Chapter Eight - Sleep Management INADEQUATE SLEEP AFFECTS EVERYTHING: YOUR THINKING/PERCEPTIONS, MOOD, AND BEHAVIOR. It is very common that service members have difficulty sleeping. This can occur from the first night back. It may have been months since you had a normal night’s sleep. It will take time for you to get back to normal in this area, but you can encourage normal sleeping patterns. 13 Steps to Improving Your Sleep

1. Maintain a regular bedtime; avoid variations in bedtime hours greater than 1–2 hours (even on weekends). 2. Maintain a regular awakening time; avoid sleeping in more than one hour. 3. Be attentive to how much total sleep time fits your needs: that which allows you to feel alert and energetic during the day. 4. Do not nap during the day, especially if you have difficulty falling asleep at night. 5. Regular exercise in the morning or early afternoon may deepen sleep. Avoid strenuous physical activity within two hours before bedtime. 6. Plan sexual activity in relation to its affect on your sleep. 7. Find a comfortable bedroom temperature, and maintain it throughout the night; avoid temperature extremes. 8. Avoid heavy meals within two hours of bedtime. A light snack at bedtime, such as milk, cheese, and crackers may help you sleep. 9. Using alcohol and tobacco actually interferes with sleep, so do not use them to help you sleep (you may think alcohol is helping you to sleep, but it prevents the brain during sleep from creating certain chemicals it needs to enable you to think clearly and feel refreshed during the next day). 10. Avoid caffeine after 3:00 P.M. (or earlier if you are sensitive to caffeine). 11. If you have difficulty falling asleep, don’t stay in bed more than 20 minutes. Get up, leave the bedroom, and engage in some quiet activity, such as reading, TV, listening to music, until you become sleepy. 12. Use relaxation tapes or deep breathing in bed as you try to sleep (some find a TV, radio, or fan noise helpful). 13. If worries are keeping you up at night because you kept busy during the day to avoid thinking about them, take time out in the afternoon (not soon before bedtime) to think about these things. It may help to make lists or keep a journal.

Action Plan on Sleep Management In the spaces provided below, you are to develop your Action Plan for sleep. Identify the things listed above that you think might work for you.