General advice for people who can not seem to get a good night
sleep.
Written on HealthMad November
22nd, 2009
One of the things that will mess up your day quicker than any
other is not getting enough sleep. Good sleep is highly underrated. To be
healthy, bright, and full of energy you need – you guessed it, a good nights
sleep. The general rule is that eight hours is the perfect amount of sleep.
However, each individual is different. It is rumored that Albert Einstein
would sleep eleven hours per night and Beethoven would only sleep for five.
Maybe those sound like extremes, but the point is you need to find your
perfect amount of sleep. Try eight hours, if you are having troubles sleeping
then go to bed half an hour later each night until you do get a good night
sleep. I would caution you not to go less than six hours, as there is probably
something else stopping you from sleeping. If you are not getting enough
sleep, go to bed half an hour earlier. Most people don not sleep well if they
sleep nine hours or more every night. Kids however, often do need more sleep.
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Quality of sleep is just as important as quantity as anyone who has spent
the night tossing and turning knows. In order to change your sleep habits you
may need to change some of your daytime habits. Here are some suggestions.
Play gentle music for half an hour before bed.
Have comfortable pillows. Pillows do wear out and need to be replaced.
Put a small pillow between or under you knees to help keep proper sleep
posture.
Do not drink caffeine for at least four hours before bed. Some people
need twelve hours of no caffeine before bed.
Do not drink alcohol or sugary drinks within two hours of bed.
Most people can’t sleep within two hours of exercise, but this helps
other people, so try it for yourself.
Do not watch TV in bed, or within half an hour of bedtime.
Go to the bathroom before bed.
Do not take naps during the day. If you must, no longer than half an
hour.
Go to bed the same time every night.
Keep the room quiet and dark as possible. Ok, you can have a small night
light if you need it!
Wear earplugs if it is noisy or if your partner snores.
Do not sleep in your clothes.
Some find it helpful to have a heavy or weighted blanket (as
opposed to lightweight) on top of you to signify sleep time. See
DreamCatcher Weighted Blankets at
www.weightedblanket.net for more information.
In hot weather
Keep air flowing through the room by use of an open window or fan.
Dampen a sheet and put it overtop of you when you go to bed.
Put top sheet in the freezer for 15 min before you go to bed.
Wear damp sox to bed.
Have a cold shower before bed, or dampen hair.
Wet down your pulse points before bed.
Put a wet sheet or towel in front of a fan or open window.
Put ice in front of a fan or open window.
In cold weather
Have a warm shower or bath before bed.
Wear soft socks to bed.
Have a warm blanket, layers of blankets or weighted blanket.
Wear a wool hat or toque to bed (works especially well when camping).
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For shift workers
Stay awake for an extra hour after getting home off of night shift.
Have a snack before bed. Some wake after 4 hours sleep and have a snack
then as well. Wait for an hour and go back to bed.
Sleep in the basement. It is darker and quieter, and cooler in summer.
Wear earplugs.
Have an eye mask if the light bothers you.
Sleep with a radio or TV playing quietly in the background. This works
better for some than earplugs.
Have a glass of water by your bed, in case you wake up thirsty mid
sleep.
Have a shower before you go to bed.
Another sleep problem is a snoring partner. Poking, hitting, or kicking to
wake them up and roll over is often not as effective as simply speaking and
telling them “You are snoring. Please roll over!”. There are also nasal
strips that may help, earplugs for you, sleeping in a separate room, or
sending your partner for sleep therapy.
For moms with kids or babies that don’t sleep well, remember that they may
need the consideration of all the things listed above as well.
If you are not getting a good night sleep you may need to change your
daytime habits. It will be worth the sacrifice. Have a good nights sleep!
