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Ask Brandon: Falling Asleep & Waking Up Happy

Ask Brandon
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As a sleep expert at Gallery Furniture for more than 14 years, I am very excited and prepared to help you sleep your best! Learning about your sleep needs and how to accomplish them has both immediate and long-term effects. You’ll be more optimistic, productive, and lower your risk of developing serious health conditions in the long run. 

Q: How do I go to sleep fast, stay asleep, and feel like I got some rest?

A: Go to sleep faster: I would advise a pre-bed time ritual. This could include up to 30 minutes of light yoga or prayer. I would additionally advise no alcoholic beverages within 1 hour of the time you plan to go to sleep, as well as no caffeine or sugary foods past 2PM. I would additionally advise getting your sleep environment as dark as possible and keeping it as cool as you can stand; 63-68 degrees F is the ideal temperature. Regarding staying asleep, I would advise to write down all your worries before you go to bed, and stick that note pad in your drawer after completion. That ideally will help you to not have those fears or worries wake you up. If you are able to get 7.5-8.5 or more hours of sleep it would be my hope that you can wake up feeling rested and restored. Thank you!

Q: I don’t suppose you know any way to manage to get any sleep with horrible tinnitus? I don’t think I’ve slept in years…

A: That is an excellent question. Reducing or avoiding caffeine and salt intake is advisable. If you smoke tobacco it is advised to reduce or eliminate that also (Quitting smoking is advised). You may also have lower levels of zinc and may benefit from zinc supplements. If none of those things seem to really help, I would advise seeking out a tinnitus multi-disciplinary program at a tinnitus center, they have therapies which including masking and behavioral therapy. Have a great week and great job fighting through it! Thank you for asking!

Q: Hey Mr. Jackson! Is it considered bad to sleep on your stomach? I find that I almost always fall asleep in that position (even if I don’t stay in that position all night)

A: Thanks for asking! Yes, sleeping on your stomach can cause you to develop health related problems later in life. It puts a lot of pressure on your back, neck and your shoulders, as well as hurting the natural curve of your back, which can lead to soreness. Also, because you have to turn your neck to the side, long periods of this can put the neck out of alignment with the spine and can also lead to nerve irritation. To train yourself to not to sleep on your stomach:  use pillows as barriers to force yourself to sleep on your side, including a pillow for normal use under your head and a pillow between your knees.

According to Benjamin Franklin, “Early to bed early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise!” As a person who has struggled insomnia, I can certainly tell the difference in every aspect of my life that sleep makes. I am more pumped to start my day, my health is in check, and I can remember so much more information! Sleep will bring out the best in you!  Send your sleep questions over to AskBrandonJackson@gmail.com this week!

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