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Sleep tips: 6 steps to better sleep

You're not doomed to toss and turn every night. Consider simple tips for better sleep, from setting a sleep schedule to including physical activity in your daily routine.

Many factors can interfere with a good night's sleep — from work stress and family responsibilities to illnesses. It's no wonder that quality sleep is sometimes elusive.

You might not be able to control the factors that interfere with your sleep. However, you can adopt habits that encourage better sleep. Start with these simple tips.

1. Stick to a sleep schedule

Set aside no more than eight hours for sleep. The recommended amount of sleep for a healthy adult is at least seven hours. Most people don't need more than eight hours in bed to be well rested.

Go to bed and get up at the same time every day, including weekends. Being consistent reinforces your body's sleep-wake cycle.

If you don't fall asleep within about 20 minutes of going to bed, leave your bedroom and do something relaxing. Read or listen to soothing music. Go back to bed when you're tired. Repeat as needed, but continue to maintain your sleep schedule and wake-up time.

2. Pay attention to what you eat and drink

Don't go to bed hungry or stuffed. In particular, avoid heavy or large meals within a couple of hours of bedtime. Discomfort might keep you up.

Nicotine, caffeine and alcohol deserve caution, too. The stimulating effects of nicotine and caffeine take hours to wear off and can interfere with sleep. And even though alcohol might make you feel sleepy at first, it can disrupt sleep later in the night.

3. Create a restful environment

Keep your room cool, dark and quiet. Exposure to light in the evenings might make it more challenging to fall asleep. Avoid prolonged use of light-emitting screens just before bedtime. Consider using room-darkening shades, earplugs, a fan or other devices to create an environment that suits your needs.

Doing calming activities before bedtime, such as taking a bath or using relaxation techniques, might promote better sleep.

4. Limit daytime naps

Long daytime naps can interfere with nighttime sleep. Limit naps to no more than one hour and avoid napping late in the day.

However, if you work nights, you might need to nap late in the day before work to help make up your sleep debt.

5. Include physical activity in your daily routine

Regular physical activity can promote better sleep. However, avoid being active too close to bedtime.

Spending time outside every day might be helpful, too.

6. Manage worries

Try to resolve your worries or concerns before bedtime. Jot down what's on your mind and then set it aside for tomorrow.

Stress management might help. Start with the basics, such as getting organized, setting priorities and delegating tasks. Meditation also can ease anxiety.

Know when to contact your health care provider

Nearly everyone has an occasional sleepless night. However, if you often have trouble sleeping, contact your health care provider. Identifying and treating any underlying causes can help you get the better sleep you deserve.

  • Mayo Clinic Minute: Sleep Spoiler - Tips for a Good Night's Rest

Virend Somers, M.D., Ph.D.: When you don't sleep well, bad things happen.

Vivien Williams: Dr. Virend Somers is a cardiologist who studies sleep.

Dr. Somers: Sleep is very much a multidisciplinary specialty for good reason because sleep affects all the organs of the body.

Vivien Williams: Poor sleep may increase your risk of conditions such as heart disease, obesity, depression, dementia. And it even affects how you look. Dr. Somers offers the following tips: Avoid alcohol and big meals before bed; don't exercise right before bed; and turn off all screens, including your smartphone, an hour before bed.

Dr. Somers: We've got bright lights all over the place, and then we switch the lights off, we lie in bed and expect to sleep. The bedroom, the bed is for sex and sleep. It's not for spreadsheets, it's not for watching TV.

Vivien Williams: He also suggests keeping your bedroom as dark and quiet as possible. Healthy sleep for a healthy life. For the Mayo Clinic News Network, I'm Vivien Williams.

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  • Winkelman JW. Overview of the treatment of insomnia in adults. https://www.uptodate.com/contents/search. Accessed April 11, 2022.
  • Sleep deprivation and deficiency: Healthy sleep habits. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/sleep-deprivation/healthy-sleep-habits. Accessed April 11, 2022.
  • Healthy sleep habits. American Academy of Sleep Medicine. https://sleepeducation.org/healthy-sleep/healthy-sleep-habits/. Accessed April 11, 2022.
  • Anxiety disorders. National Institute of Mental Health. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/anxiety-disorders#part_2220. Accessed April 11, 2022.
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Reset Your Sleep Schedule With These 10 Expert-Approved Strategies

A majority of these proven tactics can start helping you enjoy better sleep hygiene — starting tonight.

a pair of sleep eye masks and other tools used to fix sleep hygiene

Sleep hygiene, or the collective steps to ensure you're enjoying your best sleep on a regular basis, can look and feel very different for each individual based on one's lifestyle. This usually depends on when you may need to be up and active or working, as well as when you eat meals; translating to a different sleep schedule and subsequent habits. In any case, your body is often relying on cues surrounding these daily routines in order to regulate what's known as your internal circadian rhythm . Nestled in a part of the brain known as the hypothalamus , your circadian rhythm is largely governed by the environment you're in or by other cues in your surroundings, like a gradual shift from light to dark .

But issues involving hormones, body temperatures and metabolic influences may also impact your circadian cycle, even after just one night's worth of disruptions or significant changes.

There are a few ways you can work to reverse any disturbance to your sleep schedule and be extra considerate of your circadian rhythm to set yourself up for better sleep tonight. Try troubleshooting your sleep schedule by doing a reset; follow along as we highlight proven tricks and tips for getting back to a good night's sleep.

How to reset your sleep schedule:

If you're trying to improve your sleep hygiene but don't know where to start, try working your way through this list of proven tactics before moving on to other resources available to you.

1. Build-in pockets of break times during your day — especially before bed.

Taking time to wind down in the hours leading up to sleep is indeed important. But often people who are experiencing disruptions to their sleep routine are in the midst of an overbearing schedule that extends throughout the entire day and into the evening. If you're having trouble staying asleep at night, it may be due to a condition known as hyperarousal , explains Jade Wu, Ph.D. , a clinical psychologist in the department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Duke University .

"It's basically because your body and mind are too revved up," she says. "The problem may be what you're doing, or failing to do, during the day. You must make sure you have time to rest, instead of being on the go all day long."

Being busy, either physically or through mental exhaustion , is an easy way to tire yourself out — but if you're not building in periods of time to allow yourself to rest, this may lead to disrupted sleep functions later in the evening. This is especially true for people who are working right up until their bedtime; simply shutting off a computer or stopping chores and making a beeline for a dark bedroom doesn't ensure immediate sleep.

2. Practice a soothing function prior to bed.

It goes hand in hand with scheduling breaks throughout your day, but offsetting stress and cortisol in your body (the hormone that stress produces) is essential to set yourself up for a mindset that's conducive to sleep. If you can tell that the day's stress is following you into your bedroom at night, Wu advises focusing on a relaxing ritual in the hour before you lay down to signal to your brain that it's time to shut down for the evening.

The activity can be something of your choice, and it can be as simple as zoning out over a favorite show or scrolling through a social media feed — as long as you're putting boundaries in to ensure you're not self-sabotaging your bedtime . Sleep specialists have long advocated for meditation or journaling during this time, or even something physical that can be practiced easily in your quarters, like yoga or stretching exercises . Whatever you choose to do, be sure to consistently practice it within the hour you plan to turn off your lights and put your head on the pillow; building this routine may help guide your circadian rhythm over time.

"Make sure to have some dedicated time to process your thoughts, too, or else they'll be pent up and ready to disrupt you during the night," Wu adds. "If you're prone to overthinking or worry during the night, get out of your head and into your body with mindful breathing or another exercise beforehand."

3. Monitor what you eat and drink at night.

Your metabolism has a direct impact on your body's internal clock, says Rebecca Robbins, Ph.D. , a sleep medicine instructor at Harvard Medical School and sleep expert to Oura . Some of the things you consume at night may be obvious culprits for keeping you awake: Caffeinated beverages and sugary sweets , which stimulate you and keep you up later than you may intend. Spicy or acidic foods may also trigger acid reflux or heartburn which may keep you up longer than you'd like.

Alcohol is a nervous system depressant and may seem like it helps you get to sleep, but research confirms that booze before bed may reduce the quality of your sleep by impairing your rapid eye movement (REM) sleep . Alongside a heavy meal late in the day, these kinds of dietary choices may impact you over time — and definitely impacts sleep quality if you have a temporary disruption in routine.

Stick to decaffeinated teas and other soothing beverages, and try reaching for a portion-controlled unprocessed snack if you're hungry before bed; fresh fruit or even a dose of lean protein can help lull you to sleep. There is a wide range of foods that you can incorporate into your end-of-day routine which promotes better sleep if your snacking habits are impeding bedtime.

4. Invest in an air purifier and air conditioning as necessary.

Many people may already know that sleeping hot is one surefire way to damper the quality of your sleep and set yourself up for tossing and turning during the night. A National Institutes of Health (NIH) review suggested that temperatures higher than 75°F in your bedroom overnight (as well as below 54°F in cooler months) may prompt you to have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep during the night.

But temperature and a good air conditioner isn't the only factor to consider when it comes to the air inside your bedroom. Poor ventilation and air quality may impact your lungs and overall sleep quality, especially if you have pets or share your bedroom with more than one person.

