| Millions
of people suffer needlessly from non-restful sleep or insomnia. Lacking a medical or
emotional reason for this, there are several things people who have problems with getting
to sleep, saying asleep, and sleeping well, can do for themselves. The following are
some of the most widely "tried and true" things to help assure a good night's
sleep.
- Eliminate Any Possible Medical
Or Severe Emotional Cause For Your Sleeping Problems.
Get a complete checkup from your
doctor. Tell him / her that you have trouble sleeping and explain exactly what the
pattern or feelings are. Many things, from "restless leg syndrome" to
sleep apnea", to depression, to anxiety, can cause insomnia or non-restorative sleep.
A trained doctor or therapist can help you deal with most problems of this kind
through medication or other means. If nothing is found, you can use some of the
following hints and ideas to promote or induce good sleeping patterns.
- Use You Bed For THREE Things
Only!
Your bed is to be used for two things
mainly ... sleeping and sexual activity. A third "Justified" use is if you
are ill an bedrest is needed or prescribed by our doctor. Using the bed for TV
watching, reading during the day, work, etc., will not "condition" your mind and
body to relating it to sleep only, which is what is necessary to prevent insomnia for most
people.
- Watch What You Eat OR Drink
After Dinner.
Most people have some sort of snack
between dinner and bedtime. Some even have a ritualistic "bedtime snack".
The potential problem is the possibility of eating something too close to bedtime
which can keep you awake, eating too much and feeling too full before bedtime, or eating
foods which are known for sometimes keeping people awake, such as onions, alcohol, meats
and caffeine drinks. Some experts in sleep disorders believe that a SMALL amount of
carbohydrates (not high in sugars) and / or milk can help induce sleep if taken in small
amounts 30 minutes before bed. If it works for your, fine. Everyone's body and
brain chemistry varies. The key word is "moderation" and "small
snack". If the stomach is working to digest food, your mind and body are more
"awake" than if your stomach was mostly empty.
- Prepare Yourself Mentally To
Go To Sleep.
All of the things you did and said
and experienced during the day can either stay with you and keep your mind an body
"awake", or they can be "put away" for the day. Any problems or
concerns you have left from your day need to be "let go of" so your mind can
"clear" and you can relax and prepare to drift off into a sleep state. If
necessary, listen to a relaxation tape to clear your mind and relax both your mind AND
your body.
- Sleep On Good Quality
"Sleep Gear".
A bad mattress or a bumpy pillow are
not conductive to falling asleep quickly and getting a good night's sleep. It is not
inexpensive, but it is important to have good quality mattress and pillows to assure
proper back, neck and head support, thus enhancing good sleep. Poor quality
mattresses and pillows can not only cause insomnia, but stiff necks, aching backs, and
other physical symptoms as well. Pay for good quality. It will serve you for
years to come.
- Control Your Home and
Bedroom's Environment For Optimal Sleep Potential.
A home and bedroom that are too
hot, too cold, too stuffy, or too noisy, are going to interfere with your sleep,
unless you are one of the lucky few who can fall asleep "anywhere". The
best temperature according to experts for sleep year around is between about 66 - 72
degrees F. Some people are more comfortable with a warmer room. This is
individual, but the tests performed in sleep laboratories over the years have shown that
the 66 - 72 degrees temperature range promotes the best sleep for the majority of
individuals testes. Having a house that is very dry during cold winter months has
also not shown to be a sleep inducer. Humidifiers help here. If the room you sleep
in has noise from street traffic, neighbors, or other sources, use earplugs, a radio on
softly, "while noise" machines (sold in many catalogs and in stores as well in
the $45 - $100, range) a small fan, or other method, to mask the sounds and create as
quiet a room as possible.
- If Sleep Does Not Come Within
30 - 40 Minutes Get Up.
After 30-40 minutes if you are still
tossing and turning, you are better off getting a NON-action, boring book, turning on a
boring television show, the radio talk show, or doing something MENIAL an boring for 15-30
minutes. This serves to shift your mood and thoughts, tire the mind and body, and
usually you will have luck getting to sleep once your return to bed. If not, try
either a warm bath or shower for 10 minutes. If you simply cannot sleep, rest as
best you can. Sleep will come when your body and mind are tired enough.
- Establish A Regular Time For
Going To BED To Sleep.
One of the reasons many people sleep
poorly is that they have no regular hour where they go to bed to sleep. One night it
might be 10 p.m., another nite midnight, etc. The body has rhythms (technical name
"circadian") which it needs to stay close in line with, or things like insomnia,
fatigue, "jet lag", etc will occur. MOST adults need 6 - 8 hours of sleep
per night (exceptions are rare) to be at their best each day. Try and establish a
regular hour (give yourself 30 minutes leeway) to get ready and get in bed each night.
When the body's rhythms are in "synch", sleep comes more easily, it is
more restorative, and the entire mind and body feel refreshed and alert each morning upon
awakening. Staying on time with your sleep "schedule" will aid in getting
to sleep, and importantly, getting all of the stages of sleep needed to feel good and
rested the next day.
- Don't Sleep Except At Your
Usual Bedtime.
Taking long daytime or early evening
naps will sabotage your nighttime sleep badly. If you slept poorly the previous
night, try to keep your regular daytime routine and go to bed at the same time you
normally would. You will perhaps drag a bit late in the day or early evening, but
you will be assure of sleeping much better and falling asleep faster if you wait to sleep
until the usual time. To much sleep can actually make a person groggy, disoriented
to time, and more tired than too little sleep. Stick to your schedule and your sleep
routine should stabilize unless your have underlying physical or emotional problems that
need addressing. If that is the case, see your doctor.
- Make Friends With
"Sheep", Counting Backwards, Etc.
As odd as it sounds, many people
count sheep (of cows, or other things) count backward from 100, etc every night to help
them fall asleep. The simple function here is to clear the mind of any worries or
thoughts that might keep you alert and awake. The counting and visualization acts in a
similar fashion as a meditation "mantra". It focuses the mind on something
very benign and repetitive, and it is, well.... boring. For many people, this
technique, especially after a warm bath or shower, brings "Mr. Sandman" with in
5 - 10 minutes.
continues next time ............. |
THE INSTITUTE OF MIND
SCIENCES PAKISTAN 
