Adopt a Healthy Lifestyle

We all have good and bad habits. By focusing on the good, and trying to give up the bad, you can improve your sleep and overall health. 

Maintain a healthy weight to reduce your risk of developing numerous illnesses, including obstructive sleep apnea, high blood pressure, heart disease, and diabetes. Learn more about healthy eating at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s website, www.ChooseMyPlate.gov, and https://www.nutrition.gov/basic-nutrition/healthy-eating.

Prepare healthy meals and snacks at home and on-the-go. Make a cheese and chicken, or turkey, sandwich on whole-grain bread for lunch or dinner, for example. Include a salad and fruit. When you work long days, it’s easy to snack frequently on calorie-dense foods and beverages, such as candy, chips, and sodas. Try cut up peppers, celery, baby carrots, grapes, berries, or nuts, instead. At the end your tour, even a grab-and-go pizza can be a healthy option, if you get veggie toppings, and cut the cheese. Choose a light bedtime snack, such as fruit, cereal, or a handful of nuts.

Exercise regularly to keep your weight down, enhance fitness, and improve both sleep and mood. If you can, make exercise a daily habit. Run or lift weights after breakfast to get your body going, and find ways to add extra steps to your day. If you’re away from home overnight, try to take advantage of your hotel’s exercise room. If that room normally is closed at night, ask the hotel manager to arrange access for you.

If you smoke, get serious about stopping. Smoking harms your health, and that of people around you exposed to your tobacco smoke. Because nicotine is a stimulant, smoking likely disrupts your sleep, too. If your company offers a smoking cessation program, take advantage of it. If not, try to find a program in your community on your own.