"If you have a small bedroom and share it with other humans or animals consistently, the air quality may not be ideal for good quality sleep," Wu says, adding that humans' oxygen saturation levels drop significantly as breathing becomes more shallow during certain stages of sleep. "Keep doors and windows open if possible to keep the air flowing."

5. Limit your exposure to light in the hours before bed.

Whether it's light emitted from an electronic device or if you're someone who needs to sleep during the day to work at night, you need to curtail your exposure to light in order to stimulate your body into a good period of sleep.

For most, this means dimming or turning off lights in your home and in your bedroom; doing so may prompt your circadian rhythm to communicate to your brain to produce melatonin , a sleep hormone that makes you feel naturally tired and drowsy. This includes light produced by electronic screens, from television and computers to smartphones that you may wish to use while lying in bed.

On the flip side, you'll harness natural light and other devices in your home to help you feel more awake when you need to be — a key regulatory function of the circadian rhythm. "When we spend all day indoors, we don't get enough broad-spectrum light exposure, which makes it harder for our circadian clocks to function," Wu explains. "At least half an hour of outdoor light during the day can improve sleep quality."

6. Try sleeping a bit longer.

If you're frequently fighting to drag yourself out of bed in the morning despite sticking to a strict bedtime, this could be your body's way of signaling that you're just not getting enough sleep. "If you are falling short of the recommended seven to nine hours of sleep for adults, you might consider trying to build in a bit more time into your routine by adjusting your bedtime slowly," Robbins advises.

You may need to adjust your sleep habits on a seasonal basis , too, due to the limited amount of sunshine that most experience during the winter. This is especially true if you're experiencing what's known as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) , which is much more common and goes undiagnosed in many individuals with mild cases.

"Our brain is less able to understand when it should be tired and when it should be alert [during the winter]," she adds. "If this is an issue for you, try to get outside and into the light when the sun is up to help train your brain to understand appropriate sleep and wake times."

7. Don't categorize your sleep routine between weekdays and weekends.

Sticking to a strict schedule and good habits during the weekday and then slacking off on weekends may seem innate for some; after all, you don't have to wake up when you're not at work or in school. But doing this on a cycle can easily damage your quality of sleep and make it impossible to maintain a consistent sleep schedule, due to a phenomenon that sleep experts call " social jetlag."

"When we sleep and rise at very different times on workdays versus days off, it's like we're traveling multiple time zones throughout the week and getting jetlagged," Wu says. "This confuses our circadian clocks, making our sleep quality and daytime functioning worse."

If you're finding that you're having a lot of trouble getting to sleep or are feeling particularly restless on Sunday , Monday or Tuesday , social jetlag is likely a root cause — and a key indicator you'll need to maintain a recurrent wake-up time each morning to avoid the issue. Organizing your sleep schedule around a consistent wake-up time rather than a consistent bedtime will ensure your circadian rhythm helps you truly feel sleepy at the end of the day rather than tossing and turning in bed.

8. Avoid getting into bed when you don't feel sleepy.

This is also true for someone who frequently wakes up in the middle of the night and can't get back to sleep. Consistently using your bed to signal your brain that it's time to sleep — rather than simply lounging, eating a meal, binging shows or doomscrolling — can become part of a routine that helps those who frequently are tossing and turning from becoming frustrated and being unable to sleep.

"If you toss and turn after getting back into bed, start over again — get out of your bed and only get back when you actually feel tired," Robbins advises, adding that people can also use this tactic if they have to use the bathroom in the middle of the night.

Setting boundaries in your bedroom to truly delegate sleeping to your bed on its own can be very helpful if you can't seem to find a solution for tossing and turning on end. Don't try to adhere to a bedtime by begrudgingly laying in bed if you feel alert and awake; try other techniques listed in this guide to calm down, and feel out your circadian clock to really know when you're ready to lay down and hit the pillow.

9. Skip naps and hold out for your bedtime.

Taking a power nap seems like a good solution if you've recently experienced an interruption in your sleeping routine — whether it's traveling into another time zone or simply because you've been sleeping poorly at home recently. But napping can inevitably cause you to feel more tired and groggy than you did before in most cases, as it only takes between 60 and 90 minutes for your body to slip into REM sleep , and waking up from that prematurely contributes to this sensation.

To avoid impacting your circadian rhythm, try avoiding naps altogether — if you can't skip a nap for whatever reason, be sure to keep it to 30 minutes or less and make it as early in the day as possible. Doing so may leave your circadian clock better positioned for a regular bedtime later, as Mayo Clinic officials have noted.

10. Don't quit your current sleep habits cold turkey.

This may sound counterintuitive, but you can't expect results overnight — adopt all of these techniques and new objectives on a rolling basis, as abruptly changing your sleeping habits can easily lead to more disaster before any growth. One key aspect to think about is an adjusted bedtime; it's very easy to dip into sleeping time than it is to make more of it, so be easy on yourself at first.

Both Robbins and Wu, alongside many other sleep experts, advise easing into a new, optimized bedtime by training yourself to get into bed earlier in 15-minute increments every three days. If you have a sleep routine already, including wind-down activities, bumping these up too can help impact your circadian rhythm naturally over time.

Temporary issues that may be impacting your sleep schedule:

A disruption in your sleep schedule and subsequent quality of rest can be expected due to a myriad of lifestyle choices, most of which you can immediately address by using some of the tactics we've highlighted in the sections above.

You should expect that your sleep schedule will be impacted due to issues like:

  • Pulling an all-nighter
  • Traveling through multiple time zones on long-haul trips
  • Jet lag on extended trips
  • Temporary evening work shifts
  • Light pollution at home
  • Temporary illness as well as stress and anxiety

While it's normal for your sleep schedule to be temporarily disrupted or impaired due to these issues, there may be other root causes behind declining sleep quality that you'll need help addressing. Since having an inconsistent sleep schedule often quickly leads to poor sleep, chronic health issues or lifestyle choices that are leading you to experience sleep disruption should be addressed with your healthcare provider. Without working to reverse these chronic disruptions, research suggests that poor sleep quality and an impacted circadian rhythm can lead to depression , other sleep disorders , seasonal affective disorder (known as SAD), as well as physical drawbacks like an increased risk of obesity and diabetes .

Sleep can easily be impacted by lifestyle choices that you may need help from a doctor in managing in the long run; namely, proper nutrition, sustained exercise and stress management, explains Ali Rodriguez, M.D. , an Arizona-based OB-GYN and women's health expert to health technology brand Oura . "A lot of people don't realize that exercise, for example, helps our sleep; moving your body for at least 30 minutes five days a week contributes to better sleep," Dr. Rodriguez says.

Mental health may also come into play and require a helping hand, Robbins adds. "Managing stress across the day is important and can help with sleep; research suggests those who practice meditation and mindfulness get better sleep and take a bit less time to fall asleep than those without these skills," she says.

When it's time to see a doctor : One key indicator is a chronic toss-and-turn that lasts for more than 30 minutes. If you've experienced this issue almost every night during the week and have done so for more than 3 months, it's time to seek out medical input . This time frame remains true for most sleep issues, like chronically waking up in the middle of the night — or having trouble getting out of bed in the morning.

Dr. Rodriguez stresses checking in with your healthcare provider is also crucial when you can no longer get through essential tasks within your daily routine. Given that current Centers for Disease Control and Prevention figures peg more than 70 million Americans as being influenced by underlying sleep disorders, some of which may silently impact circadian rhythms, there may be an issue that requires medical attention before you're able to truly enjoy a good night's sleep.

Headshot of Zee Krstic

Zee Krstic is a content strategy manager for Hearst Magazines, focusing on SEO optimization and other editorial strategies for four brands, including Country Living, House Beautiful, ELLE Decor and VERANDA. He previously served as Health Editor for Good Housekeeping between 2019 and 2023, covering health news, diet and fitness trends as well as executing wellness product reviews in conjunction with the Good Housekeeping Institute. Prior to joining Hearst, Zee fostered a strong background in women's lifestyle media with eight plus years of editorial experience, including as a site-wide editor at Martha Stewart Living after developing a nutrition background as an assistant editor at Cooking Light . Zee produces service-based health coverage, as well as design and travel content, for Hearst brands on a contributor basis; he has written about food and dining for Time, among other publications.

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Get tips for healthy sleep, and learn about the different ways to treat sleep disorders, including devices, therapies, medicines, and procedures. 

Healthy sleep habits

You can take steps to improve your sleep habits. First, make sure that you give yourself enough time to sleep. With enough sleep each night, you may find that you're happier and more productive during the day.

