12 Tips for a Better Sleep Are you reading this post in a state of tiredness and being in a semi-sleepy state trawling through the internet at 2am because you are not able to sleep? Do you feel irritated and moody throughout the day because you didn't have enough night's sleep? You are not alone! Study shows that 1 out of 4 suffer from some form of Sleep disorder or Sleep deprivation, the most common ones being Sleep Apnea, Insomnia, Restless Leg Syndrome and Snoring.
Or you can attribute your sleeplessness to poor Sleep Hygiene or Sleep habits.
Doctors describe Sleep Disorders as any disturbance that affects the person's ability to fall asleep, stay asleep at night or stay awake during the day.
It can affect anyone at any time! If you think that you have a Sleep disorder, you have to work with your doctor to determine what type you are suffering from.
There are nearly 100 kinds of Sleep disorders.
Sleep Hygiene not only includes the rituals that you do just before going to bed.
But, it also includes your eating habits, the environment in the room that you are sleeping, exercise and the number of hours you sleep.
The following are some Sleep Hygiene practices that can help a long way.
1.
Use the bed room only for Sleeping No television or technology of any type in the bed room whatsoever.
Remove the remotes, hand-sets, mobiles and tabs from your bed room.
2.
Go to bed at the same time every night Going to bed at the same time every day makes it a practice.
More important is to wake up at the same time every day including the weekends.
It will keep you fresh after having the adequate amount of sleep.
3.
Don't have serious discussions before going to bed Don't discuss something serious or something that will worry you just before going to bed.
This will hinder your sleep and increase your stress levels.
In turn, you will be irritated for the whole day.
4.
Use Caffeine responsibly I am not against having Caffeine but drink coffee or tea depending on your needs.
Don't drink too much of it.
If you think that you will be able to sleep after having a cup of tea, no problem.
Have it with the right amount and frequency.
5.
Have a dairy product before going to sleep Don't take a heave meal before bed time.
Light snack will do.
To be specific, have milk or some form of dairy product which contains the right amount of carbohydrates, proteins and calcium.
6.
Keep your bed room cool and dark Keep your bed room as cool and dark as possible.
That will help you induce sleep.
Don't play jarring music or keep the lights on while sleeping.
7.
Don't try too hard If you wake up and cannot sleep within 15-20 minutes, leave the bed room, go to a quiet place in the house and do something like reading or listening to soothing music.
Don't stay in the bed forcing yourself to sleep.
You will end up stressing out.
8.
Avoid late evening naps Avoid having naps after 3 pm especially for more than half an hour.
This will disrupt your night sleep.
9.
Watch what you eat Don't over eat at night.
Eat a balanced food which is rich in greens and has good fiber content.
Over eating or eating fatty items results in accumulation of fat in your body.
10.
Use Sleeping pills only if directed Don't use sleeping pills everyday to sleep.
Use it only if you are suffering from serious sleeping disorder or only if it is prescribed by your doctor.
11.
Expose yourself to light early in the morning Exposing yourself to natural light in the morning which is rich in Vitamin D helps in energizing your body and mind.
Early risers are always more productive.
A morning walk will help you a long way.
12.
Relax before bedtime Don't worry about your problems and how to solve them in bed.
Have something called as the 'Worry Time' before going to bed.
Write down your problems and worries for the next day and also the solution on how you are going to deal with it.
Your mind will then be relaxed and stress free before going to bed.
Establishing a good Sleep Hygiene encourages restful sleep and peace of mind.
Though it takes some time and effort to bring it to practice, the rewards are worth the effort.
Or you can attribute your sleeplessness to poor Sleep Hygiene or Sleep habits.
Doctors describe Sleep Disorders as any disturbance that affects the person's ability to fall asleep, stay asleep at night or stay awake during the day.
It can affect anyone at any time! If you think that you have a Sleep disorder, you have to work with your doctor to determine what type you are suffering from.
There are nearly 100 kinds of Sleep disorders.
Sleep Hygiene not only includes the rituals that you do just before going to bed.
But, it also includes your eating habits, the environment in the room that you are sleeping, exercise and the number of hours you sleep.
The following are some Sleep Hygiene practices that can help a long way.
1.
Use the bed room only for Sleeping No television or technology of any type in the bed room whatsoever.
Remove the remotes, hand-sets, mobiles and tabs from your bed room.
2.
Go to bed at the same time every night Going to bed at the same time every day makes it a practice.
More important is to wake up at the same time every day including the weekends.
It will keep you fresh after having the adequate amount of sleep.
3.
Don't have serious discussions before going to bed Don't discuss something serious or something that will worry you just before going to bed.
This will hinder your sleep and increase your stress levels.
In turn, you will be irritated for the whole day.
4.
Use Caffeine responsibly I am not against having Caffeine but drink coffee or tea depending on your needs.
Don't drink too much of it.
If you think that you will be able to sleep after having a cup of tea, no problem.
Have it with the right amount and frequency.
5.
Have a dairy product before going to sleep Don't take a heave meal before bed time.
Light snack will do.
To be specific, have milk or some form of dairy product which contains the right amount of carbohydrates, proteins and calcium.
6.
Keep your bed room cool and dark Keep your bed room as cool and dark as possible.
That will help you induce sleep.
Don't play jarring music or keep the lights on while sleeping.
7.
Don't try too hard If you wake up and cannot sleep within 15-20 minutes, leave the bed room, go to a quiet place in the house and do something like reading or listening to soothing music.
Don't stay in the bed forcing yourself to sleep.
You will end up stressing out.
8.
Avoid late evening naps Avoid having naps after 3 pm especially for more than half an hour.
This will disrupt your night sleep.
9.
Watch what you eat Don't over eat at night.
Eat a balanced food which is rich in greens and has good fiber content.
Over eating or eating fatty items results in accumulation of fat in your body.
10.
Use Sleeping pills only if directed Don't use sleeping pills everyday to sleep.
Use it only if you are suffering from serious sleeping disorder or only if it is prescribed by your doctor.
11.
Expose yourself to light early in the morning Exposing yourself to natural light in the morning which is rich in Vitamin D helps in energizing your body and mind.
Early risers are always more productive.
A morning walk will help you a long way.
12.
Relax before bedtime Don't worry about your problems and how to solve them in bed.
Have something called as the 'Worry Time' before going to bed.
Write down your problems and worries for the next day and also the solution on how you are going to deal with it.
Your mind will then be relaxed and stress free before going to bed.
Establishing a good Sleep Hygiene encourages restful sleep and peace of mind.
Though it takes some time and effort to bring it to practice, the rewards are worth the effort.
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