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Sleep Tips
Q. What can I do to get a good night's sleep?
A. First, try to follow the general guidelines as outlined by the Better
Sleep Council, as follows:
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1. Keep Regular Hours.
Stick to a sleep schedule to keep your body clock in sync. Try to get
up and go to bed during the same hours every day – even on weekends.
Doing the same things every night before bedtime helps cue your body
that it's time to sleep.
2. Exercise Regularly.
Exercise reduces stress and lets the body and mind unwind so you can
sleep easier. Don't exercise too close to bedtime. Your body won't have
time to shift gears.
3. Cut Down on Stimulants.
Caffeine in coffee, tea, soft drinks, and chocolate can make it harder
to get to sleep and stay asleep. Nicotine in cigarettes has similar
effects.
4. Sleep on a Good Bed.
A mattress that's too small, too soft, too hard, or too old can rob
you of healthy sleep. In order to get quality sleep, you need a mattress
that provides maximum comfort and support. Generally, you should evaluate
the comfort of your mattress set after eight to 10 years. Find your perfect sleep system with Cloud 9.
5. Drink in Moderation.
Alcohol may make you feel drowsy, but it deprives your body of deep
sleep and causes awakenings throughout the night.
6. Go for Quality, Not Just Quantity.
The amount of sleep needed varies from person to person. But everyone
must have good, solid sleep in order to feel well rested.
7. Worry Early.
Plan your next day's activities early in the evening so worry won't
keep you awake when you go to bed. Set aside a regular time to make
lists and work out problems.
8. Watch What You Eat.
Eating too much before bedtime makes your digestive system work overtime,
interrupting sleep. A rumbling, empty stomach can, too.
Q. How long should I keep trying to get to sleep?
A. If you aren't heading toward sleep within 10 minutes after your head
hits your pillow, get up and go to another area of the house to read
or have a warm non-caffeine drink until you feel drowsy and return to
bed.
Q. What if I just can't sleep occasionally?
A. Try one of these techniques for occasional sleeplessness:
- Have a carbohydrate snack, such as fruit or bread. Do not eat a high fat food, since fatty foods take longer for your body to digest.
- Sip warm milk or herbal tea, particularly chamomile or ginseng.
- Take a warm bath.
- Relax your muscles. Progressive muscle relaxation and yoga stretches are effective. In progressive muscle relaxation, focus on one group of muscles and alternately tense and relax them, such as those in an arm or a leg. Yoga stretches loosen muscles and help you relax.
- Breathe deeply and repeat to yourself as you exhale, "I am slowly falling asleep." If you awake in the night, breathe deeply and tell yourself, "I'll be asleep again soon."
- Try to stay awake. Tell yourself you are going to stay awake as long as you can. With the pressure off, you can stop worrying and start sleeping.
- Cut back on your sleep time. If you don't go to sleep quickly, restrict your sleep and your body becomes more efficient at sleeping. People need different amounts of sleep. Although 7½ hours is average, the range of sleep individuals need ranges from five hours to 10 hours.
- Play mind games. Count sheep. Play alphabet games, such as thinking of names that start with different letters of the alphabet. Think of famous people with double initials; example: AA, Alan Alda. Imagine yourself performing a repetitive task, such as painting a long wall with short brush strokes; count the strokes.
Q. What about sleep problems or disorders?
A. The most common disorders and the frequency they occur within the
population are as follows: insomnia (33 percent at least once a year),
snoring (12-13 percent), sleep apnea (.5 percent of men under 50 and
20 percent of men over age 50), sleepwalking (2.5 percent), sleeptalking
(20 percent), bruxism, or tooth-gnashing (20 percent or more), leg movement
(15 or 20 percent), and narcolepsy (1 percent).
Facts about sleep
Going to sleep occurs in four stages of quiet sleep which take about
an hour. As we move deeper into the stages of quiet sleep, brain waves
slow to near unconsciousness. Then, the stages are reversed as one enters
the Rapid Eye Movement stage of sleep for about 10 minutes. This is
when one experiences the most vivid dreaming. Then, the descending stages
of quiet sleep repeat. By morning, one goes around the sleep circuit
four or five times.
Cloud 9 wants to hear from you. All comments and suggestions are welcome!
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