·
Light
disrupts our circadian rhythms--the evolved biological response to patterns of
light and darkness. Light is the trigger that tells your brain to wake up and
to prepare your body for motion, which is why it's hard (if not impossible) for
humans to sleep during the day.
·
When
you're sleeping, even the smallest amount of light, like the glow from your
alarm clock, can disrupt your sleep cycle. The light can bring you out of deep,
restful sleep and bring you to a more aware, less restful level of
consciousness, or it can wake you up entirely.
·
To
improve the quality of sleep you get, keep the room you sleep in as dark as you
can. Close the bedroom door, keep the blinds or curtains closed, get rid of
night-lights. You may even need to cover up that alarm clock.
·
Don't
drink any fluids between an hour and a half to two hours before you go to bed,
and you should at least reduce the frequency of these mid-night trips, if not
eliminate them altogether.
·
Finish
eating altogether roughly two hours before you go to bed so that your body has
time to digest and begin to unwind.
·
Take
at least a full hour before bed to do something relaxing. Watch TV, meditate,
take a hot bath, or read a book (not a thriller) so that your body has time to
relax and become somewhat sedentary.
·
Don't
read a page-turner that will excite you and keep you awake, and avoid e-readers
of any kind. The light from TVs, computers, E-readers, and cell phones is
actually disrupting to circadian rhythms, as the light from the screens excites
your brain and prevents the processes that induce sleep from occurring.
·
The
National Sleep Foundation says exercise in the afternoon can help improve the
quality of sleep and cut the amount of time it takes for a person to fall
asleep in the first place.
·
Your
mattress might be to blame for repeated lack of sleep. If your mattress is too
soft or too firm for your comfort, you should replace it.
·
Whether
you suffer from insomnia or not, your body likes to stick to a regular routine.
If you go to bed and get up at the same time every day, the body automatically
adapts to the situation and will start to get tired automatically. This also
helps to regulate your sleep cycles once you fall asleep, which should provide
a deeper and more satisfying snooze.
·
Caffeine
stays in your system for about 6 hours so if you want it completely out of your
system before you go to bed, you probably shouldn't drink any caffeine after
2:00 pm as caffeine keeps you more alert.
·
Try
to go to the gym or go for a run at the end of every work day, but always end
your workout before 7:00 pm. Your body heat rises significantly from a workout,
and it needs time to cool off before going to sleep.
·
The
body prefers a temperature of 65 degrees, so avoid too much heat in the bedroom
and try not to have too many blankets.
·
A
glass of warm milk and a handful of crackers make an excellent bedtime snack.
The combination of carbohydrates and tryptophan makes you drowsy, and they act
as a natural sleeping pill by increasing serotonin production. The ideal night-time
snack when you're struggling to fall asleep should be a mix of carbohydrates
and protein. A blend of carbohydrate-rich whole grain oats and almonds should
do the trick.
1.
Almonds
include the protein you will need, but they also have tryptophan and magnesium.
This is a good snack to have before bedtime because it combines carbohydrates
with protein.
2.
Your
body uses tryptophan to produce serotonin, which produces healthy sleep and
mood stability.
3.
Magnesium
serves as an agent to calm nerves and relax muscles, which should help get you
to sleep in no time.
·
Today’s
technology overload has a tendency to interfere with bedtime, as you're likely
to stay up late surfing the net or watching your favourite TV. Once it's time
to go to sleep, make a rule that all these electronic devices have to be turned
off.
·
Alcohol
disrupts your sleep patterns in the middle of the night and leads to an
unsatisfying night's sleep. A glass of wine with dinner should be ok if you wish.
Whilst alcohol can make you sleepy it does not actually help your sleep
pattern.
·
If
you lie awake in bed for hours before going to sleep, it might be because there
are just too many things on your mind. You need to clear your mind of all upsets
and stress before going to bed. Practice yoga, meditation or mindfulness.
·
Try taking a tincture of Valerian before bed – an herb with mild sedative effects
that may help you sleep better. However, the quality of valerian supplements
varies widely.
Common mental and physical causes
of insomnia:
Sometimes,
insomnia only lasts a few days and goes away on its own, especially when the
insomnia is tied to an obvious temporary cause, such as stress over an upcoming
presentation, a painful breakup, or jet lag. Other times, insomnia is
stubbornly persistent. Chronic insomnia is usually tied to an underlying mental
or physical issue.
Psychological
problems that can cause insomnia: depression, anxiety, chronic stress, bipolar
disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder.
Medications
that can cause insomnia: antidepressants; cold and flu medications that contain
alcohol; pain relievers that contain caffeine (Midol, Excedrin); diuretics,
corticosteroids, thyroid hormone, high blood pressure medications.
Medical
problems that can cause insomnia: asthma, allergies, Parkinson’s disease,
hyperthyroidism, acid reflux, kidney disease, cancer, chronic pain.
Sleep
disorders that can cause insomnia: sleep apnoea, narcolepsy, restless legs
syndrome.
Tired
but Wired -The essential sleep tool kit on how to overcome sleep problems!
In this ground-breaking new book the author, Dr
Ramlakhan, gives habitual non-sleepers practical effective techniques for
dealing with the pressures of life in today’s hi-tech, information-rich world,
and solving their sleep problems.
Tired but Wired provides a guide to understanding what
happens when you are asleep to why it can all go wrong. Published in 2010.
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