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How to Sleep Better

12/17/2013

Getting a good night's sleep is one of the most important things you can do for your overall health and well-being. Adequate sleep gives your body time and energy to recover from the day's stresses, and helps you to stay sharp and focused throughout your day. If you've already figured out how to fall asleep, but you're having trouble getting good sleep through the night (i.e., you're tossing, turning, waking up more than once), there's a lot you can do to ensure a peaceful night's slumber!



Edit Steps



Making the Bed Welcoming



  1. Maintain your mattress. Replace it after five to seven years of regular use. If you feel springs or ridges beneath the surface when you're lying on the bed, or you and your partner tend roll to the middle of the bed (unintentionally), it's time to go mattress shopping.





    • You may also find that the mattress is to blame if you find yourself sleeping better in another bed.



  2. Check out the new technology. The newer types of mattresses that allow for adjustment or that mold around you may help you get a better night's sleep.

    • One type of mattress lets you adjust the firmness of your bed, individually, for both you and your partner. This is ideal if you can never agree on which mattress feels 'right'. You may both have different needs, and trying to find one you will both like generally means finding a mattress that neither of you will get a good night's sleep on.

    • Another type of mattress uses "memory foam," which molds to the contours of your body as it warms up. This leaves no "pressure points" to cause numbness, irritation or other physical issues. This is especially useful for those with bad hips or other joints.



  3. Make your bedroom a haven. The more comfortable your bed and bedroom are, the more conducive they are to a restful sleep.





Moderating your Diet



  1. Keep an eye on your evening diet. Allow at least three hours after you eat before bed time: digestion slows down at night, and a full stomach may interrupt sleep. The heavier the meal, the longer it takes for your stomach to settle.





  2. Avoid going to bed on an empty stomach. A completely empty stomach may interfere with your sleeping patterns just as much as going to bed full.[1]





    • If you find that your stomach is grumbling for food and is keeping you awake, have a light snack about an hour before bedtime. Avoid foods high in carbohydrates or sugar, but foods like turkey, yogurt, soy beans, tuna, and peanuts contain tryptophan, which can help the body produce serotonin in order to relax.[2]



  3. Switch to decaffeinated coffee. Avoid black teas, cocoa, and caffeinated soda, especially in the evenings. Caffeine can keep you awake even if you drank it earlier in the day, as its effects can last up to 12 hours. Avoid tobacco products in the evenings as well.





  4. Drink a relaxing beverage. A warm glass of milk or chamomile tea will put you in the right mood to rest. Having a glass of water at your nightstand during the night works well if you wake up in the middle of the night.





  5. Don't drink and sleep. Try to avoid drinking water or other fluids one hour before you go to sleep, but make sure you drink at least two liters of water during the day.





    • A well-hydrated body will not wake you up thirsty in the middle of the night, but drink a big glass of water just before bed, and you will be up in the middle of the night to "de-hydrate."



  6. Skip that nightcap. While alcohol will make you feel sleepy, it will also reduce the quality of your sleep as your body processes the alcohol and sugars. Alcohol tends to produce broken, shallow sleep (even if you don't notice the periods of waking during the night), which does not refresh.[3]







Setting the Stage for Sleep



  1. Take a warm bath. Sometimes a warm shower can relax your body and feel clean. Studies suggest that bath relax have good results in elderly (67-83) and younger (17-23), providing at least three hours of good rest with lower movements than without the bath.





    • You should try to take the bath a couple of hours before you go to bed.



  2. Get comfy. Take out any hair pieces and put on loose clothes, preferably cotton pajamas.





  3. Lower the lights an hour before bedtime. As the evening works its way towards bed time, start lowering the overall light level in your home. Your body can't tell the difference between "bright light" and "daylight" for purposes of regulating your sleep.





    • A darkened room tells your body that sleep time is near, and it will start producing the hormones that aid in falling asleep and staying asleep.



