Resources You Can Use: Sleep Awareness Month

Posted by Sarah Levin-Lederer on March 13th, 2026 Posted in: Blog
Tags: resources, sleep health

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March is Sleep Awareness Month.

Changing the clocks can have an effect on sleep partners and sleep health. And how well, or not, we sleep can have an effect on our health.

But what are the concerns related to sleep and health? What are things we can do to get better sleep? And what are the concerns that might need medical intervention?

Sleep and Health Concerns

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 1 in 3 adults in the United States reported not getting enough rest or sleep every day.

Having trouble sleeping, and not getting enough sleep can have a variety of physical and mental health effects including:

• Irritability
• Anxiety
• High blood pressure
• Heart disease
• Stroke
• Kidney disease
• Type 2 diabetes
• Accidents related to drowsy driving

Learn more about Sleep and Health:

• Healthy Sleep (MedlinePlus)
• Dormir bien (MedlinePlus en español)
• Sleep and Your Health (MedlinePlus Encyclopedia)
• El sueño y su salud (MedlinePlus Enciclopedia médica)
• Sleep (CDC)
• How Sleep Affects Your Health (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)

Better Sleep

Finding ways to sleep better can improve our health. So what can people do to help them sleep better?

Regular routines can help including:

• Keep a regular bedtime and wake-up time even on the weekends
• Avoid caffeine especially in the afternoon
• Turn off screens and do something relaxing before bedtime
• Get enough exercise

Learn more about strategies to improve sleep:

• Can’t Sleep? Try these tips (MedlinePlus Encyclopedia)
• ¿No puede dormir? Pruebe con estos consejos (MedlinePlus Enciclopedia médica)
• Sleep Disorders and Complementary Health Approaches (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
• Napping: Do’s and don’ts for healthy adults (Mayo Clinic)

When to see a doctor

Sometimes trouble sleeping isn’t about screen time, exercise, or bedtime routine. In some cases sleep may be interrupted by health conditions including:

• Insomnia
• Sleep related breathing problems like sleep apnea
• Parasomnia—activities like sleepwalking
• Hypersomnia including narcolepsy

These conditions may need medical intervention to address the underlying issues.

Learn more about sleep disorders:

• Sleep disorders (MedlinePlus)
• Problemas del sueño (MedlinePlus en español)
• Sleep Deprivation and Deficiency: Diagnosis (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)

Interested in learning more about using NLM resources to find information on healthy sleep? Join R7 on April 8 at 2pm (ET) for Region 7 Presents: Finding Sleep Hygiene Information in NLM Resources.