FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE)- Having a good night’s rest is better said than done. Consistency and practicing good sleep hygiene are two key factors, according to the Parkview Health Sleep Center.

May is ‘National Better Sleep Month’ and most can, of course, practice better sleeping habits. Setting a routine helps your internal clock, especially when it comes to falling asleep. Eliminate caffeine, alcohol, and devices with bright lights, as those can be harmful to a good routine. Taking a Benadryl or melatonin actually disrupts the natural way your body winds down to fall asleep. Sleep specialist have devices that help patients who suffer from sleep apnea breathe normally when they go to sleep.

“There are treatment options tailored to different things, conventionally everybody is used to wearing like a CPAP mask of different styles,” said Srinivasan Devanathan, M.D., Sleep Specialist with Parkview Health.

The quality and quantity of sleep are both vital. “But currently with all how we in our modern day world, how we work and do things, but six and a half to seven is a as a gift,” Devanathan said. “There are many factors that affect the person’s quality of sleep, which is why we have evaluations for sleep related disorders, breathing disorders, restless legs, various other abnormal behaviors during sleep that affect a person’s sleep.”

The average amount of sleep that a person gets depends if they are a short sleeper or a long sleeper. Short sleepers tend to get about 5 hours of sleep while long sleepers get 7 to 8 hours.