Sleep Tips...
A good night sleep is critical to our ability to function and feel at our best, just like a proper diet and exercise is important to our physical, emotional and mental health. Yet many people do not get thier 7 to 8 hours of recommended sleep each night, therefore it is important to evaluate how you sleep on a regular basis. For this reason, we have put together some sleep tips to help you get the restful sleep that you need and deserve.1. Your bed frame, mattress & pillows
A worn frame and mattress in need of replacing are often the cause of disturbed sleep. Choose yourself a comfortable, supportive mattress and a solid slatted frame. You may want to experiment with different levels of mattress firmness and pillows that provide more support. Choosing the right mattress can also eliminate a partner’s movement and prevent yours from disturbing your partner. Also a well made frame will not agitate you, if it doesn't highlight your every movement throughout the night.
2. Is your bed large enough?
Do you have enough room to stretch and turn comfortably in bed, or are you cramped? Having a bedmate makes this even more important - both of you should have plenty of room to stretch out. Consider getting a larger bed if you don’t have enough space, find yourselves disturbing each other or overheating and uncomfortable while in bed.
3. Create a cozy sleep environment that is dark, quiet, comfortable and cool
If you find it difficult to drop off to sleep, or if you are easily woken and find it even harder to fall back to sleep, then think about the room you sleep in. Is there something that wakes you regularly - light, excessive heat or cold, draft, noise? If so help yourself to achieve a good night’s sleep by making changes that create a sleep friendly environment. Early morning light or a street lamp shining right through your window at night can send the wrong signal to your brain (that it's time to wake up). Consider using blackout curtains, eye shades, ear plugs, humidifiers, fans and other devices. Think about your bedding, scratchy sheets might be making you uncomfortable in the middle of the night, or your comforter might not be keeping you warm enough. Try using soft, breathable cotton sheets during summer time and flannel sheets for the winter months.
Who can sleep in a hot stuffy room? Or for that matter, a cold drafty one? If you can, experiment with the temperature in your room. Most people sleep best in a slightly cooler room, therefore make sure that you have adequate ventilation that will encourage better air circulation. This helps you to breathe easier, relaxing your body more and promotes a deeper more sound sleep.
4. Sleep position
Try and avoid sleeping on your stomach, as that position forces your back's natural "S" curve into an unnatural arch. If you sleep on your back, a pillow under the knees will help maintain your proper spinal curve. The most natural position is the one you learned before you were born, the fetal (side) position. Snoring can often be reduced by using additional pillows to raise your head and shoulders. Also, try sleeping on your side rather than your back, as people tend to snore more on their back.
5. Try to relax before going to bed
There are numerous methods recommended to help you relax before bed; warm (not hot) bath, warm milk, relaxing music, yoga, dealing with worries and distractions sevral hours before bedtime, the list is endless! Everyone has their own personal preferences to relax both mind and body. The important point is for each person to find a technique that works for them. Doing the same thing each night just before bed signals your body to settle to down for the night.
6. Reserve your bed for sleeping
Do you sometimes pay your bills propped up on your pillows? Or jot down some notes for tomorrow’s meeting? It might feel relaxing to do tasks like these on a comfortable bed, however if you associate your bed with events like work or errands, it will only make it harder to wind down at night. As hard as it may be to put away your "to do" list, make sleep a priority when you get into bed. You'll thank yourself in the morning.
7. If you can't sleep - don't lie in bed worrying about it
You will only frustrate and agitate yourself into further sleeplessness. Get up and do something you find relaxing until you feel sleepy, only then should you return to your bed. Do not associate your bedroom with negative thoughts and feelings.
8. Avoid alcohol, caffeine and smoking close to bedtime
Although many people think of alcohol and smoking as a sedative, it actually disrupts and fragments sleep, causing night time awakenings. Consuming any stimulants late in the day can lead to a night of restless sleep.
9. Regular, daily exercise can help sleep
Regular exercise is healthy and can help relieve daily tension and stress and usually makes it easier to fall asleep or sleep better. You don’t have to be a star athlete to reap the benefits of exercise, as little as twenty to thirty minutes of activity helps. You can even break up the activity into a few sessions: five minutes here, ten minutes there, a brisk walk, a bicycle ride or a run is time well spent. However, be sure to schedule your exercise in the morning or early afternoon, exercising too late in the day actually stimulates the body, raising its temperature. That’s the opposite of what you want near bedtime, because a cooler body temperature is associated with sleep. Don’t feel glued to the couch in the evening, though. Exercise such as relaxation yoga or simple stretching shouldn’t hurt.
10. Keep regular hours, including weekends
Our sleep-wake cycle is regulated by a ‘circadian rythym’ in our brain and the body’s need to balance both sleep time and wake time. A regular waking time in the morning strengthens the circadian function and can help with sleep onset at night. It is important to keep our biological clock in ckeck by going to bed around the same time each night and waking up close to the same time each morning even at weekends, when there is the temptation to sleep in.
Also try to limit your naps, taking long afterneen naps can interfere with night-time sleep patterns. If you need a nap don't take longer than 30 minutes.
11. Keep the noise level down
Too much noise- loud conversations or traffic noise outside, television blaring, music blasting, all of these factors can make it difficult to sleep. When the source of outside noise can't be eliminated, they can sometimes be masked. A fan or white noise machine can help block outside noise, some people listen to soothing sounds shuch as waves, rain or birds chirping. Earplugs may also help, although you don't want to block out important noises like an alarm clock, fire alarm or even a child crying (if you have children).