CLEVELAND — We all dream of getting more sleep.
Whether you have problems falling sleeping occasionally, or have an actual sleep disorder, we want to help you get more rest!
The 3News Go! team talked to Michelle Drerup, PsyD from the Cleveland Clinic's Sleep Disorders Center. She is a sleep psychologist and behavioral sleep medicine specialist, who specializes in treating conditions like insomnia, circadian rhythm disorders, sleep apnea and more.
Dredrup says about 10 percent of the population has symptoms of an insomnia disorder that impacts their daily functioning.
We asked her what she does when she can’t sleep.
“I'm a good sleeper, but if I have difficulty I'll be waking up in the middle of the night," Dredrup says. “My go-to strategy is I turn on a podcast or an audio book, and I listen to it. I don't have to turn on a light, it takes my mind off of thinking about the next day and it helps me fall asleep quickly.
We also asked if there are any foods or beverages that can help you get better sleep. She said no. In fact, it’s the opposite.
"There are foods that can be disruptive to sleep, especially anything with caffeine in it, as well as things that might cause reflux; spicy foods things like that.”
So what about drinking something like warm milk before bed? She says it’s not so much a proven method as much as it is something we associate with helping us to relax.
“Usually when you're drinking warm milk or you're drinking a cup of tea, you're not running around doing things for the next day. You're sitting and you're relaxing.”