How To Sleep Better At Night

Slumber, shuteye, repose, siesta, snooze…Sometimes we have a love-hate relationship with it…we love it when it’s good and curse it when it’s bad, but we all need it. Whatever you call it, one complaint I hear from patients day in and day out is that they have difficulty sleeping. It’s so prevalent that I want to discuss how to  get better sleep. In my 30 years of practice, I’ve compiled a list of 14 things in no specific order that you can do that should have you snoozing at night night in no time. 

Rule 1: Bright light during the day.  Your body has to have bright light during the day; sunshine is best, but even sitting in a bright room, like by a window, is helpful. Bright light tells your brain that it is day time, time to be awake. Darkness or the absence of bright light tells the brain it is night time, time to sleep. If you’re in a dark room all day, you probably won’t sleep well at night. So remember, in the day time, bright light is right. 

Rule 2: Limit blue light. What is blue light? Blue light is what is emitted from your computer, laptop, and smartphone. The more blue light you are exposed to, especially at night, the more disruption you’ll have in sleep, as it disrupts circadian rhythm. Lots of people climb into bed with their cell phone or iPad, and that’s the worst thing to do. You should avoid looking at bright screens beginning two to three hours before bed. There are apps you can install on your phone that filter out the blue light. There’s also something called “F. Lux” that you can put on your computer or iPad which will block out the blue light. You never hear about it, but blue light exposure, especially at night, is a major factor in hindering sleep. 

Rule 3: Captain Obvious here with a newsflash. Caffeine will keep you up at night. Don’t think you’re going to have coffee or tea after dinner or before bed and expect to sleep. And if you’re drinking sodas, coffee, or iced tea all day, it’ll still disrupt your sleep. I tell patients to limit caffeine consumption to under 250 – 300mg a day. As a guide, an 8oz cup of coffee has about 100mg caffeine, the same amount of tea has 24mg, a 12oz can of soda has 34mg, and those gnarly energy shots have 200mg of caffeine! I strongly advise against consuming caffeine after lunch if you plan on a bedtime between 10pm and midnight.  

Rule 4: No naps! Boo! Hiss! Why is it that as kids, just the word nap sent us into a tizzy tantrum, but as adults we love naps? If anyone has an answer, please let me know. Anyway, as satisfying as it is, napping disrupts your sleep-wake cycle, temporarily resetting it to where you’re not likely to be able to go to bed between 10pm and midnight. Bummer. 

Rule 5: Melatonin. I recommend 2 to 4mg of melatonin at bedtime; it really seems to help a lot of my patients. I do find that some patients get daytime hangover from it though, so you’ll have to see where you fall on that one. But it’s definitely worth a shot if you’re suffering from insomnia. 

Rule 6: Get up at the same time every day, and go to bed at the same time every day. Yeah, it’s kind of a drag not sleeping in on weekends, but a sleep routine can make a big difference in your relationship with Mr. Sandman. You can’t regulate when you’ll fall asleep, but you can regulate when you wake up. So set your alarm and get up at the same time every day, no matter how tired you are. Don’t nap and go to sleep between 10pm and midnight, and you should fall asleep. If sleep still eludes you, stick to the same plan, and you should surely sleep the second night. You can’t decide when you’ll fall asleep at night, but you can regulate your sleep-wake cycle by deciding when you wake up. Stick to setting your alarm for the same time every day, and hopefully your brain will get the idea. 

Rule 7: I recommend taking a glycine or magnesium supplement at night as well as L-theanine and lavender. They don’t make lavender teas, pillow sprays, lotions, and sachets for nothing. I have heard from people that swear by lavender as part of their wind down routine before bed. You can find these supplements on Amazon.com. Shameless plug: handily enough, you can also find my book, Tales from the Couch for sale there too. Check it out. 

Rule 8: This is the Mac Daddy, numero uno, absolute, not-to-be-broken rule. Alcohol. If you consume alcohol before sleep, you will not sleep. Why? As the body metabolizes the alcohol, it goes into a withdrawl-like reaction and disrupts sleep. I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking that a little nightcap helps you sleep. Wrong. Some people will tell you differently, but trust me…alcohol and sleep do not play well together. 

Rule 9: A comfortable bedroom. Your bedroom should be an oasis of calm serenity. There should be no office or desk in the bedroom. It should be uncluttered. Anything not conducive to sleep should be out. Make sure it’s dark and quiet at bedtime. The weight of multiple blankets can help sleep. You can even purchase weighted blankets expressly for this purpose. The weight is comforting and relaxing to the body. 

Rule 10: This sort of goes hand in hand with #9 above. Try a low temperature in the bedroom. I personally make sure my bedroom is at 70 degrees. The blankets from rule number 9 come into play here too. There’s something very comforting about burrowing under fluffy blankets to go to sleep. I mean, they’re called comforters for a good reason. 