  4. Turn out the lights. When it's finally time to hit the sack, keep the room as dark as possible. Exposure to light during the time you're supposed to be sleeping can disrupt your body's internal clock. It's one of the primary clues to the body that it's either sleep time, or waking time. This has been documented in studies surrounding circadian rhythms.[4]





    • If you must have light in the room—–for example, you're in an unfamiliar house and you don't want to use the braille method for finding your way to the bathroom at 3 a.m.—–use a very dim night light. Pull the blinds down or shut the shutters to prevent outdoor lights, or the full moon, occasionally, from shining in. If you wake up and see any kind of bright light, you'll have a much harder time falling back asleep.



  5. Try to eliminate all other sources of light. This includes windows, LED clocks, computer lights, cable boxes, and all those other devices with blinking, glowing lights and LEDs. You can cover them with heavy paper, cloth covers, masking tape, or just unplug them. Not only will you get a good night's sleep, you'll save electricity.





    • If you must have a light at some point in the night, red lights will not affect your night vision. Pilots flying at night use flashlights with red lenses so that their night vision isn't destroyed by white light.[5]

    • For a truly soothing evening, prepare for bed, then put on some ambient music, and instead of incandescent lights, light several candles in your living room and in your bedroom. For the last 15 minutes to half an hour, practice meditation, focusing on relaxing your body. When it's time, extinguish the candles as you make your way to the bedroom. Your home will get progressively darker until the last candle is extinguished.



  6. Put on an eye mask. Eliminating all light is the most important thing you can do to fall asleep and stay asleep. Light not only inhibits the production of sleep hormones but also stimulates the body to feel awake and alert. The light can also keep you awake.





    • Sometimes lavender eye "pillows" can be more relaxing.



  7. Add a splash of sound. Use a white noise generator that generates various soothing sounds—–surf, wind, steam—–these are sounds that have no shape, and they can help your brain to de-focus on right now.





    • White noise has been shown to not only help people fall asleep more quickly, but also it can disguise other noises that may wake you during the night.[6]

    • Repetitive or ambient music is very good for falling asleep. What's especially important is that there be no dramatic shifts in the dynamics of the music. Ambient music, such as that produced by Brian Eno, is ideal.[7] Just be sure that the music stops or fades out in about an hour, or it could keep you from experiencing really deep sleep.



  8. Take a deep breath. Many outside factors can contribute to overall sleep problems, including stress, certain illnesses, or short-term post-traumatic stress. Have there been any recent events or changes that have been troubling or otherwise preoccupying you? This issue may be following you subconsciously and interfering with your sleep.





    • If the issue itself cannot be addressed or resolved directly, consider employing relaxation techniques such as meditation.

    • Medical help is recommended for mental illness, post-traumatic stress, ongoing distress caused by insomnia, anxiety, etc.





Changing Your Daily Routine



  1. Exercise regularly. If you have a sedentary job, a lack of physical exertion may contribute to reducing the quality of your sleep. The human body uses sleep to repair and recover. If there isn't much from which to recover, your body's sleep cycle could be disrupted.[8]





    • The best time to prepare for a good night's sleep is the first thing in the morning.

    • Physical exertion (such as going for a run or a swim, or better yet, exercising regularly) can make for deeper and more restful sleep. To add more exercise to your day, take the stairs instead of the elevator, walk instead of catching the bus, and so forth.

    • Don't exercise right before bed. While exercise does tire out your muscles, it also boosts your heart rate and causes you to feel even wider awake. The absolute cut-off time for exercise is about two hours before bedtime. This will give body time to cool down and give you a chance to rehydrate.



  2. Get on sleep schedule. Varying your sleeping times by more than an hour can severely disrupt your sleep quality by breaking your circadian rhythm, and advancing the sleep phase.





    • For example, if you normally wake up at 6 a.m. on weekdays to get to work, you might get to bed around 10 p.m., because that's when you start to feel sleepy (and it's also a good time to ensure 8 hours of sleep). If, on the weekend, however, you sleep in until 9 a.m., your body may not be ready to sleep again until 1 a.m.

    • Your body loves routine; erratic sleeping sessions will interfere with your internal biological clock, either leaving you tired during the day, or wide awake in the middle of the night.



  3. Take a nap. For some people (depending on work and your daily routine), a very short rest in the afternoon (the Spanish call it a siesta) could help alleviate drowsiness experienced during the day. But make sure not to oversleep!





