When it comes to sleep, a little bit just won’t do. Instead, you need a full night’s sleep every night to feel your best every day. What can you do to ensure you get it? Read this article from top to bottom and learn from the tips within, of course.
There are many good habits that you can practice to avoid insomnia. One way to promote healthy sleep is to set a consistent bedtime and wake up time every day. This trains your body to prepare for sleep at a certain time and allows you to fall asleep more naturally.
You can invite sleep in by creating a dark, soothing atmosphere in your bedroom. Be sure to get shades or curtains that block any outside light. Try some soothing music, or a CD with ocean or bird sound effects. Read a relaxing book. Find what works for you, and create a habit of it. You will learn to associate these activities with sleep.
If you can’t get to sleep because of insomnia, try counting backwards from a large number. The repetition should provide a calming effect, helping to completely relax you and prepare you for sleep. Keep your eyes closed and try not to think of anything but the numbers, and you should trail off in no time at all.
About half an hour before heading to bed, warm up a glass of milk. Drinking it will calm your nervous system and allow your body to rest when you lay down in bed. The calcium in milk is particularly effective in targeting jumpy nerves, making it the perfect before bed drink.
Remember that caffeine isn’t only found in coffee! Tea, pop and even chocolate all contain caffeine, as do energy drinks. You want to limit all the caffeine in your diet after 12pm so that you are able to fall asleep at night without the stimulating effects of this ingredient.
Take a good look at your bed. Do you find your sheets uncomfortable? Do your pillows provide the ideal support? Is your mattress in bad shape? Then you have to be able to invest in a new mattress or bedding. This lets you relax more when in bed, so you sleep easier.
If you suffer from insomnia constantly, think about cognitive therapy. This will help you identify the thoughts that are blocking you from getting restful sleep. You will also receive details about sleep issues related to age that can be useful to know.
If your insomnia is very severe, talk to your doctor about prescription sleep medications. While these medications are useful in treating insomnia, they are not to be taken on a long-term basis, as they can aggravate insomnia in the long run. They are best used in order to establish a sleep routine, and are then discontinued.
Talk to friends and family about what worked for them. If you want to solve your insomnia problem, it might help to chat with people close to you to find out what works. You might also be able to get some support, so that they know that you are dealing with something.
If stress or anxiety keep you up at night, try out some relaxation techniques. You can try deep breathing, meditation or yoga, or even just taking a hot bath. If you can release all of that tension, you will find falling asleep becomes much easier, even when times are tough.
Do not spend ten hours sleeping. There is no way to catch up on lost sleep. Only sleep the number of hours that you need to feel refreshed. If you sleep more than that, you may actually be causing yourself problems for the next night of sleep. Set an alarm if you need to.
Instead of letting your thoughts take control, put them down on paper. Better yet, write in your diary before bedtime and write down everything that has been bothering you throughout the day. Once you get these thoughts out of the system, you will go to sleep easier. Keep in mind that the point of this exercise is to avoid typing on a computer or any other electronic gadget that can keep you awake.
Find ways of coping with the stress you sustain throughout the day. If you’re not dealing with stress as it occurs, you’ll be forced to deal with it late at night. Opt to learn meditation, deep breathing exercises or other calming techniques that can enable you to sleep during the night.
With each tip in this article comes a plethora of information you can’t sleep without. Take your time as you utilize each and watch how it changes your sleep habits. Enjoy the results of having a better sleep every night and feeling amazing day after day as you are more well rested than ever!
