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About how many hours did you sleep last night? On the average, eight hours of good sleep is recommended. This could vary from individual to individual. Some of us need more and some less. Our age is one factor in determining the amount of sleep we need. The older we get, the less sleep we may require.
Included are some tips on better sleep habits. By using these suggestions, you may find yourself with more energy to address other concerns in your life.
Diet
1. Cut down or eliminate alcohol consumption.
2. Avoid heavy meals before bedtime. Also avoid acid producing foods such as spices, onions, and peppers.
3. Cut down or eliminate caffeine . This would include chocolate, tea, and soda pops.
4. A glass of warm milk 15 minutes before going to bed will soothe your nervous system. Milk contains calcium, which aids in relaxation.
5. Try a cup of hot chamomile, catnip, anise or fennel tea. All contain natural ingredients which may help you sleep. Some blends of herb tea are designed to soothe you and help you get to sleep.
6. A small, low protein, high carbohydrate bedtime snack, such as juice and cookies, eaten about an hour before bedtime, can help you fall asleep sooner.
7. Studies indicate that foods with large amounts of the amino acid L-tryptophan help us sleep better. These include warm or hot milk (but not cold milk), eggs, cottage cheese, chicken, turkey and cashews.
Environmental Factors
1. Evaluate your sleep environment. Is there too much noise or light? You may find it helpful to get some ear plugs or sound machines. There may be new noises introduced into your environment that could be making it more difficult to sleep.
2. Try to keep your room as dark as possible. Night time eye shades could be helpful. Also consider your alarm clock. If it is a particularly luminous one, this can be extremely annoying if you're having a hard time getting to sleep.
3. Fresh air and a cool room temperature will provide best sleeping conditions. Adjust the temperature inside the bed --with more or fewer blankets.
4. Listen to Music. Music should be soft and soothing. There are cassettes and records designed for that very purpose. Other sounds to try to lull you to sleep could be sounds of waves, wind, or other relaxing sounds.
5. A firm bed will give your entire body the support it needs to really relax. It's better for your spine, too. Sleep on your back. This allows for better passage of air and facilitates easier breathing.
Sleep Friendly Behaviors
1. Try to keep your sleep and wake times consistent, even on weekends. If you have had a difficult time sleeping one night, don’t try to catch up with it by sleeping twice as much. Your body likes regular routines, even if you don’t.
2. Avoid day time naps. This will only further throw off your sleep cycle.
3. Keep a sleep log. Look for patterns. If you are having success on one night, find out what you did differently and try to repeat it.
4. Spend your normal sleep time (i.e. 6,7,8, hours) in bed. If you are used to sleeping eight hours a night, spending twelve hours to get that amount of sleep will only frustrate you.
5. Decrease your activities as you approach your desired sleep time. The more active you are the more time it will take to settle down to sleep. Individuals with jobs that require a lot of thinking throughout the day, have far more trouble sleeping than individuals who work in more physical settings. For these individuals, wind down time is especially important.
6. Regular exercise is helpful. Exercise allows for better oxygen and blood flow which helps you relax more and sleep better. Too much exercise or doing it too close to bedtime would be counterproductive.
7. A warm bath is a great way to relax your body. You could also use ingredients to add to the bath...bath salts, Epsom salts, baking soda, or bath oils. These will relax you and also help remove toxins from your body.
9. Massages could also aid in the transition to sleep. Have your spouse (or whoever) give you a massage just before going to sleep. Items such as foot or back massagers could be bought from most stores.
If your sleep difficulties persist, let your therapist know. You and your therapist may want to explore this with a more focused approach.