Rule 10: No eating late at night. People seem to mostly make terrible food choices at night, all in the name of snacks…chips, candies, baked goods. Sugary foods are especially bad. When you eat, the body goes into digestive mode, not sleep mode; it is very interfering to sleep. Sugars especially are no bueno. Evening or night snacking is one of the worst things you can do If you want to sleep.  

Rule 11: Relax and clear your mind. There’s an older pop song that has a lyric, Free your mind and the rest will follow. It’s true. We all have problems and stresses throughout the day, and they seem to pop up when your head hits the pillow. You have to come to some resolution on how you’re going to handle the problems in your life and put them to bed so that you can put the rest of you to bed.  

Rule 12: Spend money on a comfortable quality mattress. You’re going to spend a third of your life in your bed. Just suck it up and spend the money on the mattress. Don’t cheap out. Another place to spend money is on good linens. Few things are as inviting as a comfortable mattress covered in minimum 1,000 thread count all-cotton sheets. If you’ve never had nice linens, try them.You can pick them up on a white sale or online. You can thank me later. 

Rule 13: No exercising late at night.  When you exercise late at night, you raise blood pressure and heart rate, which will hype up the body, which is the antithesis of what you want when it’s time to sleep.  

Rule 14: No liquids prior to sleeping. No rocket science here. If you put liquids in, you’re going to need to get liquids out. In other words, you’re going to have to get up in the middle of the night to pee. And you’re probably going to stub your toe. Not good. 

This is my handy dandy guide on the do’s and don’ts when it comes to sleep. Anything is better than counting sheep. I don’t know who came up with that, but I would like to inform them that I have never in 30 years heard of it working. I’ve never before wanted people to fall asleep as a result of reading something I wrote, so this is a first! I hope you’ve learned some things here that will put you out like a light.

Binging on Drugs and Alcohol

Dr. Mark Agresti discusses the consequences of binging with drugs and alcohol. Many people will say they don’t have a drug or alcohol problem. They will say, I am not an abuser or user, I only use specific drug or alcohol only so often. Dr. Agresti talks about how this binging on drugs or alcohol comes with consequences.

Dr. Mark Agresti, West Palm Beach Drug & Alcohol Detox Specialist, Psychiatrist

Call (561) 842-9550 or email: info@206.189.200.158 Dr. Agresti today to get help if you or a loved one is binging on drugs or alcohol. There is help.

Four Lokos – The Energy Boosted Alcohol Drink

http://206.189.200.158 ~ (561) 842-9550

Dr. Mark Agresti, West Palm Beach Drug & Alcohol Detox Specialist – Psychiatrist, discusses Four Lokos Drink.  This alcoholic beverage has been in the media and now receiving federal regulations attention.  Dr. Agresti explains the dangers behind this beverage and why it is not safe.

Call Dr. Agresti today to get help with Drug & Alcohol Addiction.

Are there any Prescription Drugs that Block Cravings?

It’s the Holy Grail in the world of addiction to find drugs that will block the craving for alcohol. There are three medications on the market that have been studied and show some benefits.

Pros and Cons of Drug Used for Alcohol Dependency or to Block Craving

Campral, also known as Acamprosate, is used to block craving. Studies have found a reduced incidence of relapse with veterans in Philadelphia who took this drug.

The daily dosage is two 333mg tablets, three times a day, and in my practice dealing with addiction and alcoholism, that has a limited benefit.

Topamax, or Toprimamate, an anti-seizure drug used to prevent migraines, is sometimes used to treat alcohol dependency and prevent alcohol cravings, but I’ve have had minimal success with it, and have found it to produce complications. It may cause mental slowing, cognitive slowing, and may effect the kidneys. (more…)

Detox: What are Suboxone and Subutex? Part 3

http://206.189.200.158 ~ (561) 842-9550

Dr. Mark Agresti, West Palm Beach Drug & Alcohol Detox Specialist – Psychiatrist, explains what are Subutex and Suboxone.  He explains the other common names for Subutex and Suboxone.  Learn how Subutex and Suboxone are used to help aid in drug detox.

Call Dr. Agresti today to get help with Drug & Alcohol Addiction.



Detox: What are Suboxone and Subutex? Part 2

http://206.189.200.158 ~ (561) 842-9550

Dr. Mark Agresti, West Palm Beach Drug & Alcohol Detox Specialist – Psychiatrist, explains what are Subutex and Suboxone.  He explains the other common names for Subutex and Suboxone.  Learn how Subutex and Suboxone are used to help aid in drug detox.

Call Dr. Agresti today to get help with Drug & Alcohol Addiction.

Detox: What are Suboxone and Subutex? Part 1

http://206.189.200.158 ~ (561) 842-9550

Dr. Mark Agresti, West Palm Beach Drug & Alcohol Detox Specialist – Psychiatrist, explains what are Subutex and Suboxone.  He explains the other common names for Subutex and Suboxone.  Learn how Subutex and Suboxone are used to help aid in drug detox.

