Quality sleep can help manage ulcerative colitis

Medication combined with lifestyle changes provides best results, says UCI Health sleep specialist

IN THE NEWS: Ulcerative colitis can be managed using a combination of medication, high-quality sleep and positive lifestyle habits. Dr. KyoungBin Im, medical director of UCI Health Sleep Medicine Services, spoke with Everyday Health about the particular value of high-quality sleep for those diagnosed with the inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) type.

Im says there are sleep hygiene strategies that are useful, such as waking and going to sleep at the same time each day and avoiding caffeine in the evening.

Another strategy that may be especially helpful is to focus on light exposure. That includes getting sunlight in the morning and avoiding too much blue light (from smartphones, TVs and other electronics) at night. Light is the primary influence on your circadian rhythm, a daily cycle that lets your body know when to get drowsy and when to wake up.

"Sunlight provides the strongest signal and helps stabilize the rhythm, whereas indoor lighting is usually a weaker factor but can still affect timing, especially at night. Screens with bright light can suppress melatonin and delay sleep when used at night."

Im is a board-certified UCI Health psychiatrist who specializes in sleep medicine. His research and clinical interests include sleep disorders, including insomnia, sleep apnea, narcolepsy, restless leg syndrome, parasomnias and circadian rhythms. He is also a clinical professor of psychiatry & human behavior at the UC Irvine School of Medicine where his research focuses on sleep, sleep disorders (especially sleep related breathing disorders and movement disorders), psychotropic drugs effect on sleep and wakefulness, sleep disorders affecting cardiovascular diseases and neuromuscular diseases.

To make an appointment, call 714-509-2230.