To improve your sleep habits, it also may help to:

  • Make your bedroom sleep friendly.  Sleep in a cool, quiet, dark place. Avoid watching TV or looking at electronic devices, as the light from these sources can disrupt your sleep-wake cycle.
  • Go to sleep and wake up around the same time each day, even on the weekends. If you can, avoid night shifts, a schedule that changes, or other things that may disrupt your sleep schedule. This can be challenging for new parents or shift workers. Learn more tips to help you get good-quality sleep and prevent problems over time.
  • Avoid caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol close to your bedtime. Although alcohol can make it easier to fall asleep, it can cause you to have a sleep that tends to be lighter than normal. This makes it more likely that you will wake up during the night.
  • Get regular physical activity during the daytime (at least 5 to 6 hours before going to bed). Exercising close to bedtime can make it harder to fall asleep.
  • Avoid naps,  especially in the afternoon. This may help you sleep longer at night.
  • Eat meals on a regular schedule  and avoid late-night dinners.
  • Limit how much fluids you drink close to bedtime. This may help you sleep longer without having to use the bathroom.
  • Learn new ways to manage stress.  Follow a routine that helps you wind down and relax before bed. For example, read a book, listen to soothing music, or take a hot bath. Your healthcare provider may also recommend other ways to relax, including massage therapy, meditation, or yoga. 
  • Talk to your healthcare provider about over-the-counter and prescription medicines  that may be disrupting your sleep (for example, some cold and allergy medicines).

Light therapy

Light therapy involves sitting in front of a light box, which produces bright light similar to sunlight. Light visors and light glasses may also be effective. Light therapy may help adjust the amount of melatonin your body needs to make to reset your sleep-wake cycle.

  • To move your sleep and wake times earlier,  use the light box when you wake up in the morning. This may also help reduce daytime sleepiness. This method may be used to help treat delayed sleep-wake phase disorder, irregular sleep-wake rhythm disorder, and jet lag disorder when you travel east.
  • To move your sleep and wake times later,  use the light box late in the afternoon or early in the evening. This method may be used to help treat advanced sleep-wake phase disorder, shift work disorder, and jet lag disorder when you travel west.

Side effects of light therapy may include agitation, eye strain, headaches, migraines, and nausea. Ask your healthcare provider before using light therapy if you have an eye condition or use medicines that make you sensitive to light.

Orofacial therapy

Exercises for your mouth and facial muscles, also called orofacial therapy, may help treat sleep apnea in children and adults. This therapy helps improve the position of your tongue and strengthens the muscles that control your lips, tongue, upper airway, and face.

Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I)

CBT-I is a 6- to 8-week treatment plan to help you learn how to fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer. This is usually recommended as the first treatment option for long-term insomnia and can be very effective. CBT-I can be done by a healthcare provider, nurse, or therapist; you can do it in person, by telephone, or online. It involves the following parts:

  • Cognitive therapy  helps you feel less nervous about not being able to sleep.
  • Relaxation or meditation therapy  teaches you how to relax and fall asleep faster.
  • Sleep education  helps you learn good sleep habits.
  • Sleep restriction therapy gives you a specific amount of time to spend in bed, even if you are not able to sleep during this time. With time, this helps you sleep better when you go to bed. Your sleep time can be increased when you start to sleep better.
  • Stimulus control therapy  helps you have a regular sleep-wake cycle so you can link being in bed with being asleep. This involves going to bed only when you are sleepy, getting out of bed if you cannot sleep, and using your bed only for sleep and sexual activity.

Medicines to help you fall asleep

If you are having trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, and improving your sleep habits and other therapies have not helped, your healthcare provider may talk to you about medicines to help you sleep. Many of these medicines have side effects and should not be taken long term.

Prescription medicines

Some prescription medicines used to treat other health conditions can also increase your risk of developing sleep conditions.

  • Benzodiazepine receptor agonists are medicines such as zolpidem, zaleplon, and eszopiclone. Side effects may include anxiety. Rare side effects may include having a severe allergic reaction or doing activities while asleep such as walking, eating, or driving.
  • Melatonin receptor agonists are medicines such as ramelteon. Side effects can include dizziness and fatigue. Some people experience the rare side effects of doing activities while they are asleep, like walking, eating, or driving; or they may have a severe allergic reaction.
  • Orexin receptor antagonists such as suvorexant are not recommended for people who have  narcolepsy . Rare side effects may include doing activities while asleep such as walking, eating, or driving; or not being able to move or speak for several minutes while going to sleep or waking up.
  • Benzodiazepines may be prescribed for insomnia if other treatments and medicines have not worked. Talk to your healthcare provider about the side effects of these medicines, which can include dizziness, confusion, and muscle weakness. Benzodiazepines can also interact dangerously with other medicines. They can be habit-forming and should be taken for only a few weeks.

Off-label medicines

In some cases, healthcare providers may prescribe medicines that are commonly used for other health conditions but are not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat insomnia. Some of these medicines include antidepressants, antipsychotics, and anticonvulsants.

Over-the-counter (OTC) medicines and supplements

Tell your healthcare provider about any OTC products that you are taking.

  • OTC products that contain antihistamines are sold as sleep aids. Although these products might make you sleepy, talk to your provider before taking them, as antihistamines can be unsafe for some people.
  • Melatonin supplements are lab-made versions of the sleep hormone melatonin. Many people take melatonin supplements to improve their sleep. These supplements are not regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration like medicines. Because of this, the dose and purity of these supplements can vary between brands. Talk with your provider about how to find safe, effective melatonin supplements, and also about possible side effects or medicine interactions, especially if you are pregnant or trying to become pregnant. Side effects of melatonin may include excess sleepiness, headaches, high blood pressure , low blood pressure , stomach upsets, and worsening symptoms of depression.
  • Dietary supplements may help you sleep, but they can also have health risks. Talk to your healthcare provider before using dietary supplements.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates dietary supplements under a different set of regulations than those covering "conventional" foods and medicines. The FDA does not currently review dietary supplement products for safety and effectiveness before they are marketed.

Medicines to help you stay awake

Some people with sleep conditions, like narcolepsy , need to take medicine to help them stay awake during the day. Sometimes, people can use caffeine to help promote wakefulness, but other times, prescription medicine is required.

  • Stimulants, or wakefulness-promoting agents, can help with daytime alertness. The effects of these medicines may last only for a short time, and you may still experience some sleepiness.
  • Depressants, such as sodium oxybate, treat daytime sleepiness and cataplexy, the sudden loss of voluntary muscle control. Side effects can include bedwetting, headache, and dizziness.

Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP)

CPAP is a device that uses mild air pressure to keep your airways open while you sleep. A CPAP machine includes a mask that fits over your nose or your nose and mouth with straps that position the mask. It also includes a tube that connects the mask to the machine’s motor and a motor that blows air into the tube.

For the treatment to work, you should use your CPAP machine every time you sleep, including during naps. You should also take your CPAP machine with you when you travel. It will take some time and patience to get used to your CPAP machine.

More about CPAP

Oral devices

Oral devices are devices that you wear in your mouth while you sleep. These are often custom-made by a dentist or orthodontist (a dentist who specializes in correcting teeth or jaw problems) to fit your mouth or jaw. Oral devices hold your jaw or tongue in a position that helps keep your airway open. You may need an oral device if you have mild sleep apnea or if your apnea happens only when you are lying on your back. If you have sleep apnea , your doctor may prescribe an oral device if you do not want to use CPAP or cannot tolerate CPAP.

There are two types of oral devices that work differently to open the upper airway while you sleep. Some hybrid devices have features of both types.

  • Mandibular advancement devices  cover the upper and lower teeth and hold the jaw in a position that prevents it from blocking the upper airway.
  • Tongue retaining devices are mouthpieces that hold the tongue in a forward position to prevent it from blocking the upper airway.

A new type of oral device was recently approved by the FDA for use while awake. The device delivers electrical muscle stimulation through a removable mouthpiece that sits around the tongue. You wear the mouthpiece once a day for 20 minutes at a time, for 6 weeks. The device stimulates the tongue muscle while awake to help prevent the tongue from collapsing backward and obstructing the airway during sleep.

Your dentist or orthodontist will make sure your device is comfortable and teach you how to use it to get the best results.

For the treatment of sleep apnea , if a CPAP or other oral devices do not work, you may need surgery.

  • Adenotonsillectomy surgery removes the tonsils and adenoids.
  • Surgery to place an implant may help monitor your breathing patterns and control certain muscles that open your airways during sleep. Other types of implants, called nerve stimulators, can help control your tongue muscles while you sleep. This helps prevent your tongue from blocking your airway.
  • Surgery to remove some soft tissue from your mouth and throat can make your upper airway bigger.
  • A maxillary or jaw advancement surgery moves your upper jaw (maxilla) and lower jaw (mandible) forward. This helps make your upper airway bigger.
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  • Sleep Health

How to Fix Your Sleeping Schedule

Last Updated: February 20, 2024 References

This article was co-authored by Alex Dimitriu, MD . Alex Dimitriu, MD is the Owner of Menlo Park Psychiatry and Sleep Medicine, a clinic based in the San Francisco Bay Area with expertise in psychiatry, sleep, and transformational therapy. Alex earned his Doctor of Medicine from Stony Brook University in 2005 and graduated from the Stanford University School of Medicine's Sleep Medicine Residency Program in 2010. Professionally, Alex has dual board certification in psychiatry and sleep medicine. There are 7 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been viewed 559,991 times.

If your sleep schedule is erratic, or just not where you want it to be, there are ways to get it back on track. In many cases, setting a pre-sleep routine, adjusting some daytime habits, and developing an awareness of your particular sleep needs will help. With a little planning, you can get to sleep easier, get the right amount of sleep, and wake feeling well-rested.

Setting your Sleep Schedule

Step 1 Review your sleep needs.

