How to Get a Good Night’s Rest - Take Quiz to Find Out
Sleep is vital to our existence. Every night, right? Why is it so hard to find sometimes? If getting enough high-quality sleep was as easy as 1 + 2 = 3, we’d all sleep 8-9 hours a night. Unfortunately, this is not the case. The mystery behind insomnia is a hard case to crack. Perhaps this quiz below will help shed light on the mystery and make a good night’s rest - one in reality and not just in your dreams.
“I’ve always envied people who sleep easily. Their brains must be cleaner, the floorboards of the skull well swept, all the little monsters closed up in a steamer trunk at the foot of the bed.”
-David Benioff
Insomnia can happen to all of us at one point in time or another. Whether it’s stress at work or at home. Whether you just went through a death in the family. Whether you just don’t feel comfortable - physically, emotionally or mentally. It happens. About one in four U.S. adults experience acute insomnia each year, according to a recent study. You are. not. alone.
How Our Behaviors Impact Our Sleep
Believe it or not, what you do during the day influences your night. From stress to diet to exercise, they all play a role in how much shut eye you get and the quality of sleep as well. This quiz is meant to speak to these behaviors to hopefully uncover a possible solution.
The Sleep Quiz
Warning: Although this quiz is meant to give you an idea of what types of behaviors set you up for a good night of sleep, it is not exhaustive. If you are having pervasive insomnia, please talk to your western or eastern healthcare provider
1. What is the best time to turn off screens?
A. 8 pm
B. 9 pm
C. It depends
2. Multivitamins are best taken at night on an empty stomach. True or False
3. About how many hours of sleep should an adult get each night?
A. 6 hours
B. 7 hours
C. 8 hours
4. Caffeine consumed after 12 pm may affect your sleep. True or False
5. Eating a big meal before bed won’t impact your sleep. True or False
1. When to turn off screens?
Answer: C. It depends. The best time to cut off screen time is at least 2 hours before bed time. The blue light in gadgets and computers stimulates your body and specifically, your cortisol levels. Before bed is a critical time for your body to relax and for cortisol levels to decrease. Also, we want melatonin levels to increase before bed time.
If you look at blue light too late at night, your body starts thinking it’s daytime. There’s much debate over what type of gadgets are okay. Even if you set the blue lighting to low, it still impacts you. Your best bet is to unplug completely before bed and do something relaxing - read an actual book or take a warm shower.
2. Taking multivitamins at night?
Answer: False. Multivitamins are best taken before 2 pm with food. Almost all multivitamins on the market contain vitamin B complex which
is known for boosting energy. (This is the common active ingredient along with caffeine in popular energy drinks). Vitamin B is great for the morning but if taken too late in the day, it can leave you up at night. Also, because almost all multivitamins have fat-soluble vitamins in them, they are best taken with food to help increase absorption. Not a breakfast person? Try taking them at lunch instead.
3. How many hours do you need to sleep?
Answer: C. 8 hours. For an adult, the average amount of sleep needed is about 8-9 hours. With that being said, everyone is different and you may be in the camp that needs fewer hours. Albert Einstein and Thomas Edison were infamous for taking naps instead of sleeping hours at a time at night. You know yourself better than anyone else.
4. Caffeine consumed in afternoon okay?
Answer: True. Any type of caffeine consumed after 12 pm may influence your sleep later that night. This includes not only coffee and decaf tea but also chocolate and pain relievers containing caffeine. If you are experiencing insomnia, this is a good place to start. Try consuming caffeine before noon and see how you do. Chocolate for breakfast is a-okay with us.
5. Eating a big meal before bed okay?
Answer: False. The best time to eat dinner is before 7 pm. By the time you go to bed, your food will have worked its way through and your body and mind can relax for bed. What if you have to eat after 7 pm? If you’re in this situation, we recommend eating a light dinner that includes soup and lightly steamed vegetables. Your body will be able to process this type of meal more easily than a standard meat-and-potatoes kind of meal.
This quiz provides a good starting point to improve on sleep hygiene. We recommend trying 1 or 2 tips for a week before going onto another.
There are countless tips for insomnia out there. If you’re feeling overwhelmed or you have questions, please reach out to our practitioners who specialize in insomnia here.
Source: Science News, One in four Americans develop insomnia each year, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine study
About Author
Lynn Palmgren helps people get rid of pain and reduce stress so they can live a fuller life and do the things they love to do. She is a licensed acupuncturist and Board-Certified Chinese herbalist, and founder and co-owner of Palmgren Acupuncture, P.C. in Oak Park, Illinois. You can find Lynn on Instagram here.
Other Articles You Might Like
5 Tips on How to Get Rid of Insomnia For Good