Call Dr. Agresti today to get help with Drug & Alcohol Addiction.

How to Help a Family Member who is an Addict?

http://206.189.200.158 ~ (561) 842-9550

Dr. Mark Agresti, West Palm Beach Drug & Alcohol Detox Specialist – Psychiatrist, explains how, as a family member, you can help your loved one with drug & alcohol addiction.  He explains how to stop enabling drug and alcohol addicts.  Learn how to cut off the drug & alcohol detox from being enabled to stay in their addiction.

Call Dr. Agresti today to get help with Drug & Alcohol Addiction.

33 Reasons to Stop Alcohol

1. Behavior changes for the worst. Individuals become disrespectful.
2. Feel sick all the time.
3. Never get good nights sleep.
4. Break laws.
5. Spends a lot of money.
6. Hurts your body.
7. Look stupid.
8. Waste time.
9. Aggravate everyone around you.
10. Socially inappropriate. (more…)

Why do people use drugs and alcohol?

http://206.189.200.158 ~ (561) 842-9550

Dr. Mark Agresti, West Palm Beach Drug & Alcohol Detox Specialist – Psychiatrist, discusses why people use drugs and alcohol.  He explains three different reasons that people use drugs and alcohol.  Drugs & Alcohol can be used by people due to learned behavior, genetics or mental illness.

Call Dr. Agresti today to get help with Drug & Alcohol Addiction.

How does a person become an Opiate Addict?

http://206.189.200.158 ~ (561) 842-9550

Dr. Mark Agresti, West Palm Beach Drug & Alcohol Detox Specialist – Psychiatrist, explains normal steps of how a person becomes an Opiate Addict.  He explains the beginning stages of receiving a prescription opiate drug and how the person feels taking them.  Opiates bring a state of euphoria and the tolerance level of the pill builds, meaning more pills to reach the initial state of euphoria are required.  Dr. Agresti discusses the symptoms of physical symptoms of withdrawal for an opiate addict.

Call Dr. Agresti today to get help with Opiate Addiction.

Alcohol Detox: Alcohol Addiction – Detox Wisely!

Dr. Agresti, a West Palm Beach Psychiatrist discusses Alcohol Detox. Alcohol detox is different from other drug detox process, in that it can be fatal to the patient. Know the dangers of alcohol detox and get yourself or a loved one in need help in a medically supervised facility.

Alcohol detox is possible! Call Dr. Agresti today to start life Alcohol Addiction free.

Opiate Detox: Problems that occur after detox

Initially coming off opiates involves acute detox.  That involves anxiety, abdominal cramping, goose flesh, leg jerking, yawning, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and headache and acute distress.  These pains end in five days.  After the detox ends, the real problems begin.  Individuals begin to experience intense craving for the opiate.  They become anxious, depressed and lethargic.  They have no energy and have trouble functioning.  Problems with sleep develop.  People describe feelings; they don’t know who they are or what their purpose in life is.  They have problems interacting with others because they are not sure how to act.  There’s the feeling of loss. Almost as if they are mourning the loss of a lover.  The loss of what they see as an exciting life and living outside the rules.  It’s very difficult for these individuals to be integrated back into society and live normal lives.  They always feel different.  Also in the addict mind is a grandiose sense they are better and superior.   This interferes with them finding jobs and forming relationships with others.  Commonly individuals who stop opiates relapse, use marijuana or alcohol. Involve themselves in toxic relationships.  Some develop gambling behaviors or inappropriate sexual activities.  They continue to look for the high.

Opiate addicts must make an initial step and say to themselves they no longer want to alter their mental state.  Decide the addict personality must go and a new one must be created.  Psychotherapy may be helpful.  Problems with depression, anxiety, insomnia, lethargy and drug cravings can be helped with non-addicting medication from a psychiatrist.

Forget one thing nicotine is usually what kills these people because they smoke too much.

Alcoholism: Is Alcohol Negatively Affecting Someone You Love?

How do you know when alcohol is negatively affecting someone you love? What should you do when you suspect that someone you know is suffering from an alcohol addiction? This article will help you discover signs and symptoms so that you can be prepared to take the proper action against alcohol abuse and addiction.

First, let’s consider the facts. Someone you know or love drinks heavy amounts of alcohol on a regular basis. They seem fine, and their alcohol consumption doesn’t seem to disrupt their daily life. So how do you know if they are abusing alcohol or if an alcohol addiction is forming? Take a little extra time to notice how alcohol currently integrates with your friend’s or family member’s life. Do they drink alcohol every day, or several times a day? Is alcohol a “necessity” for them at every function or celebration? Does alcohol change their behavior significantly? And finally, do they turn to alcohol to deal with difficult situations such as job loss or grief? If you can answer yes to any one of these questions, your friend or family member may be beginning to abuse alcohol or on the verge of an alcohol addiction. If you can answer yes to more than one of these questions, then it may be time to step in and take some action to ensure the safely and health of your loved one. (more…)