  • This includes not hitting the snooze button. Although it can be tempting, snoozing a bit longer doesn't really add to the quality of your sleep, and it disturbs your schedule. [2] X Research source

Step 3 Gradually make any necessary adjustments to your sleep schedule.

  • If you are trying to figure out how many hours of sleep you need, use the sleep journal entries from a period of a few weeks to find your average number of hours of sleep per night.

wikiHow Quiz: Why Can't I Sleep?

Which of the following best describes your nighttime routine.

Most nights, I scroll on my phone or look at emails before dozing off.

I spend a long time laying in bed before going to sleep.

I’m usually doing chores or work right before turning out the light.

I have a specific pre-bed routine. I don’t look at screens, and I might even try to meditate.

Adjusting Habits to Improve your Sleep

Step 1 Have the right food and drink at the right time.

  • Don't eat too much at night. Your last meal should be no less than 2 or 3 hours before your bedtime.
  • Small, healthy snacks make the best choices if you need something before sleep.

Step 2 Avoid stimulants and depressants when trying to adjust your sleep schedule.

Maintaining your Sleep Schedule

Step 1 Set a pre-sleep routine to achieve and maintain a regular sleep schedule.

  • Your pre-sleep routine could incorporate a bath, reading a book, relaxing music, and other things that help you unwind.
  • Some people find it helpful to use aids to lessen outside distractions, like ear plugs, the white noise of a small fan, or soft, calming music. [12] X Research source
  • Whatever your routine, make sure that you are comfortable. For some, this means thinking about altering a mattress, pillow, bedding, etc. [13] X Trustworthy Source Mayo Clinic Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals Go to source

Step 2 If you don't fall asleep after fifteen minutes, do something else.

  • Turn on the lights or open the curtains as soon as you wake up.
  • Wearing sunglasses later in the day dims light, which can help you becomes sleepy. [18] X Research source

Step 4 Seek help if you can't adjust your sleep schedule.

Sleep Diary and Calculator

how to fix my sleeping problems

Expert Q&A

Alex Dimitriu, MD

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Know How Much Sleep You Need

  • ↑ Alex Dimitriu, MD. Sleep Specialist. Expert Interview. 16 October 2019.
  • ↑ http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2012/05/09/7-tips-to-shift-your-sleep-schedule/
  • ↑ http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/features/reset-sleep-cycle?page=2
  • ↑ http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/in-depth/sleep/art-20048379?pg=1
  • ↑ http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/in-depth/sleep/art-20048379
  • ↑ http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/features/reset-sleep-cycle?page=3
  • ↑ http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/features/reset-sleep-cycle

About This Article

Alex Dimitriu, MD

Medical Disclaimer

The content of this article is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, examination, diagnosis, or treatment. You should always contact your doctor or other qualified healthcare professional before starting, changing, or stopping any kind of health treatment.

Read More...

To fix your sleep schedule, set up a pre-sleep routine and stick to it. For example, get comfortable in bed, put on some quiet music, and read a book before bedtime. Plan to get your exercise and enjoy your caffeinated drinks early in the day, since these are stimulants that wake your body up. Also, try to get off you phone or computer 30 minutes before bedtime, because the light from these screens can disrupt your body’s sleep cues. Additionally, you’ll sleep better if you eat healthy meals during the day, and eat your last meal at least 2-3 hours before you go to bed. For tips from our Medical reviewer on how to set up your sleep schedule, keep reading! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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Insomnia means you regularly have problems sleeping. It usually gets better by changing your sleeping habits.

Check if you have insomnia

You have insomnia if you regularly:

  • find it hard to go to sleep
  • wake up several times during the night
  • lie awake at night
  • wake up early and cannot go back to sleep
  • still feel tired after waking up
  • find it hard to nap during the day even though you're tired
  • feel tired and irritable during the day
  • find it difficult to concentrate during the day because you're tired

If you have insomnia for a short time (less than 3 months) it’s called short-term insomnia. Insomnia that lasts 3 months or longer is called long-term insomnia.

How much sleep you need

Everyone needs different amounts of sleep.

On average:

  • adults need 7 to 9 hours
  • children need 9 to 13 hours
  • toddlers and babies need 12 to 17 hours

You probably do not get enough sleep if you're constantly tired during the day.

What causes insomnia

The most common causes are:

  • stress, anxiety or depression
  • a room that's too hot or cold
  • uncomfortable beds
  • alcohol, caffeine or nicotine
  • recreational drugs like cocaine or ecstasy

Conditions and medicines that can cause insomnia:

  • mental health conditions, such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder
  • Alzheimer's disease or Parkinson's disease
  • restless legs syndrome
  • overactive thyroid

Many medicines for these illnesses can also cause insomnia.

Things that keep you from getting a good night's sleep:

  • long-term pain
  • sleepwalking
  • snoring or interrupted breathing while sleeping (sleep apnoea)
  • suddenly falling asleep anywhere (narcolepsy)
  • nightmares or night terrors (children can have these)

How you can treat insomnia yourself

Insomnia usually gets better by changing your sleeping habits.

Do go to bed and wake up at the same time every day relax at least 1 hour before bed, for example, take a bath or read a book make sure your bedroom is dark and quiet – use curtains, blinds, an eye mask or ear plugs if needed exercise regularly during the day make sure your mattress, pillows and covers are comfortable Don’t

do not smoke or drink alcohol, tea or coffee at least 6 hours before going to bed

do not eat a big meal late at night

do not exercise at least 4 hours before bed

do not watch television or use devices, like smartphones, right before going to bed, because the bright light makes you more awake

do not nap during the day

do not drive when you feel sleepy

do not sleep in after a bad night's sleep and stick to your regular sleeping hours instead

How a pharmacist can help with insomnia

You can buy tablets or liquids (sometimes called sleeping aids) from a pharmacy that may help you sleep better.

Some contain natural ingredients such as valerian or lavender, while others contain an antihistamine.

They cannot cure insomnia but may help you sleep better for 1 to 2 weeks. They should not be taken for any longer.

Some of these products can have side effects, for instance, they may make you drowsy. This could make it difficult for you to do certain things like drive.

Check with your doctor before taking anything for your sleep problems.

Non-urgent advice: See a GP if:

  • changing your sleeping habits has not worked
  • you have had trouble sleeping for months
  • your insomnia is affecting your daily life in a way that makes it hard for you to cope

Treatment from a GP

A GP will try to find out what's causing your insomnia so you get the right treatment.

Sometimes you'll be referred to a therapist for cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) .

This can help you change the thoughts and behaviours that keep you from sleeping.

You may be referred to a sleep clinic if you have symptoms of another sleep disorder such as sleep apnoea.

GPs now rarely prescribe sleeping pills to treat insomnia. Sleeping pills can have serious side effects and you can become dependent on them.

Sleeping pills are only prescribed for a few days, or weeks at the most, if:

  • your insomnia is very bad
  • other treatments have not worked

Page last reviewed: 12 March 2021 Next review due: 12 March 2024

Everyday Health Logo

How to Fix Your Sleep Schedule

Kristen Stewart

There’s a reason we tend to feel sleepy around the same time each night — and why, if we don’t set an alarm, we tend to wake up at the same time in the mornings. As long as we’re not pulling all-nighters or traveling across several time zones, our bodies tend to want to follow consistent sleep patterns, which is key for getting the high-quality sleep we need.

And because our sleep schedules depend on the signals we send our bodies (“It’s not time to go to bed yet — there’s another episode of [insert whatever show you’re currently bingeing here] queued up!”), that means we can send our bodies signals to adjust and reset our sleep schedules, too. Just because you’re in a rut of going to bed at 2 a.m. doesn’t mean you can’t fix your bedtime plan.

RELATED: All About Sleep Cycles and the Stages of Sleep

Understanding Your Body Clock

If you do want to fix your sleep schedule, you’re going to need to reset your body clock. Our body clocks regulate our bodies’ circadian rhythms , the patterns of physical, mental, and behavioral changes, including sleep patterns, regulated by body temperature, hormone secretion, and external factors like light and darkness.

Our body’s master clock is located in a part of the brain’s hypothalamus called the suprachiasmatic nucleus, which receives light information from the retina in the eye and sends the information to other parts of the brain, including the gland that releases the sleep-signaling hormone  melatonin , says  Rochelle Zozula, PhD , a sleep specialist and owner of Sleep Services International in Bridgewater, New Jersey. “Light suppresses that production of melatonin, which is directly involved in sleep initiation,” she says.

That means the light signals you send your brain, whether from sunlight or a glowing computer and cell phone screens, are some of the key factors that can either keep your sleep schedule on track, get it back on track, or throw it off significantly.

Is Screen Time Before Bed Messing With Your Sleep?

Is Screen Time Before Bed Messing With Your Sleep?

Next up video playing in 10 seconds

Why our sleep schedules get off track.

Additionally, things like traveling across time zones or staying up a lot later than usual can throw off sleep patterns because we’re asking our bodies to sleep at different times than our bodies’ internal clocks are telling us to sleep.

It’s problematic, not only because having a misaligned body clock and sleep schedule on a day-to-day basis can result in poor sleep quality (and you not getting the sleep you need), but over time, that misalignment has been linked to several chronic health problems, such as  sleep disorders , obesity, diabetes, depression, bipolar disorder, and  seasonal affective disorder , among others.

