Video Transcript

If you're waking up tired every morning, I want you to know that's not normal and you don't have to accept it. I'm Dr. Abinash Joshi, sleep medicine physician and medical director at Owensboro Health. And today, I want to share a few practical tips I give my own patients. 

1. Protect your wake time. Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, including weekends. Your body has an internal clock and consistency is how you keep it running right.
2. Your bedroom should be cool, dark and quiet, and the bed should be for sleep, not for scrolling, not for TV. The more you do in bed while you're awake, the harder it is to fall asleep.
3. Cut caffeine off by early afternoon. Most people don't realize how long caffeine stays active in their system. That afternoon coffee can still be working against you at bedtime.
4. If your mind is racing at night, try slow belly breathing. Inhale for four counts and exhale for six. Do that for a few minutes and you'll feel the difference.
5. If you've been struggling with sleep for weeks, despite doing all the right things, please talk to your doctor. Conditions like sleep apnea or restless legs syndrome are more common than most people realize, and they are very treatable. 

Good sleep changes everything your energy, your mood, your health. You deserve to get there. For more information on this topic or other wellness topics, please call the Healthpark at 270-688-5433.