Most people find a way to lie in a bed for eight hours, but some find it difficult to actually get quality sleep during that time. Conventional wisdom suggests a minimum of 7 or 8 hours of good sleep a night for maximum wakefulness in the morning. Everyone at some points needs to get better sleep. Whether it be insomnia, sleep disorders, sleep apnea or simple stress and anxiety, everyone has had sleep disorders at some point in their life.
Factor in other unexpected challenges such as financial worries, layoffs, relationship issues or an illness, and quality sleep may be even more elusive. You may not be able to control or eliminate all of the factors that interfere with your sleep, but you can create an environment and adopt habits that encourage a more restful night. Try these suggestions if you have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep:
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Maintain good sleep hygiene: Get habituated to a set routine at bedtime. It programs the mind and body to a set of expectations: the same time every night, in the same bed with the same routines. Nothing convinces the mind more of your seriousness and expectation than repetitive action. You might experience sleeplessness for the first night or two, but if you persist with the routine schedule, chances are within a week, you will have little difficulty falling asleep.
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Avoid alcohol as a sleep aid: Alcohol may initially help you fall asleep, but it also causes disturbances in sleep resulting in less restful sleep. An alcohol drink before bedtime may make it more likely that you will wake up during the night.
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Do not go to bed hungry: Hunger will keep you alert and tense. A bedtime snack that contains amino acid tryptophan is best. The body converts tryptophan to sleep-inducing chemicals. Milk contains tryptophan, which is a sleep-promoting substance. Other foods that may help promote sleep include tuna, halibut, pumpkin, avocados, almonds, eggs, peaches, walnuts, apricots, oats, potatoes and bananas.
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Don't eat or drink large amounts before bedtime: Eat a light dinner about two hours before sleeping. If you're prone to heartburn, avoid spicy or fatty foods, which can make your heartburn flare and prevent a restful sleep. Also, limit how much you drink before bed. Too much liquid can cause you to wake up repeatedly during the night for trips to the bathroom.
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Cut caffeine: Simply put, caffeine can keep you awake. It can stay in your body longer than you might think. The effects of caffeine can take as long as eight hours to wear off. So if you drink a cup of coffee in the afternoon and are still tossing at night, caffeine might be the reason. Cutting out caffeine at least four to six hours before bedtime can help you fall asleep easier.
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Restrict nicotine: Having a smoke before bed actually puts a stimulant into your bloodstream. The effects of nicotine are similar to those of caffeine. Nicotine can keep you up and awaken you at night. It should be avoided particularly near bedtime.
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Relax before bedtime: Stress not only makes you miserable, it wreaks havoc on your sleep. Develop some kind of pre-sleep ritual to break the connection between all the day's stress and bedtime. These rituals can be as short as 10 minutes or as long as an hour.
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Exercise: Regular exercise can help you get a good night's sleep. The timing and intensity of exercise seems to play a key role in its effects on sleep. If you are the type of person who gets energized or becomes more alert after exercise, it may be best not to exercise in the evening. Even regular exercise in the morning can help relieve insomnia, according to a study.
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Maintain a good environment: Keep your bedroom quiet, dark, and comfortable. For many people, even the slightest noise or light can disturb sleep like the purring of a cat or the light from your laptop or TV. Use earplugs, window blinds or curtains, and an electric blanket or air conditioner everything possible to create an ideal sleep environment.
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Sleep primarily at night: Daytime naps may steal hours from nighttime slumber. Limit daytime sleep to about a half-hour and make it during mid-afternoon. If you work nights, keep your window coverings closed so that sunlight, which adjusts the body's internal clock, doesn't interrupt your sleep. If you have a day job and sleep at night, but still have trouble waking up, leave the window coverings open and let the sunlight help wake you up.
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Choose a comfortable mattress and pillow: Features of a good bed are subjective and differ for each person. But make sure you have a bed that's comfortable. If you share your bed, make sure there's enough room for two. Children and pets are often disruptive, so you may need to set limits on how often they sleep in bed with you.
There are certainly plenty of over-the-counter sleep aids. However, these medications are not meant for long term use. They can cause side effects and even rebound insomnia, where your sleep ends up worse than before.
Quality sleep is important to your health. Make a commitment to yourself: don't "rest" until you find the solution to your sleep problems!
