Five Sleep Strategies That Work

Duke family nurse practitioner Melissa Fike, FNP-C, with Duke Primary Care Morrisville, suggests these steps:

• Maintain a regular sleep schedule, weekends included.
• Avoid caffeine after lunch and alcohol near bedtime.
• Get regular exercise.
• Ban electronic devices and screens from the bedroom.
• Keep sleeping quarters quiet, dark and cool.

“If you are still awake 20 minutes after going to bed, go into another room and read or find another low key activity,” Fike says. “When you feel sleepy, you can return to bed.”