Tossing and turning? Here's how to get a good night's sleep


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HOLLADAY — It's 10 o'clock at night and 7-year-old Jack Parry has just fallen asleep. Krista Parry's oldest son has never been a good sleeper.

"You start to doing all the thing you can do to say, 'OK, you get 10 stars sleeping in your bed and then you get something," said Parry, who lives in Holladay.

Parry has trouble sleeping too, especially when she traveled for her corporate job. "I'd be in a different hotel room every day, basically, and it caused me to have sleep problems, where I could not fall asleep."

It can be a long night when you just can't sleep. In her video diary, Parry chronicles a rough night of sleep. "It's 4:15 a.m. I've woken up at 3:30 and 4:15."

"I'd be thinking, 'Oh my gosh, I have such a big day ahead of me. I need to fall asleep right now.' So then that anxiety sets in," she said.

Dr. Russell Foster, of Oxford University, says we have the wrong idea about sleep. "Sleep is regarded as sort of this indulgence or luxury. It's not thought of as this fundamental part of our biology that must be prioritized and taken seriously."

His TED talk has 6 million views. "There is a sound," Foster said on-stage during his TED Talk. Then, an alarm clock sounded. "And what that truly ghastly awful sound does is stop us from the single most important behavioral experience we have."

Sleep deprived people do impulsive things and lack empathy, he said. Parry remembered the challenges of little sleep. "I'd be sitting in these huge meetings that I'd fly across the country for and I would feel like I just couldn't think," she said.

The long term-effects are more chilling: depression, obesity, diabetes and even cancer. For better rest, look at your sleep environment. Foster said, "The brightest room in the house is usually the bathroom and what do we do? We stand in a brightly-lit room cleaning our teeth in the mirror. Ideally, that should be much lower light."

Tossing and turning, waking in the middle of the night: sound familiar? About 40 million people in the U.S. have chronic, long-term sleep problems. A world-renowned sleep expert has solutions. (KSL TV)
Tossing and turning, waking in the middle of the night: sound familiar? About 40 million people in the U.S. have chronic, long-term sleep problems. A world-renowned sleep expert has solutions. (KSL TV)

You can make your bedroom a sanctuary for sleep by removing the television and computers. Install a lamp to keep the light low, and a fan so you're not too warm. Make your bed each day, and invest in a comfortable mattress. Relaxing scents like lavender can also help. "There's a winding down, you know," Foster said. "The bedtime story is really effective at getting kids calmer and getting them into the state of sleep."

Tossing and turning, waking in the middle of the night: sound familiar? About 40 million people in the U.S. have chronic, long-term sleep problems. A world-renowned sleep expert has solutions. (KSL TV)
Tossing and turning, waking in the middle of the night: sound familiar? About 40 million people in the U.S. have chronic, long-term sleep problems. A world-renowned sleep expert has solutions. (KSL TV)

Also, he recommended: avoid stress before bed. Maintain a consistent bedtime and wake-up time. Eat dinner at the same time each night; no later than three hours before bedtime. And, if your child is healthy, don't rush in to get him when he wakes. "Let the child settle himself and then fall back to sleep. If you immediately go to the child every time, then the child will know very quickly that this is what happens," he said. For adults, limit caffeine, especially before bedtime. Don't use alcohol or other sedatives to go to sleep.

If you wake, reduce light exposure but don't stay in bed frustrated. Relax elsewhere and then go back to bed, he said.

Krista Parry made some big changes. She left her corporate job and started her own company, which she manages from home. Now she sleeps better. And so does Jack. "He has more of a routine," Parry said. "He feels better. He loves getting up and going to school."

At the Parry household, nighttime is more restful.

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