A lack of proper rest can result in your inability to make and execute proper decisions. Proper rest ensures that you go through the sleep cycles that provide you access to cellular rejuvenation and your dream state of sleep. This is profoundly important in your recovery. There are over 100 million Americans that have some form of insomnia. Improving your sleep hygiene or sleep habits may help. By identifying what may be getting in the way of a good night’s sleep, perhaps you can correct the problem yourself. Take a look at your daytime habits, your sleep environment, and your evening or before bedtime rituals. These habits may have to be altered to allow for uninterrupted sleep.
Although gentle stretching before retiring may be helpful to ease sore muscles that can keep you awake, strenuous exercise should be done early in the day. If you exercise too late in the evening, you may be too excited to go to sleep
Sunlight helps sets your body clock, so you should try to get sunlight as soon after you awake as possible. Avoid stimulants such as nicotine and caffeine. If you must consume caffeine, make sure that you stop drinking caffeinated beverages as early in the day as possible. And remember that if you have a cigarette before bed, you are inhaling a stimulant before trying to sleep. Avoiding any alcohol consumption is important. Alcohol is a central nervous system depressant and although it initially may act as a sedative, once it wears off, many find themselves wide awake.
Certain medications have stimulant effects even if they are over the counter and not prescriptions. Your pharmacist can assist you in identifying if any of the ingredients in your over the counter medications have a stimulant effect. Supplements and medications should be taken early enough that you can urinate before bed and not get up to relieve yourself shortly after retiring.
Make sure you are eating a well rounded diet that includes good sources of protein and supplies sufficient amounts of iron. If you are hungry before bed, try eating some turkey, as it contains tryptophan which causes drowsiness.
Where you sleep should be a place of comfort and serenity. If you sleep with the television on, set it on a timer that turns the television off soon after you retire. Listening to soft music or having a white noise machine that covers up outside noises and diverts your attention from outside stimulation may help. Both the ventilation and temperature in your sleep environment should be to your liking and comfort. If your mattress and pillows are old and too hard or too soft, look into buying new ones.
Avoid bright light, especially if you work in the evenings and are trying to sleep during the day. Create a room darkening environment if you have difficulty with light coming in through a window and do not place your clock where you can easily see it.
Preparing for bed is very important. Begin getting ready for bed earlier than you have in the past so your body can begin to recognize that it is time for bed. If you like warm baths, try to take one a short while before retiring. Listen to or read something inspirational before going to sleep. Your attitude may need some uplifting and these can help. The news, the daily newspaper or a trade journal are all materials that may stimulate you.
If you have tried all of these methods and still have trouble sleeping, you need to consult your physician so he or she can work with you to further investigate the cause. There are many physical disorders where sleep interference is a symptom. Your body needs rest and rejuvenation and without it you are unable to be at your best or fully experience your right to joy and happiness.
©2007 Renee Siegel, MA, LISAC, NCGC-II. All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reproduced without the permission of the author.
