Help Me Sleep!
Help Me Sleep! — Health Quick Tips
On an average weekday, work comes first, then entertainment or family time, then bedtime. But sometimes, the boundaries get blurred–especially during seasonal holidays or right before vacations or special events. Suddenly, you’re entertaining seven days a week, working overtime, and shopping every available spare moment. And it’s just this blurring of boundaries–coupled with elevated stress and anxiety levels–that causes so many people to lose much-needed sleep and, thus, cry out “help me sleep!”
According to a recent Gallup survey of more than 1,000 people, a whopping 49 percent of American adults suffer sleep-related problems, and 70 percent of them don’t tell their doctors. When subjects were asked why they didn’t discuss the problem with their physicians, one fifth said that less sleep gives them more time to work. Furthermore, one fourth of those subjects believe that losing sleep is a side effect of a successful career.
But did you know that people who get enough sleep (about 7-9 hours a night) are more likely to have higher productivity, feel more energetic throughout the day, and experience less stress? Sleep is essential for concentration, memory formation, and repairing and rejuvenating the cells of the body. Both mentally and physically, a good night’s sleep is crucial for your health and your energy.
The goal is to be alert during the day and relax at night. In order to do that, we need to force our minds, brains, and biological clocks to separate day from night, wake-time activities from sleep-time activities.
Finding an effective remedy is difficult. Some sleep aids require a visit to your doctor, dealing with unpleasant side effects, and facing the possibility of becoming dependent on the drugs. Even over-the-counter sleep aids can be habit-forming. But don’t worry, you don’t have to suffer through another sluggish morning.
Follow these seven tricks every day to create a break between wake-time activities and sleep-time activities, thus strengthening your body’s recognition of night and allowing you to get the sleep you deserve.
1. No matter what day of the week it is, set your alarm to the same wake time. This will reinforce the rhythm of your biological clock.
2. Set aside a “worry hour” during the day to mull over and resolve issues and dilemmas so they don’t sneak uo on you at night.
3. Avoid nicotine and alcohol for three to five hours before bed; avoid caffeine from noon on, if you’re sensitive to it. All can interfere with sleep.
4. If you work out, try to engage in aerobic activity three to four hours or more before going to bed. (Exercising too close to bedtime can make it difficult to fall asleep.)
5. Limit bedtime activities to sleeping, reading, and lovemaking. Leave your bills and memo pad in the den–the bedroom should be reserved for more positive activities.
6. Put on your pajamas and dim the lights at least 30 minutes before your regular bedtime. This is a clue for you, both body and mind, to start relaxing.
7. Make sure your bedroom is dark, quiet, and well-ventilated, with the temperature set between 60 and 65 degrees farenheit. Always fall asleep in the environment you want to wake up in, meaning you shouldn’t have to put away a book or turn off a light once you’ve dozed off. Also, if you tend to wake up during the night, position the clock away from you. Looking at a clock can encourage wakefulness.
If you’re ready for a solution to your “Help me sleep!” problem, and want to experience the benefits of a full night of sound, deep sleep, then try these seven, all natural, sleep aids.