your quality of sleep.

It would be best to completely abhor alcohol in your daily life especially because most people who drink alcohol drink at night.

The use of apps that support meditative or relaxation practices can help. My personal favourites are The Monroe Institute’s Expand app and the MindSpa app. In addition services like Audible include many sleep facilitating tracks that are included as part of her subscription.

Relaxation techniques can work wonders in calming your mind and body before bedtime, preparing you for a restful sleep. Finding ways to unwind and de-stress is essential for our overall well-being. Incorporating relaxation techniques into your nightly routine can help promote a sense of calm and tranquility, allowing you to drift off into a peaceful slumber. Whether it's deep breathing exercises, progressive muscle relaxation, or guided meditation, these techniques can help release tension, reduce anxiety, and quiet the mind. By dedicating a few minutes each night to these practices, you create a soothing ritual that signals to your body that it's time to unwind and prepare for sleep.

Sleep being a major factor in lifestyle changes, needs to be taken care of. People who struggle to have a good sleep, should practise meditation, inculcate breathing techniques before going to bed. 1. Meditation in the morning can reduce stress levels for the day, it clears mind. 2. Meditation before bed likewise will relax our body and mind and also ensures to provide a sound sleep.

In my experience, healthcare institutions should prioritize the provision of comprehensive training programs for staff, equipping them with the knowledge and skills necessary to effectively employ relaxation techniques. These programs should emphasize the importance of self-care, acknowledging that healthcare professionals, like any other individuals, are susceptible to stress and burnout.

Aromatherapy is one of key of feeling and sense of well being. It is also used in many religious rituals. But still it is ritual and not lasting effects.

Prioritizing our well-being is not a sign of weakness; it's a testament to our commitment to excellence in healthcare. I've seen healthcare professionals often overlook their own sleep problems. We're quick to recommend specialist consultations to our patients, yet hesitate to seek the same for ourselves. From personal experience, I can attest that consulting a sleep specialist or physician can be transformative. They can diagnose and address sleep disorders, ensuring we are in optimal condition to deliver quality care.

Sleep is one area of medicine that is so related to alcohol usage that it needs to be part of the psychological work-up as well. The role of alcohol in sleep cannot be emphasized more.

If you have already tried setting regular routines, tried maintaining a peaceful environment both externally and within your own mind and if you are still not able to get a good sleep, then definitely seek professional help. One of the other reasons for not getting good sleep in spite of all the above mentioned practices could be that you are going through some physical, mental or emotional trauma or grief. Be kind to yourself and seek counseling. Professional help will help you identify the reasons for your disturbed sleep and will be able to offer you solutions. It's extremely important as not getting adequate good quality sleep for prolonged periods can lead to other lifestyle problems like hypertension, diabetes and heart diseases.

It is essential for healthcare leaders and colleagues to foster an environment where seeking professional help is not only accepted but encouraged. This involves leaders openly discussing their own self-care practices and experiences with seeking medical attention for health issues. Such transparency can help destigmatize the act of seeking help and reinforce the message that healthcare professionals are not immune to health challenges.

Seek Professional Help When Needed: Address underlying conditions: If sleep problems persist, consult a healthcare provider to rule out underlying medical conditions or sleep disorders. Cognitive-behavioral therapy: Consider cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I), a proven treatment for chronic sleep issues. Sleep hygiene education: Seek guidance from sleep specialists or therapists to develop personalized sleep hygiene strategies

Healthcare professionals are suffering high rates of depression and burnout. Both of them could cause insomnia and become a vicious cycle. Sadly managers and CEOs are so worried about productivity that well-being is not yet a priority. Overworked physicians for example work a minimum of 8 hours shift seeing complicated patients in 15-minute appointments. Many times 20 or 30 of them. It is not possible to document or review information at that time. So they had to add 2-3 hours daily at home to be able to catch up with the extra load. No matter how much melatonin or meditation you do. If your workload is overwhelming, places at-risk patients and forces you to work unpaid extra hours, insomnia and burnout will continue to be a big problem.

Get outside in the morning! When you step outside from behind a window, the amount of light that reflects on your retina increases almost 10-fold and thus more effective synchronization of your biological clock, and earlier sleep onset (remember those days you're out camping?).

Do not do work or watch tv from the place you sleep. Keep that place only for sleep. Condition the brain to relate to the bed as only a place to sleep.

Sadly, most healthcare professionals underestimate the importance of their own sleep! And not surprisingly, it is showing up in their health. Do you know that over 80% of healthcare professionals take help of at least one of these meds every week: 1. Antibiotics 2. Antacids 3. Anti depressants 4. Pain killers This is in addition to any medication that they might be on, for their lifestyle disorders! I believe the first responsibility of a healthcare professional is their personal health. They need to be authentic about leading healthier lives, rather than just preaching to others. 4 areas most healthcare professionals overlook, which affects their sleep: 1. Balanced nutrition 2. Exercise 3. Managing Stress 4. Consumption of Stimulants

Beyond this make sure that staff has truly OFF hours at least some of the time. We all know that sleep is more challenging when you are on call as you are always waiting for the phone to ring and sometimes that can't be helped. However making sure call is a rotation so that people can be truly off sometimes and not always accessible in the evenings allows for deeper rest.