Tips and Tricks to Beat Insomnia
Have you ever had trouble sleeping? Are you up late every night, struggling to settle into a comfortable position? Do you wake up each morning feeling like you haven’t slept a wink?
While you may have been in bed for five, six or seven hours, you may have only slept an hour or two. If this describes you, you are not alone.
Insomnia is a common issue that millions of people face. Sleep deprivation can affect your health, job performance, and even your relationships with the people you love. Your body and mind need enough rest to recharge your internal batteries.
If you lack the proper amount of rest, your body will become weaker and weaker. You’ll feel more lethargic and think less clearly. Thankfully, there are steps you can take to increase the quality and quantity of sleep you receive at night. A few small changes can make a difference between a life of vitality and one of lethargy.
Try these techniques to get a better night’s rest:
1. Make a schedule and stick to it. The most important strategy for beating insomnia is to maintain as consistent a schedule as possible. If you create a routine and go to bed at roughly the same time each night, your body will likely get used to shutting down for rest at that time.
• However, if you’re sleeping at a different time each night, your body isn’t prepared for sleep and acts accordingly. Estimate how much sleep you need, and determine what time you’ll go to bed each night.
• Also determine what time you’ll wake up each morning. Waking up at the same time each morning is just as important for establishing a rhythm for your body as going to sleep at the same time.
2. Stay away from caffeine. Do you find that you can’t function in the morning without a cup of coffee or two? Do you drink sodas with every meal? Cutting down on the caffeine you drink can have a dramatic effect on your quality of sleep. Caffeine messes with your body’s natural sleep cycle by spiking your blood sugar and then crashing it.
• The crash, however, normally doesn’t contribute to deep, restful sleep. Instead, it makes you feel lethargic and in need of more caffeine. As much as possible, stop the cycle and drink water instead. If your body is well hydrated, you’ll feel better throughout the day and likely sleep better at night.
3. Work out. Working up a sweat is an important aspect of a healthy lifestyle. It’s also an almost foolproof way to ensure you get a good night’s rest, as long as you avoid heavy exercising right before bed. As an added bonus, working out regularly will increase your energy and stamina throughout the day. Start small, keep it simple, and find something fun.
4. Relax before bedtime. Another important way to support your body’s effort at attaining the quality sleep you need is to give it a chance to wind down at the end of the day. If you fail to give your body and mind time to wind down, you take the stresses and challenges of your day to bed with you.
• Find something you enjoy that helps you to relax before bedtime. If it’s a favorite TV show, be sure to stay away from violence and dramatic themes that could cause your mind to be stressed while you’re trying to sleep. Try reading a book or listening to relaxing music instead.
Insomnia is a condition that can rob you of the life you were born to live. Instead, use these strategies to begin experiencing nights of deep, restful sleep and days that are filled with energy and vitality.
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Eight Simple Things You Can Do to Get a Better Night’s Sleep
Nearly everyone will have trouble sleeping from time to time. You may have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep. Either way, these challenges can affect your life in many negative ways. The good news is that there are simple strategies you can use to get a better night’s sleep.
Try these strategies to chase away your insomnia and wake up refreshed:
1. Keep the lights off. Even small lights can affect your body’s natural ability to determine night from day. Turn off all the lights when it’s time for bed, including nightlights, bathroom lights, and computers. Sometimes even the neon numbers from your alarm clock can be bothersome.
2. Wind down at night. Avoid trying to transition straight from an activity to sleep time. This can cause your mind to race continuously. Approximately 30 minutes before you go to bed, do something calming in order to ease your mind. Many people find activities such as praying, meditating, reading, or listening to relaxing music to be the perfect sleep inducer.
3. Keep yourself on a schedule. It’s always a good idea to have your life on a general schedule. It works well for babies, toddlers, and for you too! Schedules allow you to set up natural rhythms in your body and mind.
• Sleeping for different lengths of time can confuse your body. If you have trouble sleeping one night, get up at the normal time and remain on your normal schedule the next day.
4. Keep an eye on your diet. Eating a balanced diet gives you a better chance for a good night’s sleep. It’s especially important to pay attention to the things you eat and drink in the few hours before your bedtime.
• It’s best to avoid anything containing sugar, caffeine, alcohol, high fructose corn syrup, or red dyes shortly before you sleep.
• Try drinking chamomile tea before bed. Chamomile is a calming herb.
5. Exercise during the day. Keeping yourself on a regular exercise routine will actually help you get a quality night’s rest. Even 30 minutes of light exercise can benefit you in many ways.
• Avoid exercising right before you go to bed, because exercise energizes you.
6. Avoid naps. Naps can be tempting, especially during a lull in the afternoon. However, some people tend to have trouble with their nighttime sleep if they nap during the day. If you feel that you must take a nap, try to make it only 15 to 30 minutes. That should be enough time to give you a little rest before continuing with your day.
7. Ensure you’re comfortable. Your bed might even be interfering with your sleep. Are you having issues with the quality of your mattress or the type of blankets and pillows you use? If they feel uncomfortable in any way, try changing to a different style.
• What about the positions that you use for sleep? Do you have plenty of room to stretch out and get comfortable?
8. Check the temperature. Determine the temperature you enjoy sleeping at during the night. It’s usually a few degrees cooler than you’ll keep the house during the day. You may want to experiment with adjusting the temperature.
• Also pay attention to the humidity to keep you from feeling stuffy. During the winter, the heater can dry out the air and a humidifier in your bedroom can help you breathe easier.
A good night’s sleep is critical to your health and enables you to live an active, fulfilling life. Just keep searching for a strategy that works for you. If you continue to have trouble sleeping after trying these tips, keep in mind that you can always talk with a physician about your insomnia.
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How to Reduce Insomnia
Nearly everyone will have trouble sleeping from time to time. However, if you can’t sleep for a large portion of the night or have trouble sleeping almost every night, you may have a problem with insomnia.
Insomnia can plague you for a number of different reasons and can manifest in different ways. You may find that you have trouble falling asleep or you might fall asleep easily, but then have difficulty staying asleep.
When you’re suffering from lack of sleep, it’s important to focus on finding a solution as soon as possible. Whether you’re going to try natural or prescription medication methods, you should be able to find something that works in your case. Of course, always consult your physician.
Consider the following for reducing insomnia:
1. Get adequate exercise. Exercise not only helps your body, it helps your mind as well. It’s an excellent activity for your total body health. Exercise relieves stress and releases chemicals in the brain that puts you at ease and helps you relax. [Read more...]
20 ways of Achieving a Deep, Uninterrupted Sleep
by letianmoon
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1. Create a nightly routine. This is something you do every night before bed. It could be as simple as turning out the lights, and turning down the heat, washing your face, and brushing your teeth. Or it could be a series of yoga or meditation exercises. Regardless, it should be consistent to the point that you do it without even thinking about it. As you begin to move into your “nightly routine,” your mind will get the signal that it’s time to chill out and tune down, dialing down stress hormones and physiologically preparing you for sleep.
2. Figure out your body cycle. Ever find that you get really sleepy at 10 p.m., that the sleepiness passes, and that by the time the late news comes on, you’re wide-awake. Some experts believe sleepiness comes in cycles. Push past a period of sleepiness and you likely won’t be able to fall asleep very easily for a while. If you’ve noticed these kinds of rhythms in your own body clock, use them to your advantage. When sleepiness comes, get to bed. Otherwise, it might be a long time until you are ready to fall asleep again.
3. Sprinkle just-washed sheets and pillowcases with lavender water. The scent is scientifically proven to promote relaxation. [Read more...]
