- Honor your personal sleep needs. Although the optimal amount of sleep is about 8 hours on average, requirements vary from person to person and somewhat from season to season. "You are probably skimping on the amount of sleep you need if you have signs of drowsiness or poor concentration during the day," says Stahmann.
- Get outdoors. Shoot for an hour or more out in sunlight each day, even if you have to split it up with a 10-minute walk in the morning, lunch on the patio, and a quick Frisbee toss with your dog in the late afternoon. If time or weather constraints force you to stay indoors, Dr. Kripke recommends the use of a light box, a portable unit that allows you to get light even while indoors and is often used for the treatment of seasonal affective disorder (SAD). You can purchase a light box through any of the numerous online stores that offer them for sale. (For more information on light boxes, you can log on to Dr. Kripke's Web site, www.brightenyourlife.info.)
- Don't work odd hours if you can help it. "A growing body of evidence suggests that late night and overnight work schedules are associated with menstrual irregularities, reproductive disturbances, and risk of adverse pregnancy," says Phyllis Zee, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Sleep Disorders Center and associate professor of neurology at Northwestern University Medical School in Chicago. Ideally, men and women should opt out of shiftwork while they're trying to conceive, and women should also try to avoid it while they're pregnant. If you must do shiftwork, be vigilant about getting sufficient rest and recuperation in your hours away from the job, Dr. Zee advises.
- Keep your sleep and wake time consistent. Try to go to bed and get up at the same time every day, even on weekends. The luxury of "sleeping in" comes at a high price, warns Dr. Kripke. It may actually make you groggier, plus it's harder to go to bed on Sunday night and get up on Monday.
- Still your mind. Before bed, avoid paying bills, reading books or watching movies with troubling story lines, and any other activities that could keep your mind racing rather than relaxing into a peaceful sleep. Instead, make a habit out of nightly calming rituals like spiritual reflection and partner massage.
- Adjust your lighting. Turning down dimmer switches and using low-wattage bulbs in the evening are helpful for someone who has trouble falling asleep. On the other hand, if you develop sleep deficiency because you awaken too early, brighter light in the evening may shift your body clock so that you stay asleep longer, says Dr. Kripke.
- Keep a space cushion between stimulants and sleep. Both caffeine and alcohol are discouraged when you're trying to get pregnant, but if you do occasionally indulge, limit your use to more than 5 hours before bedtime. "Even though it may feel as though alcohol helps you fall asleep, it actually disturbs your sleep," notes circadian rhythm researcher Elizabeth Klerman, M.D., assistant professor of medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.
- Stay away from melatonin supplements. "Although it's tempting to self-treat insomnia or jet lag with melatonin supplements, it's not a good idea for any man or woman who is trying to conceive," says Dr. Kripke. "There is a risk of suppressed fertility and even gonadal atrophy in people who take melatonin supplements."
- Be honest about sleep disorders. The National Sleep Foundation offers symptom lists and self-evaluations to help you identify sleep disorders such as insomnia, sleep apnea, and restless legs syndrome. Log on to the Web site www.sleepfoundation.org for more information. If you suspect that you have a sleep disorder, see your doctor -- but make sure she knows that you're trying to conceive so you don't receive contraindicating medications.
Reprinted from: Stay Fertile Longer: Everything You Need to Know to Get Pregnant Now -- Or Whenever You're Ready by Mary Kittel with Deborah Metzger, M.D., Ph.D. © 2004 by Rodale Inc. (September 2004; $13.95US/$19.95CAN; 1-59486-053-X) Permission granted by Rodale, Inc., Emmaus, PA 18098. Available wherever books are sold or directly from the publisher by calling (800) 848-4735 or visit their website at www.rodalestore.com.
Authors
Mary Kittel is a seasoned health writer and coauthor of numerous books, including The Hormone Connection and Prevention's Ultimate Guide to Women's Health and Wellness.
Deborah Metzger, M.D., Ph.D., is a leading expert in the field of fertility and reproductive health. She is medical director of Helena Women's Health in San Jose, California, and was previously associate professor at the University of Connecticut Health Center. She is an advisor to the national Endometriosis Association and has lectured extensively throughout the world.
