Are you getting enough rest? Take time to improve your sleep! #drjerrys

April 11, 2025

Good sleep improves your brain performance, mood, and health. Not getting enough quality sleep regularly raises the risk of many diseases and disorders. People often cut back on their sleep for work, for family demands, or even to watch a good show on television. If not getting enough sleep is regular, you may be at an increased risk for obesity, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke, poor mental health, and even early death. Additionally, you’re more likely to be in a bad mood, be less productive at work, or accident prone. Getting enough sleep is not a luxury, it's something we need for good health.

Sleep Quantity:

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society recommends 7 or more hours of sleep per night for adults ages 18-60 years old
According to the CDC a third of US adults report that they usually get less than the recommended amount of sleep

Sleep Quality:

Although the amount of sleep you get each day is important, sleep quality is essential to your sleep and contributes to your health and well-being. Signs of poor sleep quality include:

not feeling rested even after getting enough sleep
repeatedly waking up during the night
experiencing symptoms of sleep disorders (such as snoring or gasping for air)

Sleep Hygiene (Habits) to Improve Sleep Health:

Be consistent. Try to go to bed at the same time each night and get up at the same time each morning (including the weekends)

Remove electronic devices, such as TVs, computers, and smart phones, from the bedroom

Make sure your bedroom is quiet, dark, relaxing, and at a comfortable temperature
Avoid large meals, caffeine, and alcohol before bedtime
Exercise! Being physically active during the day can help you fall asleep more easily at night
See your doctor to be evaluated and treated for sleep disorders

Are there supplements that can help improve sleep?

Valerian Root - Scientific studies (multiple meta-analyses) show valerian could be a safe and effective herb to promote sleep and prevent associated disorders. Some studies showed an 80% improvement in sleep quality without side-effects, but further study is needed to control for quality and standardized dosing.
GABA - Although more studies are needed before any inferences can be made about the efficacy of oral GABA consumption on stress and sleep, results show that there is limited evidence for stress and very limited evidence for sleep benefits of oral GABA intake.*
Ashwagandha - is used as a general tonic and “adaptogen,” helping the body adapt to temporary, normal stress. * It may lower cortisol, Scientific studies (multiple meta-analyses) show a 44-57% decrease in anxiety symptoms, after 6-10 weeks of use.*
Vitamin D3 – meta-analysis showed statistically significant improvement in sleep quality, and more study is needed.
Melatonin - Scientific studies (multiple meta-analyses) demonstrated significant improvement in sleep quality (by 2.2%), reduction in time to fall asleep (by 7.1 minutes), and increasing total sleep time (by 8.3 - 12.8 minutes).*