It’s curtains for poor sleep habits.
Dr. Nick Pappas, a board-certified hand surgeon in the New Orleans area, is revealing the four ways he ensures a perfect night’s sleep.
Taking to TikTok this week, Pappas promoted blackout curtains and an air purifier in the bedroom, screen time limits and magnesium glycinate supplementation.
Blackout curtains in the bedroom
To guarantee his slumber is unencumbered, Pappas shuts out the world with blackout curtains.
“They are a must for me since I’m very light sensitive,” he explained.
Darkness helps the body maintain its circadian rhythm through the production of melatonin. Light can interfere with this process, making it harder to fall asleep and stay asleep.
“Blackout curtains are completely opaque and don’t allow for any light filtration through the curtain,” Olivia Mitchell Brock, interior designer at Torrance Mitchell Designs in South Carolina, told The Post last year.
“They allow you to sleep in complete darkness, unbothered by sunlight or other light pollution in your neighborhood,” she continued. “They are also very helpful in nurseries or bedrooms of small children as they make midday napping much easier.”
Screen time sign-off
Pappas also ceases his screen time 30 minutes before bedtime. He shares, “Limiting screen time (which emits blue light) 30 minutes before bedtime can help you sleep better by not inhibiting the production of melatonin, your sleep hormone.”
This enforced digital detox is supported by science, as smart devices and screen time have been linked to insomnia, poor sleep quality and depressive symptoms.
The takeaway? Power down for powerful sleep.
Putting your phone down as you ready your body for rest not only leads to better sleep but potentially more sex as well.
Air purifier in the bedroom
According to the Sleep Foundation, nighttime allergy symptoms such as nasal congestion, coughing, and nose and throat irritation can make sleep difficult and lead to snoring and other sleep-related breathing issues like sleep apnea.
To remove pollutants and allergens in his bedroom, Pappas uses an AirDoctor Pro purifier. He credits the device for helping him breathe easier and sleep sounder.
The Post has selected 16 top air purifiers, including the best one for allergies.
Magnesium 30 minutes before bedtime
As part of his nighttime ritual, Pappas takes a sleep supplement, “Recently, I’ve been taking magnesium glycinate supplementation (350 mg) 30 minutes before bedtime, which I have found to be helpful with not only relaxation of muscles but also improving the quality of my sleep.”
While the results of clinical studies on magnesium’s effectiveness as a sleep aid have been mixed, Pappas is not alone in his allegiance.
Dr. Jenny Goodman, a member of the British Society for Ecological Medicine, told The Guardian last month that she takes a magnesium supplement in the evenings to relax her muscles and send her to slumberland.
Magnesium is also the key ingredient in the “sleepy girl mocktail,” a TikTok trendy drink said to cure insomnia.
