If you find yourself suffering from sleep deprivation, rest assured that there are solutions to your dilemma. Sleep disorders are one of the most common complaints among busy adults today. Some may feel energetic and rested with a mere four to six hours of sleep, where others may not be able to function daily without at least eight solid hours. If you wake up before your alarm goes off feeling rested and ready to take on the world, then your sleep requirement is being met. If not, then this list of 10 ways to sleep better will offer the help you’ve been looking for.
Many people believe that you need less sleep as you get older. But studies have found that it is not necessarily that you sleep less as you get older, but that you sleep lighter, making your sleep less restful. Many women find that their hormonal swings as well as stressful life situations may cause their sleep patterns to vary. Getting the proper amount of sleep is the best way to guarantee your success and well being. You’ll feel great, look great, have much more patience and people will gravitate towards your contagious personality.
10 Ways To Sleep Better
1. The first recommendation of the 10 ways to sleep better is to make sure the atmosphere in your bedroom is conducive to a good night’s sleep. Make sure things such as computers and televisions are turned off at least an hour before you would like to fall asleep. Replace the intrusive sounds with your favorite relaxing music.
2. Make sure your music selection is an instrumental or natural sound choice instead of words. Natural sounds such as rain or ocean waves are a good choice. If your music is full of lyrics it can stimulate your thought process and cause you to be unable to relax.
3. Many music choices have instruments where the musician has to pause to take natural breaths. If you choose music of this type, it will actually help your own breathing slow down. A good example would be a clarinet, oboe or flute.
4. Reading is a great way to relax before you go to sleep. Make sure your subject matter is not horror or super action. You want your book to help relax you, not make you want to leap giant buildings!
5. Visualize yourself into relaxation. Many times when you find yourself wired and can’t relax you can close your eyes, take deep breaths and start to visualize calm, peaceful scenes. Ocean waves flowing in and back out to sea, breathtaking mountains and valleys, or something special to you that always makes you feel relaxed.
6. Physically relax all the muscles in your body. As with visualization, take deep breaths, then beginning with the top of your head allow each part of your body to relax all the way to the tip of your toes and then back up to your head again. As an added benefit, take in a deep cleansing breath for a count of ten, and then breathe out for that same ten count. Repeat two or three times to feel the extra oxygen and tingle as your body reacts to this special relaxation technique.
7. Taking a nap during the day is a very successful ritual for many people to help them sleep at night. It appears to help you catch up on sleep deficits from previous nights. Executives love to call day time naps “power naps”. Make sure to keep your naps under thirty minutes and as early in the afternoon as possible, so you don’t create a problem for that night’s sleep.
8. Many people find that a wonderful hot bath is the perfect way to relax before going to sleep. Add a few drops of lavender oil and feel the natural relaxing properties of the lavender work with the warmth of the water to help melt away all the stress of the day.
9. Finish off your day with a special calming tea. Sleepy Time Tea and Chamomile Tea are herbal mixtures that help to reduce the stress of the day as well as make you relax, which contributes to a restful sleep.
10. Calcium, magnesium and melatonin are all supplements that help relax your muscles and have a calming effect on your body. 500 mg of Calcium, 250 mg of magnesium and 5 mg of melatonin are the dosages that are known to work well.
These 10 ways to help you sleep at night are not meant to replace medical advice. Sleeping disorders such as chronic fatigue, persistent insomnia and sleep apnea can be serious sleeping problems. If you suspect you have a serious problem, please consult a healthcare professional as soon as possible.