Sunday, 6 December 2009

Helpful Tips To Help You Get That Good Night's Sleep

By Dr. Robert A. Simmons

The majority of people have a problem with sleeping for any number of reasons; although the biggest reason is the kinds of schedule people tend to keep. Most people interchange the words sleep and rest when talking but they actually have two different meanings. Sleep means the number of hours spent in bed and rest means the completion of the body's recuperative method. Rest allows the body to reenergize and heal itself during the overnight hours.

There are two kinds of sleep: REM (rapid eye movement) and non-REM. When a person is going through REM sleep, it means they are dreaming. During REM, the brain is very active and the person's eyes will flutter quickly. This stage will help reinvigorate the body's mental purposes. When people are in non-REM sleep, their psyche is quiet. In this sleep, the person is in a deep state of rest and the body's immune system (along with other processes) are being restored to "full health".

People's lives are busy, which can interfere with them getting the rest they need to recuperate properly. Studies were conducted on the interference of electronics on sleep and it found that televisions, computers, smart phones, video games and more tended to interfere with the brain's need to slow down and rest during bedtime.

Be mindful of what you drink and eat before bed. Any drinks or foods that are caffeinated must be avoided. This means you'll need to avoid sports drinks, coffee, soda and chocolate. If you enjoy tea before bed, read labels to ensure that it is not caffeinated. If you find that it is, consider switching to decaffeinated.

If you're not an active person, you may suffer for it when you try to rest. It's important to put together a workout plan that you will follow through since exercising helps to develop better sleep patterns along with boosting your quality of life. Not sure how to go about this? Then hire an exercise trainer to work with you. By understanding their experience, you can keep yourself from doing the incorrect exercises.

People should take a look at their bedroom and all the items in it. Most bedrooms have a television, computer/laptop or other item that keeps a person from getting the rest they need. This room is supposed to be a place one can relax.

If you sit in the bed reading or watching television, your body recognizes the bed as no more than a sofa. By keeping these activities out of the bedroom, you will be training yourself to go into the bedroom in order to rest. Repurpose your bedroom if necessary. It may be a difficult task, but it does work.

Stress has a tendency to keep a person from sleeping well and the more stress a person is under, the greater the problem. They could even fall into a depression. Depression and sleeplessness tends to go hand in hand. People often have many things going through their mind that keeps them from resting well. A person who is thinking while they are trying to sleep won't get much sleep.

If you want a good night's rest, then implement a nighttime routine that will help you relax before you lay down; 30 minutes is generally sufficient time to get your mind to relax. As time passes, your brain will realize that you're ready to end the day and go to sleep.

This can be reading (not in the bed) and sitting down with a cup of herbal decaffeinated tea. Peppermint tea works great. Try using candle light instead of lamps. One of my favorites is drinking herbal tea and listening to the radio or some good conversation by candle light. The scent of lavender has also bee shown to have a relaxing effect.

As with everything, change is challenging. To improve your sleep you need to change your patterns. It can be difficult be it is achievable. Customize your own wind-down ritual and have a good night's sleep tonight!

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