“DSPS is a circadian rhythm disorder associated with an inability to fall asleep at the individual’s desired time [typically several hours later] and an inability to wake up at the desired time,” says Dr. Zozula. “Due to the individual’s daytime obligations, a person with DSPS may be forced to wake up earlier and go against their natural circadian tendency.” This can lead to chronic sleep deprivation, poor performance, and depression .

Tips for Resetting Your Sleep Schedule

What can you do to fix your sleep schedule if you have fallen into a pattern that’s not working for you, are having trouble getting up in the morning, or are staying up later than you want? Try taking these steps to get your sleep patterns on the track that works for you:

  • Adjust your bedtime, but be patient.  If you’re aiming to go to sleep earlier, try slowly scaling back your bedtime until you are at the desired hour. Often you may need help from a physician with this. “As a general rule, it’s easier to push away sleep than to advance sleep,” says  Rafael Pelayo, MD , clinical professor at the Stanford Sleep Medicine Center and the Stanford University School of Medicine in Palo Alto, California. “So you could stay up later an hour at a time, but going to bed earlier is hard to do.” To get to sleep earlier, Dr. Pelayo recommends going slowly and in small increments, adjusting no more than 15 minutes earlier every two or three days.
  • Do not nap, even if you feel tired.  Napping can interfere with going to sleep at night. Pelayo recommends scheduling exercise when you feel like napping. “The exercise will chase away the sleepiness. Then you can save up that drive to sleep for later,” he says.
  • Do not sleep in, and get up at the same time each day.  Being consistent is important in maintaining a functioning sleep schedule. Get a good alarm clock and don’t hit snooze. “The clock in your head needs instructions,” says Pelayo. The brain expects that people more or less wake up at the same time every day — and either doing so or not serves up those instructions to the brain. “The idea of weekends or travel across time zones is foreign to how the brain works. That’s what throws it off,” he says. Once you’re in a good pattern when it comes to bed and wake times, stick to it as best you can. Even one late night can disrupt the progress you’ve made, Pelayo says. Predictability is key.
  • Set the mood and create a relaxing bedtime routine.  Take a warm bath and play some relaxing music, or do something else you find relaxing. Make sure that your bed is comfortable, the room is dark, and the temperature is not too warm. “You want to look forward to sleeping. Going to sleep should not be a chore,” adds Pelayo.

How long it will likely take to fix your sleep schedule and reset your body clock depends on what’s causing you to be off. If you’re simply adjusting after being in a different time zone, “the rule of thumb is that it usually takes one day per time zone,” Pelayo says. “But some people take two weeks to adjust if it’s a really long trip.”

For people with a condition like DSPS, getting back on track depends on how long the pattern has been entrenched. “We tell people to wait one or two months,” says Pelayo. “If people have had poor sleep for years, they’re surprised when they start getting better. And when you’re surprised about your sleep getting better, that wakes you up, because you’re not sure it’s going to keep working. It takes maybe two months for the novelty of sleeping well to wear off.”

Changing your sleep schedule (particularly if you have delayed sleep phase syndrome) isn’t easy, but with the proper discipline, it can be done. “Don’t get upset with yourself, because it just makes the problem worse,” Pelayo says. “Know that sleep will come eventually.”

With additional reporting by Deb Shapiro and Carmen Chai.

Editorial Sources and Fact-Checking

Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy . We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.

  • Whittle M. Circadian Rhythm. Sleep Doctor . January 24, 2024.
  • Brain Basics: Understanding Sleep. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke . July 19, 2023.
  • Pacheco D. What Is Shift Work?. Sleep Foundation . November 3, 2023.
  • Roenneberg T. How Can Social Jetlag Affect Health?. Nature Reviews Endocrinology . July 2023.
  • Pacheco D. Sleep Disorders. Sleep Foundation . May 16, 2022.
  • Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome. Cleveland Clinic . October 13, 2023.
  • Burgess HJ et al. Home Lighting Before Usual Bedtime Impacts Circadian Timing: A Field Study. Photochemistry and Photobiology . May–June 2014.
  • Myllymäki T et al. Effects of Vigorous Late-Night Exercise on Sleep Quality and Cardiac Autonomic Activity. Journal of Sleep Research . March 2011.
  • Stutz J et al. Effects of Evening Exercise on Sleep in Healthy Participants: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Sports Medicine . February 2019.
  • Pacheco D. Healthy Bedtime Snacks to Eat Before Sleep. Sleep Foundation . November 8, 2023.
  • Hojjati P. How the Timing of Light Exposure Could Be Affecting Your Health. Michigan Medicine . August 6, 2020.
  • Does a Bad Night’s Sleep Affect Your Health?. Cleveland Clinic . October 27, 2021.

Watch CBS News

After AT&T customers hit by widespread outage, carrier says service has been restored

By Brian Dakss, Aimee Picchi

Edited By Anne Marie Lee

Updated on: February 22, 2024 / 8:17 PM EST / CBS News

Customers of numerous U.S. cell service providers reported outages and other service problems early Thursday morning, according to the website  Downdetector.com , which tracks such reports. AT&T had the most by far, with tens of thousands of customers telling Downdetector they had no service.

Customers of T-Mobile, Verizon, UScellular and Consumer Cellular were also reporting issues, though far fewer. T-Mobile and Verizon told CBS News that their networks were operational, although some customers may be encountering problems when trying to reach people on another network.

The reports of AT&T outages appear to have started at around 4 a.m. EST, Downdetector said, then seemed to wane some two hours later, then picked up again and were about 60,000 at 11 a.m. EST.

But by 3:10 p.m. EST on Thursday AT&T  said  the problem had been resolved.

"We have restored wireless service to all our affected customers," AT&T said on its website. "We sincerely apologize to them. Keeping our customers connected remains our top priority, and we are taking steps to ensure our customers do not experience this again in the future."

Later Thursday night, the company attributed the outage to a software bug.

"Based on our initial review, we believe that today's outage was caused by the application and execution of an incorrect process used as we were expanding our network, not a cyber attack," the company  said on its website . "We are continuing our assessment of today's outage to ensure we keep delivering the service that our customers deserve."

United states cluster map showing concentration of user-submitted problem reports over the last 24 hours to Downdetector.com.

Officials: Don't call 911 to test your phone

Earlier in the day, some officials urged people not to call 911 to test whether their phone was working. 

"Many 911 centers in the state are getting flooded w/ calls from people trying to see if 911 works from their cellphone. Please do not do this," the Massachusetts State Police wrote on X, the former Twitter.

Likewise, Chicago's Office of Emergency Management & Communications had a similar message for local residents, noting that on X that people who actually need to get through to 911 should use a landline or find a friend or relative who uses a service other than AT&T and ask them to make the call.

Some municipalities experienced difficulties with 911 service.

The San Francisco Fire Department said in a post on X, "We are aware of an issue impacting AT&T wireless customers from making and receiving any phone calls (including to 911). We are actively engaged and monitoring this. The San Francisco 911 center is still operational."

In North Carolina, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department said on X at 3:15 a.m. EST that it was "aware of a nationwide outage impacting AT&T cellphone customers this morning. Customers were briefly unable to contact 9-1-1. There are no disruptions to our call center's ability to receive 9-1-1 calls. Service should be returning shortly."

And in Florida, the Flagler County Sheriff's Office posted on X at 6:43 a.m. EST that, "Texts to 911 from affected AT&T users are now being received. If you have an emergency, and cannot dial out, send a text message to 911."

The transit system serving Philadelphia and its suburbs, SEPTA, said on X that, "Due to AT&T communication outages, some trains may reflect a delay, however all trains are operating on or close to schedule."

AT&T outage

As of 8 a.m. ET on Thursday, Downdetector had more than 60,000 reports of service issues from AT&T customers. Most of the complaints were focused on problems with their mobile phones or wireless service. 

Outages were highest in Atlanta, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Indianapolis, Louisville, Miami and San Antonio, according to Downdetector.

In a statement to CBS News, Verizon said its network was operating normally, although some customers experienced issues earlier Thursday when calling or texting people who use another carrier. It said that it was continuing to monitor the situation. 

A spokesperson for T-Mobile said it didn't experience an outage and that its network was operating normally.

"Downdetector is likely reflecting challenges our customers were having attempting to connect to users on other networks," the spokesperson said.

UScellular also told CBS News that its network was operating normally. 

"We are, however, aware of a disruption that could be impacting UScellular customers attempting to roam on or call customers of another carrier," it said in a statement.

How to turn on Wi-Fi calling

Even if you have no cellular service, you should be able to make phone calls using wireless internet access, which is what AT&T is recommending for its customers. 

To turn on Wi-Fi calling on an iPhone, go to "settings," then "phone" and next click on "Wi-Fi" calling. Apple says you may need to confirm or enter your address for emergency services. 

You'll see "Wi-Fi" in the status bar while you are looking at the control center, which means your phone will use the wireless internet service in your home or office to make calls. 

To turn on Wi-Fi calling on Android phones, Google says to open your phone app, then tap "more settings." Then tap "calls," and from there tap "Wi-Fi calling." If that's not an option on your phone, it means your carrier doesn't provide the option,  according  to Google.