    • When you feel the need for a nap (should your job allow), set your timer for 15 minutes. If you're ready for a nap, you'll be asleep in a minute or two. When the timer goes off, get up immediately! Have a glass of water, and jump back into work. You will feel much more refreshed—–even more so than if you had slept for an hour.



  4. Sleep in a different position. Changing your sleeping position can make a huge difference in the quality of your sleep. You may think that it's impossible to control what position you sleep in since you aren't fully aware of what you're doing, but it is possible to change. It can make a considerable difference to how you sleep and feel upon waking. When you go to sleep, or if you wake up in the middle of the night, make a conscious effort to follow these guidelines until it becomes habitual:





    • Keep your body in a "mid-line" position, where both your head and neck are kept roughly straight. Don't use a pillow that's too skinny, and causes your head to tilt down toward the mattress. Likewise, don't stack your pillows so that your head is propped at an angle.

    • Place a pillow between your legs if you sleep on your side. This will support your hips and make this position more comfortable.

    • Place a pillow under your legs if you sleep on your back.

    • Avoid sleeping on your stomach. It's difficult to maintain the proper position, and it is more likely to cause aches and pains. If you wish to sleep on your stomach, put your pillow under your hips instead of under your head.







Medication for Better Sleep



  1. Try melatonin. Melatonin is a hormone produced by the pineal gland in your brain. The pineal actively converts serotonin to melatonin when it is dark, but when light is present it does not do so, and the melatonin oxidizes back into serotonin.





    • Artificial lighting—including computer or television monitors, and the ubiquitous tablet—can interfere with the synthesis of melatonin.[9]

    • Supplementing with melatonin pills is a natural way to induce sleep, especially if you are physically tired at night but are still unable to fall asleep.



  2. Try plain antihistamine products that cause drowsiness. These are safe when taken "without extra ingredients"—–i.e. no pain relievers, decongestant, expectorant, etc., but only for a night or two, as tolerance to them quickly builds.[10] They are not recommended as a long-term, ongoing solution––merely as a way to "kick start" you back into a good routine of regular bedtimes, relaxation techniques and managing stress.





    • Read the labels. Try half or less of the usual dose so that you don’t end up with a "sleeping pill hangover," which will only make your sleep situation worse.

    • Be lying down in bed when your drowsiness kicks in.

    • If you use prescription drugs, check with your doctor before taking anything else. Never blindly mix medications: with the wrong combination, you could end up mixing medications blindly.



  3. Tell your doctor if you are concerned that you might have a sleep disorder. Some of the most common sleep disorders are insomnia, narcolepsy, parasomnias, and heartburn (acid reflux). If you are indeed suffering from and are diagnosed with any of these conditions, your doctor will recommend treatment accordingly.









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Edit Tips



  • Make sure you have a pillow that's perfect for you. This goes for both firmness and material.

  • Have a soft pillow, and make sure you're going to be comfortable while asleep.

  • Especially for kids: take a soft, fluffy pillow in your arms to cuddle with. Make sure the pillow is cool, as this will make you fall asleep faster. A stuffed animal will do as well.

  • Try not to dwell too much on work or things that you are worried about.

  • Think about something nice whilst falling asleep.

  • Turn your phone on silent so you will not be disturbed with texts, phone calls, and notifications. This shouldn't affect your alarm on your phone, if you use one.

  • Get off the computer. The stimulation of new information from the Internet keeps your brain awake and buzzing. Being off the computer for an hour before going to sleep will reduce this effect.

  • Don't sleep too long. Shoot for 8-9 hours of sleep, because if you get too much or too little, you will be grouchy and tired the next day. Listen to your body too––each person's perfect length of sleep varies, so pay attention to what amount of sleep leaves you feeling your best and stick to it.

  • Have a mental routine: once you are lying in bed and comfortable, think of the same thing every night. Sing yourself a lullaby in your head, or picture a peaceful place. Just think of calming thoughts to ease yourself into sleep.

  • Make sure you don't have too many things in your bed.

