If you are anything like me, you’ve had nights that you would of been better off staying up and getting something done instead of tossing and turning and begging for sleep to find you. Not getting enough sleep effects everything about your day. How you eat, how you concentrate, how you react to situations. After years of restless nights, I’ve found a few helpful tips that help me sleep like a baby.
Try Natural Remedies. Certain herbal teas can help you relax and fall asleep. Chamomile is a popular- it slows the nervous system and promotes relaxation. As always, consult your health care provider, use herbs and other supplements only as directed and make sure to read labels. Some herbs may react with certain types of medication or cause adverse effects in individuals with certain diseases.
Watch What You Eat & Drink. As you lie down to sleep, acids in the stomach level out, making heartburn and indigestion more likely to occur. Also, your metabolism increases slightly to digest food, which can also raise your energy level. Stop eating at least three hours before your scheduled bedtime. If you must snack on something, keep it small, and avoid high-fat foods, which take longer to digest. Say no to stimulants like caffeine and nicotine, which can raise blood pressure and energy levels. Alcohol may be a depressant, but after its sedative effects wear off, your sleep patterns will suffer.
Don’t Worry, Be Happy. Most of us lead very stressful lives. Stress, surprises, and changes can take a toll on your sleep habits. Schedule some downtime each day for relaxing activities like stretching or a hot bath. Try to decrease your brain activity by writing or reading or just listening to music. If thinking keeps you up at night, get out of bed and try to be productive. Make a list if you are worried about forgetting something, go ahead and get up and do what you were afraid of forgetting, and afterwards you may sleep better.
Create a Routine. I know sometimes this is nearly impossible for us that are parents – between the kids activity schedules, and your daily to do list it makes it hard to stay on a routine/set schedule. Even on busy days, it is difficult—but crucial—to be firm with a routine. If you normally don’t fall asleep until the wee hours of the morning, or if you don’t have a sleep schedule at all, try going to bed a half an hour earlier each week, or set a time to get in bed and stick with it. Eventually your body will get used to going to sleep at that time and it will begin to come naturally.
See Your Doctor. If you toss and turn most nights, it may be time to see a physician. You could be suffering from one or more sleep disorders, including insomnia and sleep apnea. The sooner you find out what’s wrong, the sooner you can fix it. Sleep disorders are dangerous to your health, so if you suspect something is wrong, tend to it immediately.