What does SOS mean on my phone?

Some customers reported seeing an "SOS" message on their iPhones. 

This can happen when a cellular service isn't widely available, but your phone is letting you know that it will still work for emergency calls,  according  to Apple.

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9 Top Treatments to Help Avoid Sleepiness When Sleep Deprived

If you are not sleeping enough and are enduring the effects of sleep deprivation , you might be interested in learning some of the best treatment options and cures available for this condition. Fortunately, there are many options available that help. Many environmental factors can counteract the effects of sleep loss , working to activate our brain's arousal system. Some are obvious and others may surprise you. Hopefully, you will discover a way to address your sleep deprivation that will prevent serious consequences from a common complaint.

This may seem too obvious to even consider, but the best treatment for sleep deprivation is also the easiest: sleep more. Sleep deprivation occurs when we do not sleep enough. This might occur chronically, with inadequate sleep over an extended period of time, or it may occur acutely, such as when we "pull an all-nighter." We each have individual sleep needs, and the average amount of sleep changes over our lifetime.   Sleep that is of poor quality, such as those that may occur in sleep disorders like insomnia or sleep apnea , may also lead to sleep deprivation.

You may not need a great deal of recovery sleep to feel better. After acute sleep loss, a single night of 8 hours of sleep may be sufficient. In the setting of chronic sleep deprivation, sleep during the night may need to be lengthened, and additional naps during the day might also help. Younger people may take slightly longer to recover from prolonged sleep deprivation.

The next option to treat sleep deprivation is the opposite of sleep: activity. Brief periods of activity may help you to stay more alert, especially when you are experiencing minor sleep deprivation.  

Research studies have shown that a five-minute walk can improve excessive daytime sleepiness as measured by multiple sleep latency testing (MSLT) . Unfortunately, this increased alertness may be a transient benefit that comes and goes rather quickly.

However, if you are suffering from profound sleep deprivation, you may not find many benefits from being active. Depending on the level of activity, you may develop increased fatigue (as opposed to improved sleepiness) that may counteract the benefits of being more alert.

Bright Light

The exposure to bright light has important effects on your body's circadian rhythm . The circadian rhythm is a pattern of body functions, including sleep and wakefulness, that is timed to the day-night cycle. There are some conditions such as seasonal affective disorder (SAD) and circadian rhythm sleep disorders that are helped by appropriately timed exposure to bright light.   In addition, bright light may help you become more alert if you are sleep deprived.

The results of research studies are somewhat mixed in regards to how effective this might actually be. Some show that light is effective in shifting circadian rhythms, which might allow you to stay awake longer.   (This is also called increased sleep latency .) In addition, some research suggests there is improved performance at night, especially with shift work, when bright light conditions are present.  

Aside from normal ambient lighting such as you might get from overhead lights or natural light exposure like sunlight, it might also be beneficial to expose yourself to a light box .

If you have ever found yourself turning up the radio to stay alert, you may wonder if this actually improves sleepiness or any of the other effects of sleep deprivation. There may be some benefit, but unfortunately, it is rather modest.

When we hear something, our brain responds by making us slightly more alert. This can be problematic when we have a noisy sleep environment , but it can be helpful if we are trying to stay awake.

We generally respond best to novel stimuli. In other words, we tune out background noise when we are exposed to it for long enough. For example, the sounds of air circulating through the ducts, the soft hum of a computer fan, or any number of other noises fade into the background din after awhile. New sounds, however, draw our attention.   Noise, therefore, may be somewhat helpful in alerting us. If you sing along, it may be of even greater benefit.

Surely it is harder to fall asleep when you are standing up, so posture clearly can have some beneficial effects on sleep deprivation. Indeed, simply sitting upright can have the same impact. This has to do with the activation of something called the sympathetic nervous system. The sympathetic nervous system controls automatic body functions such as heart rate and pupil dilation.   As an unlikely example, it is the system that goes to work instinctively when you are attacked by a lion. Therefore, it is quite effective at increasing alertness and counteracting the effects of sleep deprivation.

Aside from simply getting more sleep, the best single treatment for sleep deprivation may be caffeine . This naturally occurring stimulant is found in many common foods and drinks, including coffee, tea, soda pop, energy drinks, and chocolate. It is very effective in increasing alertness. There may be some minor side effects, such as headache in periods of withdrawal or tremor when used in excess, but caffeine is remarkably well tolerated. It is widely available and relatively inexpensive, making it a reliable and often used remedy for sleep deprivation. In general, caffeine is best used in small amounts consumed frequently and limited to before lunchtime and no later than 4pm.

Motivation or Interest

You might consider that you are more likely to stay alert and attentive if you actually care about the activities you are engaged in. A boring lecture or meeting at work may be just the thing to put you right to sleep. However, spending time with your loved ones or pursuing a favored hobby may keep you wide awake, at least in the short term. Indeed, studies have shown that people who receive incentives such as financial rewards are better able to stay awake. This improved vigilance persisted for the first 36 hours of sleep loss.   However, it began to fall off over the next day; by the third day of sleep loss, the rewards had no effect in improving alertness. Therefore, these benefits may be helpful in acute sleep deprivation, but prolonged sleep loss may undermine their effects.

Group Effects

Finally, there is some belief among anthropologists that the effects of sleep deprivation may be lessened when they occur in the context of a group. You might imagine that a handful of sleep-deprived people are able to engage one another in ways to maintain alertness. This might be as basic as holding a conversation, in which multiple alerting prompts and responses occur. In addition, there may be a social element, such as having someone there to wake you up as you drift off. The impact may be most helpful when at least some of the members of the group are well rested. These group effects may be helpful in select situations, but the effects may wane as chronic sleep deprivation takes hold.

A Word From Verywell

Commit yourself to meeting your sleep needs. Try to get at least 7 to 8 hours of sleep every night. If you find yourself feeling sleepy despite adequate hours of rest, consider evaluation by a board-certified sleep medicine healthcare provider. And always remember: Never drive drowsy . Don't start driving if you are sleep deprived and pull over if you feel sleepy while on the road. It is simply not worth the risk.

Chaput JP, Dutil C, Sampasa-kanyinga H. Sleeping hours: what is the ideal number and how does age impact this? . Nat Sci Sleep . 2018;10:421-430. doi:10.2147/NSS.S163071

Sleep deprivation . Columbia University Department of Neurology. Columbia University Irving Medical Center.

Bonnet MH, Arand DL. Sleepiness as measured by modified multiple sleep latency testing varies as a function of preceding activity .  Sleep . 1998;21(5):477‐483.

Kurlansik SL, Ibay AD. Seasonal affective disorder . Am Fam Physician . 2012;86(11):1037-41.

Dewan K, Benloucif S, Reid K, Wolfe LF, Zee PC. Light-induced changes of the circadian clock of humans: increasing duration is more effective than increasing light intensity . Sleep . 2011;34(5):593-9.  doi:10.1093/sleep/34.5.593

Smith MR, Eastman CI. Shift work: health, performance and safety problems, traditional countermeasures, and innovative management strategies to reduce circadian misalignment . Nat Sci Sleep . 2012;4:111-32.  doi:10.2147/NSS.S10372

Halperin D. Environmental noise and sleep disturbances: A threat to health? . Sleep Sci . 2014;7(4):209-12.  doi:10.1016/j.slsci.2014.11.003

Gordan R, Gwathmey JK, Xie LH. Autonomic and endocrine control of cardiovascular function . World J Cardiol . 2015;7(4):204-14.  doi:10.4330/wjc.v7.i4.204

Mclellan TM, Caldwell JA, Lieberman HR. A review of caffeine's effects on cognitive, physical and occupational performance . Neurosci Biobehav Rev . 2016;71:294-312.  doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2016.09.001

Krause AJ, Simon EB, Mander BA, et al. The sleep-deprived human brain .  Nat Rev Neurosci . 2017;18(7):404‐418. doi:10.1038/nrn.2017.55

By Brandon Peters, MD Brandon Peters, MD, is a board-certified neurologist and sleep medicine specialist. 

How to check cell service outage status when mobile phone networks go down

how to fix my sleeping problems

AT&T cell phone service is down, customers across the country are reporting.

The problem is part of a nationwide telecommunication outage, according to USA TODAY and reports from Downdetector . Outages are also being reported by Verizon users and customers of other cellular providers.

“Some of our customers are experiencing wireless service interruptions this morning. We are working urgently to restore service to them," AT&T said in a statement to USA TODAY on Thursday morning. "We encourage the use of Wi-Fi calling until service is restored.”

Consumer Cellular, which also has customers reporting outages, posted an alert at the top of its website: "Wireless carriers nationwide are experience a disruption in service. All carriers are working to store service as soon as possible."

Many customers are wondering how long service will be down before a fix is made.

Here's how cellular customers can check for an outage, repair status and get an estimate for when the service will be back up.

AT&T outage map

AT&T customers can check for service outage information by using the company's outage map or downloading the AT&T Smart Home manager app.

However, just after 10 a.m., the outage map appeared to be experiencing technical difficulties.

Verizon network status

You can check for Verizon outages by visiting its check network status website .

Customers can also sign in to their Verizon account to check for outages.