  • As distressing as not being able to fall asleep may be, bear in mind that it is perfectly normal to experience a period of sleeping difficulties for a whole host of reasons, some perhaps unknown to the person unable to sleep, and that many people overcome insomnia naturally after a short period of time.

  • Don't clutter your room with things that can distract you from going to sleep. Throw out any rubbish and let fresh air in.

  • Turn off light sources if the light disturbs you.

  • Keep your bed clean. Wash the sheets every week, they smell great and you will feel more comfortable sleeping.

  • Remove distractions to sleep better.

  • Set yourself a sleeping time and make sure you always go to bed around that time.

  • About 20 minutes before you sleep, put your blanket inside the dryer. It'll make it warm and cozy when you take it out and will make you very comfortable.

  • Wear appropriate clothing that reflects the weather. Don't forget your feet—–cold feet can keep you awake! Keep a sweatshirt or an extra blanket right next to the bed, just in case you get cold at night. Feeling too hot? Learn how to sleep comfortably on a hot night. Feeling too cold? Learn how to sleep when it's cold.

  • Think of a boring color like black and close your eyes.

  • Don't play any games on your iPod,computer, iPad or phones they keep you awake.

  • Don't exercise or drink too much water right before going to bed.

  • If there is a lot on your mind that's keeping you from falling asleep, write it down so that you can sort it out when you get up in the morning.

  • Always go to the restroom before you go to bed.

  • Try thinking of all the good parts of your day and if you had a bad day think of the good things you will do tomorrow.

  • Focus on your breathing as it is constant so you eventually begin to drfit off as you relax thinking about your breathing.

  • Take a drink with you in case you get thirsty in the night.

  • Light some candles that have a light,calming scent,like lavender, vanilla or fresh clean scents. Some people think listening to the rain while trying to go to sleep makes you feel sleepy.

  • Lay on pillows with a warm cloth across your eyes whilst listening to relaxing music.

  • A pet in the room can wake you because of its weight, movement, demands for food or being let out. Choose sleep over pet comfort!

  • Have a 'security blanket', something soft to clutch. Like a small pillow, an extra bit of your blanket, or even a stuffed animal. Usually, this gives you comfort and that little feeling of security, and will help you settle and sleep better.

  • Try not to think of disturbing things,this will make you need to use the bathroom.

  • Hang something lavender scented or (lightly) spray something with a lavender scent over your bed and/or room. Lavender is proven to help you to feel calm and fall asleep.

  • If you are the kind of person that gets scared or lonely keep body pillows in your bed.

  • If nothing else works, try listening to peaceful classical music,or the soothing sound of rain.

  • Sometimes put a pillow under your back and bottom then put wash cloth or wet towel over your eyes!

  • Lovely low music also can help to relax your brain.

  • If you sleep with the door open, close it and that will block out any noise.

  • Sleep with comfortable clothing. If it's hot, don't wear long pants. If it is cold, use big blankets.

  • Listen to good relaxing music. Preferably listening to The Weekend can make you feel relaxed.

  • If you just broke up with someone, try crying a lot. You will be tired and you will want to sleep. This only works when you are extremely sad, if you're not crying while you're sad you will not fall asleep.

  • Try having a hot water bottle in your bed. It keeps you warm and it's comforting to cuddle something.

  • Do some starches before going to sleep...or clean your legs with water before going to sleep definitely works.

  • A cup of chamomile tea before you go to bed may help you sleep well.[11]



Edit Warnings



  • If you choose to cover sources of light in your room, make sure you don't create a fire hazard. For example, do not cover a source of heat like a light bulb with paper or cloth. If using candles, always blow them out before sleep and never leave them unattended. If you can't be certain you'll remain awake to blow out candles, do not use them at all in your bedroom space!

  • Don't use chamomile tea if you are allergic to ragweed, or are on blood thinners.

  • Monitor your use of sleep medication (over the counter or not), as such medication can become addictive, leaving you unable to fall asleep without its use. Additionally, the medication's side effects may interfere with your daily routine, as well as reduce your overall sleep quality at night.

  • Try not to fall asleep with the TV on, as it trains your body to need the noise in order to fall asleep. If you wake up in the middle of the night and find that it's unbearably quiet, you may have difficulty getting back to sleep.



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