{"id":6157,"date":"2019-04-30T10:07:25","date_gmt":"2019-04-30T15:07:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.osfhealthcare.org\/blog\/?p=6157"},"modified":"2020-04-29T14:07:04","modified_gmt":"2020-04-29T19:07:04","slug":"get-better-sleep-by-treating-your-bed-like-your-toilet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/osf-blog.live.imagescape.com\/blog\/get-better-sleep-by-treating-your-bed-like-your-toilet\/","title":{"rendered":"Why you should treat your bed like your toilet"},"content":{"rendered":"

Treating your bedroom more like your toilet can help you get better sleep.<\/p>\n

Yes, you read that right.<\/p>\n

\u201cYour brain and your toilet have a very simple relationship. You go there for one reason,\u201d said Dr. Sarah Zallek<\/a>, medical director for the sleep center<\/a> at OSF HealthCare Illinois Neurological Institute<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Programming your brain<\/h2>\n

Over and over, we go to the bathroom, see the toilet and use it. Quickly, our brains figure out this pattern and make an association between the location and the physical act.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you\u2019re going to go on a road trip, and you know you\u2019ll be in the car for several hours, you might not feel like you have to go to the bathroom right then and there. But once you walk into the bathroom and see the toilet, what happens? It starts to feel like you have to go,\u201d Dr. Zallek said.<\/p>\n

Simplify your routine<\/h2>\n

\"marriedUsing your bed for one thing, and one thing only can help you develop this same kind of neurological relationship so that when you get in bed, your brain knows it\u2019s time to go to sleep.<\/p>\n

Dr. Zallek recommends using your bedroom only for sleeping and sexual activity. Avoid reading, watching TV, eating or using your phone in bed.<\/p>\n

Just like your brain learned to associate your toilet with certain physical activities, it can learn that your bed is the place for sleeping, and begin to slow down when you pull up the covers.<\/p>\n

Using the bedroom for only sleeping and sex is a part of healthy sleep hygiene.<\/p>\n

Most people who experience sporadic insomnia<\/a> or trouble sleeping<\/a> can solve their problems by changing their sleep hygiene. Those who have persistent trouble sleeping or sleeplessness that affects their ability to function during the day, a provider<\/a> who specializes in sleep medicine can help diagnose and treat the cause.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Treating your bedroom more like your toilet can help you get better sleep. Yes, you read that right. \u201cYour brain and your toilet have a very simple relationship. You go there for one reason,\u201d said Dr. Sarah Zallek, medical director for the sleep center at OSF HealthCare Illinois Neurological Institute. Programming your brain Over and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":60,"featured_media":6163,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[99],"tags":[755,364,183,184],"coauthors":[757],"class_list":["post-6157","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-neurosciences","tag-osf-ini","tag-sleep","tag-sleep-deprivation","tag-sleep-disorder"],"yoast_head":"\nGet better sleep by treating your bed like your toilet | OSF HealthCare<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"When you see a toilet, your brain knows it's time to go to the bathroom. 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