Additional outage tips are available on the Verizon's service outage information webpage.

T-Mobile support

T-Mobile said its network was not impacted by Thursday's outage.

"We did not experience an outage," spokesperson Oscar Meza said. "Our network is operating normally. Down Detector is likely reflecting challenges our customers were having attempting to connect to users on other networks."

If customers ever experience service problems, T-Mobile does not offer an outage map, but customers can find support contact information on the company's website .

Consumer Cellular outages

Consumer Cellular does not offer an outage map for customers, but has contact information on the troubleshooting page of its website.

Cricket Wireless

Cricket Wireless posted on its webpage Thursday that customers are experiencing service interruptions.

"We are working urgently to restore service to them," the statement said.

While the company does not have an outage map on its website, customers can get help via the contact us page .

AT&T says service is restored for all users after widespread outage Thursday

AT&T says it has restored service to all customers after tens of thousands were affected by a nationwide telecommunication outage Thursday morning.

At the disruption's peak, between 8 and 9 a.m. ET, more than 70,000 AT&T customers were reporting outages, according to Downdetector , a tracking site. By 2 p.m., outage reports had dwindled to fewer than 5,000.

"We have restored wireless service to all our affected customers. We sincerely apologize to them," AT&T said in a statement. "We are taking steps to ensure our customers do not experience this again in the future.

The company did not share information on why the outage may have started, or how many customers were affected. The outage figures reported by Downdetector, largely based on submissions from users , may not be accurate.

ABC News reported that federal officials found "no indications of malicious activity," quoting from a confidential memo the network had obtained. The memo reportedly reflected an assessment by the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), a federal agency that monitors cyber threats.

Officials at the federal agency did not confirm or refute the television network's account.

“CISA is aware of the reports and we are working closely with AT&T to understand the cause of the outage and its impacts, and stand ready to offer any assistance needed,” said Eric Goldstein, CISA executive assistant director for cybersecurity, in a statement.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Department of Homeland Security are working with the tech industry to help investigate the cause of the outage, John Kirby, the White House's national security communications adviser, told reporters.

He said the Federal Communications Commission has been in touch with AT&T, which he said was the only telecommunication network that hadn’t been fully restored.

“The bottom line is, we don’t have all the answers,” Kirby said. “We're being told that AT&T has no reason to think that this was a cyber-security incident. But again, I want to be careful. We won't know until an investigation has been completed.”

Kirby said the outage had an impact on Commerce Department operations but downplayed the disruption. “I don’t think it was crippling,” he said. 

Along with the problems at AT&T, over 10,000 Cricket Wireless customers also reported outages.

USA TODAY has reached out to AT&T for more information.

What does SOS mode on iPhone mean? Symbol appears during AT&T outage Thursday

Wi-Fi calling: Can you make calls using Wi-Fi while AT&T is down? What to know amid outage

Outages impact EMS

The outages impacted essential public services , including people’s ability to call emergency responders.

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department in North Carolina said in a post on X it was aware of the outages and that “customers were briefly unable to contact 9-1-1.” In Nevada, the Lyon County emergency communications center asked locals not to call 911 with an AT&T device and, instead, “call from a different service provider.”

In Philadelphia, the emergency management agency said just after 5 a.m. that the “nationwide outage was impacting all city-issued cell phones.”

Verizon, T-Mobile say operations are normal

Verizon and T-Mobile each said services were operating normally, despite earlier reports of outages.

"Some customers experienced issues this morning when calling or texting with customers served by another carrier," a Verizon spokesperson told USA TODAY just after 8 a.m. ET. "We are continuing to monitor the situation."

"We did not experience an outage. Our network is operating normally," T-Mobile said in an emailed statement to USA TODAY. "Down Detector is likely reflecting challenges our customers were having attempting to connect to users on other networks."

Are landlines going extinct? Phone companies want to eliminate traditional landlines. What's at stake and who loses?

Affected cellphone users vent on social media, while others gloat

Affected cellphone users took to social media to vent their frustration.

"Waking up happy, then opening my phone to see 'SOS only,' wrote one X user named Halli . She didn't specify her cellphone service. Another X user posted footage of a car crash beneath the message , "me going to work without Apple or Google maps."

Some customers on rival services seized the occasion to gloat. Broadcaster Kayla Braxton posted a GIF on X, showing someone relaxing on a swing while the landscape burns behind them, beneath the message, "Me with Verizon while everyone on my timeline with AT&T is losing their freaking minds."

Analysts predict AT&T will have to make amends when the outage is over.

"We expect that AT&T will offer some type of refund to restore customer goodwill," said Dave Heger , a senior analyst at Edward Jones. "We think that this type of outage can negatively impact financial results in the quarter in which it occurs and cause short-term lost goodwill with customers.  However, it does not have a longer-term impact on the business."

AT&T stock was trading slightly lower Thursday afternoon, down about 2% on the day.  

SOS symbol affecting AT&T users on iPhone

An SOS symbol appeared on the screens of some affected iPhone users with AT&T, where cell service bars are normally shown.

An SOS symbol on your phone means there is a cellular network "available for emergency calls," Apple's support website states.

"When you make a call with SOS, your iPhone automatically calls the local emergency number and shares your location information with emergency services," according to Apple. "In some countries and regions, you might need to choose the service that you need."

After making an emergency call, your iPhone alerts any emergency contacts designated in your phone.

Apple says all iPhone models 14 or later can also use Emergency SOS via satellite to text emergency services  when no cellular and Wi-Fi coverage is available.

-- Contributing: Joey Garrison

Is AT&T down? Reports of nationwide outages may also be impacting Verizon and T-Mobile

how to fix my sleeping problems

Couldn’t make a phone call this morning? 

Customers with cellular service through AT&T may be impacted by massive nationwide outages, which could also be impacting Verizon and T-Mobile users, according to Downdetector, a real-time outage monitoring website. 

T-Mobile claimed there were no outages this morning, according to a statement.

Customers are seeing SOS only where service bars usually appear on their devices. Here's what that means.

AT&T wireless service restored Thursday afternoon

AT&T said they have "restored wireless service to all our affected customers," according to a 2:10 p.m. CT network update on their website . "We sincerely apologize to them. Keeping our customers connected remains our top priority, and we are taking steps to ensure our customers do not experience this again in the future."  

What time did the AT&T outage happen? 

According to Downdetector , more than 30,000 outages were reported at 3:29 a.m. ET this morning. By 6:59 a.m. ET, there were up to 71,000 outages. 

Why is my phone on SOS only? 

When a user's cell phone isn’t connected to a cellular network, they will typically alert the user by giving an indication in the phone's status bar. Those notifications usually say “No Service” or “Searching,” but your phone may also say “SOS” or “SOS only.” When your phone goes into SOS mode, it can still make emergency calls. 

AT&T outage map

AT&T allows users to sign up for text alert updates about outages, or you can check on  outages with your mobile phone or internet here .

How to check for Verizon outages

Verizon requires customers to sign into their accounts  to check outages , but you can also find troubleshooting info and check on the status of repair requests.

T-Mobile says they had no outages

Through a statement via email, T-Mobile said, "We did not experience an outage. Our network is operating normally. Down Detector is likely reflecting challenges our customers were having attempting to connect to users on other networks."

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AT&T outage

AT&T outage resolved, authorities investigating

By Aditi Sangal and Catherine Thorbecke , CNN

AT&T says it has restored wireless service

A cell tower in Los Angeles is pictured on February 22.

AT&T said in a statement that it has now resolved the day's massive service outage.

"We have restored wireless service to all our affected customers. We sincerely apologize to them. Keeping our customers connected remains our top priority, and we are taking steps to ensure our customers do not experience this again in the future," the company statement said.

No indication of malicious cyber activity so far, US cyber official says

From CNN's Sean Lyngaas

A US cyber official tracking the AT&T outage told CNN there has so far been no indication that the outage was caused by malicious cyber activity, but the investigation is ongoing.

Fewer than 5,000 AT&T customers still reporting outages

From CNN's Catherine Thorbecke

As of approximately 2 pm ET, fewer than 5,000 AT&T customers were still reporting outages, according to self-reported data tracked by DownDetector.

The FCC says it is investigating the outage

The Federal Communications Commission confirmed Thursday afternoon that it is investigating the AT&T outage.

“We are aware of the reported wireless outages, and our Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau is actively investigating,” the FCC said in a statement Thursday afternoon that was posted on X.

“We are in touch with AT&T and public safety authorities, including FirstNet, as well as other providers," the agency added.

WH: Federal agencies still working to get to bottom of AT&T outages

From CNN’s Kevin Liptak

National Security spokesperson John Kirby attends a news briefing at the White House in Washington, DC, on February 15.

The White House says federal agencies are in touch with AT&T about network outages Thursday but that it doesn't have all the answers yet on what exactly transpired that led to the interruptions.

National Security spokesman John Kirby said the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI were looking into the matter and working with partners in the tech industry to "see what we can do from a federal perspective to lend a hand to their investigative efforts to figure out what happened here."

Kirby said that work was still ongoing.

"The bottom line is we don't have all the answers to that. I mean, this just happened earlier today. And so we're working very hard to see if we can get to the ground truth of exactly what happened," he said.

