Wendy Ann Owen
We all need some help now and then in getting to sleep. Rather than retributory popping a pill which can be habit forming and lead to much sleep problems in the long term, try these unerect tips. One or more of them will surely help.
Have a tropical bath
Not tropical enough to make you uncomfortable though. The heat of the water relaxes the muscles and also causes the core body temperature to drop afterwards which sends a sleep signal to the brain. This is great for children too. It only works for baths though, not showers!
Get more light during the day
This sounds strange, but its vital for good sleep at night. Our brains are hard bugged to go to sleep when it's dark and wake when its light. Not getting sufficient light during the day will deprogram our biological clock. Once our circadian rhythm has been upset, our brain won't receive the sleep signal when we're ready to go to sleep.
Even if you are working daylong hours try to get outside into the sunshine for a while at lunchtime. If you live in a part of the world which has short days in winter, install a bright light at home and sit under it for at least 30 minutes. This should be enough to keep that begotten clock ticking!
This is a good reason not to watch TV in bed. Even if the program is dull, the nitid flickering light of the TV screen will be employed against your earthy sleep patterns!
Don't lie in bed and worry active not sleeping
This will only cause stress and make sleep even harder to achieve. If you find yourself becoming concerned active not sleeping, get up and make yourself a drink (not coffee!) Find something to read. Stay up until you feel asleep again and single then go rearmost to bed.
Go to bed at the same time every night and get up at the same time every morning.
This reinforces the earthy biological rhythm and helps your brain send a sleep signal. It also reinforces a habit. Habits are an important part of better sleep. Obviously you won't be able to do this every several night, there will be nights where you might go out to a show or down on the town with friends! However if you manage most nights, this will still work well.
Don't go to bed until you are tired.
Yes I know! This sound same a direct contradiction of the past tip! The logic behind this is that is you are not asleep you will lie in bed awakened and will start worrying about not being able to go to sleep. The most influential part of complete this is to get up at the same time every morning no matter what time you went to bed the night before. Eventually you will feel precise sleepy at your normal bedtime. Getting up in the morning when you are still drooping is not simple to do but it will help in the longer term. Stick with it!
Keep a sleep diary
This, while rather tedious, will give you an excellent idea of your sleep patterns and will be a needed record if you ever decide to visit a sleep clinic for help. Some people have done this and found their unerect problems disappeared of their own accord! A sleep diary should note the following:
What you had for dinner
What drinks you consumed after dinner
Any naps usurped during the day
What time you went to bed
How long it took you to fall asleep
If you woke during the night
What time you woke up in the morning
How you rated quality of sleep (1-10)
Any further observations
Do this every days for a hardly a weeks and you should see a pattern emerging. This will give you invaluable information on your personal sleep habits and patterns.
Develop an evening ritual.
Do the same things at the same time each night. This programs the knocked out mind that you are preparing for sleep. Brush you teeth, put the cat out, check the locks on the doors. Do each step in the same order. It may reasonable simplistic but it can work really well.
Exercise much during the day.
Exercise relaxes the body and mind as well as being good for your health and helping with weight loss. Even close just 30 minutes a day will help. If walking’s not your thing try Yoga or Qigong. Both are soothing and will relax you totally. If there are no classes neighboring you, videos or CDs are easily available.
Practice muscle relaxation.
You can do this during the day or after going to bed. Practice tensing and relaxing all muscle group in turn, starting at the top of the head and gradually working falling to the toes. This relaxes the body and also distracts you from any worrying thoughts while you are performing it. Visit the page on relaxation techniques for some easy to follow techniques.
Write down worries before going to bed.
There’s always something to worry active isn’t there? These are the things that can keep you awake when your mind won’t let go. Solution? Have a worry time before active to bed. Think of all the problems that are currently in your life and write them down. Make a decision to do something active them the favourable day.
If you are tempted to think about some of those things while you are trying to sleep simply tell yourself, “its ok, I’ve made a note of it and I’ll handle it tomorrow”
Sweet dreams!
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