Tens of thousands of AT&T customers still say they have no service

As of approximately 12:30 pm ET, some 25,000 AT&T customers were still reporting outages, per data compiled by tracking site DownDetector . (DownDetector, notably, only tracks self-reported outages).

Still, the latest figure is a steep fall from the peak of some 74,000 AT&T customers reporting outages at around 9 am ET.

The DownDetector data indicates the widespread outage began around 4 am ET.

Telecom experts tell CNN that outages typically happen for mundane reasons

From CNN's Brian Fung

A "No Service" message is seen on an iPhone in Atlanta during an AT&T outage on February 22.

While Thursday's AT&T outage grabbed national headlines, outages do happen and usually for mundane reasons, several telecom experts told CNN. 

Common causes include construction-related digging that punctures fiber optic cables and software misconfigurations that can lead to interruptions, said TJ Kennedy, a public safety communications expert. 

 "I can't think of every incident in the last few years, but I can think of things related to routers, things related to backhaul, things related to software," Kennedy said. "This has happened across all major carriers, multiple times in the past few years alone."

Thursday's outage could have been caused by human errors in AT&T's cloud-based networking system, said Lee McKnight, an associate professor at the Syracuse University School of Information Studies. 

"The dirty secret of telecom networks these days is they are just a bunch of wires and towers connected to the cloud ,"  McKnight said. "Someone making a mistake, and others on their team — and their automated tools — not catching it, is quite common in cloud computing."

The FCC will almost certainly investigate the outage, experts tell CNN

The Federal Communications Commission will almost certainly investigate this week's incident, multiple experts said. The FCC requires carriers to report information linked to network disruptions.

"The carriers are required to report their outage numbers over time, and the commission can track the number of consumers and cell sites down and things like that," said a former FCC official.

Telecom carriers have every reason to fix any outages quickly, said the former FCC official, "because it creates black eyes for the brand."

"Everybody's incentives are aligned," the former official said. "The FCC is going to want to know what caused it so that lessons can be learned. And if they find malfeasance or bad actions or, just poor quality of oversight of the network, they have the latitude to act."

Gov. Ron DeSantis: "Think about the implications if something like that happened on a much grander scale"

From CNN’s Rebekah Riess

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks at a press conference in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, on February 22.

Florida Governor and former GOP presidential candidate Ron DeSantis opened an unrelated press conference on Thursday with comments regarding the ongoing AT&T network outage, affecting thousands of customers.

The governor said his office had been in touch with AT&T, who told them they were working to put customers back online, but were focusing on restoring emergency services. DeSantis said AT&T did not speak about what had caused the outage.

“You think about just your daily life, like having cell phones, honestly, it's like, imagine if we had like an EMP attack or something like that would end up happening this country,” DeSantis said. “It’s not necessarily a good thought, because you think you're just so naturally reliant on having cell service (…) so it's a little bit jarring and think about the implications if something like that happened on much grander scale.”

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AT&T Says Service Is Restored After Widespread Cellular Outage

White House officials said the incident was under investigation, but it did not appear to be a cyberattack. Verizon and T-Mobile said their networks were operating normally.

The AT&T logo.

By Jenny Gross and David McCabe

Jenny Gross reported from London and David McCabe reported from Washington.

AT&T said on Thursday that it had fully restored service to its wireless network after a widespread outage temporarily cut off connections for users across the United States for many hours, the cause of which was still under investigation.

The outage, which affected people in cities including Atlanta, Los Angeles and New York, was first reported around 3:30 a.m. Eastern time, according to Downdetector.com , which tracks user reports of telecommunication and internet disruptions. At its peak, the site listed around 70,000 reports of disrupted service for the wireless carrier.

Multiple government agencies said they were looking into the incident, although the Biden administration told reporters that AT&T said there was no reason to think it was a cyberattack.

AT&T did not disclose the scope of the outage, nor the reason for it. When the outage first began on Thursday morning, the company listed the cause as “maintenance activity.”

Jim Greer, an AT&T spokesman, apologized in a statement confirming service was restored and said the company was “taking steps to ensure our customers do not experience this again in the future.”

The outage underscored the importance of connectivity to daily life as individuals and businesses were cut off from communications and the ability to use mobile apps. AT&T advised consumers they could make calls over Wi-Fi and sought to respond to angry customers online. Many phones showed an “SOS” symbol on their screen, signaling they could only make emergency calls, while local governments offered alternate ways to reach 911.

Reports of outages on Downdetector began to fall midmorning, and at one point AT&T’s website showed that outages were limited to users in California , though users in other states were still reporting issues. Cricket, which is owned by AT&T, also reported that its users were experiencing wireless service interruptions and said it was working to restore service.

Reports also surfaced early Thursday that FirstNet, the network AT&T maintains for emergency services personnel, had experienced outages, but AT&T said around 10:30 a.m. that the network was fully operational.

Verizon experienced 3,000 reports of outages at one point on Thursday and T-Mobile about half that. Both companies said in statements that their networks were operating normally.

“Some customers experienced issues this morning when calling or texting with customers served by another carrier,” Verizon said. “We are continuing to monitor the situation.”

In an email, T-Mobile said that it did not experience an outage. “Downdetector is likely reflecting challenges our customers were having attempting to connect to users on other networks.”

Officials in Washington said they were working to understand the cause of the outage. A spokesman for the Federal Communications Commission said its inquiry was being handled by its Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau, which was in touch with AT&T as well as other providers.

John Kirby, a National Security Council spokesman, said on a call with reporters on Thursday that the Biden administration was told “that AT&T has no reason to think this was a cybersecurity incident,” although he added that they would not be certain until an investigation had been completed.

Mr. Kirby said that, in addition to the F.C.C., the Department of Homeland Security and the F.B.I. were collaborating with technology companies to investigate the outage.

The F.B.I. said in a statement it was in touch with AT&T and would respond accordingly if any malicious activity was found.

Throughout the day, cities urged residents to find alternate ways of reaching emergency or municipal services, like landlines or phones connected to Wi-Fi. The City of Upper Arlington, Ohio , said the fire department might not be notified of fire alarms because of the outage. It urged that any fire alarm be followed up with a 911 call.

The San Francisco Fire Department said on social media that it was aware of an issue affecting AT&T users who were trying to call 911. “We are actively engaged and monitoring this,” the fire department said. “If you are an AT&T customer and cannot get through to 911, then please try calling from a landline.”

The Massachusetts State Police said on social media on Thursday morning that 911 call centers across the state had been flooded with calls from people checking to see if the emergency service worked from their phones. “Please do not do this,” the police said. “If you can successfully place a non-emergency call to another number via your cell service then your 911 service will also work.”

Even in less extreme circumstances, the outage complicated the many elements of life that have come to rely on a reliable connection to the internet.

Staff at the First Watch restaurant in Dania Beach, Fla., had to turn away breakfast customers for a time while the outage prevented them from processing payments.

Debra Maddow, who lives in southwest Houston, said that she first noticed something was off after 7 a.m., when she went to check traffic and Google Maps was offline. Later, she visited a Starbucks to make an urgent call through its free Wi-Fi, she said.

“I’m really frustrated that they’re not telling us anything,” Ms. Maddow said in a phone interview over Wi-Fi. She said she tried to call AT&T for an update, but after a long time on hold, the call was dropped.

Victor Mather , John Keefe , Zolan Kanno-Youngs and Adam Goldman contributed reporting.

Jenny Gross is a reporter for The Times in London covering breaking news and other topics. More about Jenny Gross

David McCabe covers tech policy. He joined The Times from Axios in 2019. More about David McCabe

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    Eliminate alcohol and stimulants like nicotine and caffeine. The effects of caffeine can last for several hours, perhaps up to 24 hours, so the chances of it affecting sleep are significant....

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    8. Relax for 30 Minutes Before Bed. It is much easier to fall asleep if you are at ease. Quiet reading, low-impact stretching, listening to soothing music, and relaxation exercises are examples of ways to get into the right frame of mind for sleep. Focus on trying to relax instead of trying to fall asleep.

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    1. Set a pre-sleep routine to achieve and maintain a regular sleep schedule. Doing the same things each night before you go to sleep will help mentally and physically prepare you for it. [11] Your pre-sleep routine could incorporate a bath, reading a book, relaxing music, and other things that help you unwind.

  18. Insomnia

    wake up early and cannot go back to sleep. still feel tired after waking up. find it hard to nap during the day even though you're tired. feel tired and irritable during the day. find it difficult to concentrate during the day because you're tired. If you have insomnia for a short time (less than 3 months) it's called short-term insomnia.

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  21. After AT&T customers hit by widespread outage, carrier says service has

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    Research studies have shown that a five-minute walk can improve excessive daytime sleepiness as measured by multiple sleep latency testing (MSLT). Unfortunately, this increased alertness may be a transient benefit that comes and goes rather quickly.

  23. AT&T cell service outage is nationwide problem: How to check status

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    Closer to 7 a.m. ET, more than 19,500 Verizon users and over 850 T-Mobile users reported outages. As of 7:29 a.m. ET, over 60,000 AT&T customers were reporting outages, while nearly 12,000 Cricket ...

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  27. Live updates: AT&T outage impacting phone service for US customers

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