Twelve Ways to Beat Sleep Problems

Twelve Ways to Beat Sleep Problems

Do you wake up feeling good in the morning without an alarm clock and stay that way all day? If you don't, you might not be getting enough sleep (adults need between 7.5 and 8.5 hours of sleep each night) or you might have insomnia, which affects 60 million Americans. If you have insomnia, you usually have trouble falling asleep, waking up too early, waking up in the middle of the night and not being able to go back to sleep, or sleep that doesn't make you feel refreshed. You might have trouble focusing or feel tired, drowsy, or angry during the day.

It's clear that a big life stressor like losing a job or a loved one, getting a divorce, or moving can mess up your sleep schedule. Illnesses like depression, heartburn, cancer, asthma, arthritis, and others can also keep you from sleeping. Your sleep routine should get better once these problems are fixed. But if you don't have any of these difficulties and you still can't sleep, it can be because of some of the things you do throughout the day and at night. Three things that often affect how well you sleep are your diet, your environment, and your daily routine. Many experts believe that these healthy tips might help you sleep better and longer.

1. Don't go to sleep hungry! Eat a little dinner or snack before bed, but not a big meal, because going to bed with a full stomach can make it hard to sleep. You might be able to sleep better if you drink warm milk, eat dairy products, carbs, or meals high in tryptophan, like turkey or bananas. Stay away from things that are heavy, spicy, or sweet for 4 to 6 hours before bed. Spicy foods can trigger heartburn, which makes it hard to fall asleep and makes you uncomfortable at night. To keep from waking up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom, try to limit your fluids before bed. However, some people feel that milk or herbal, non-caffeinated teas help them relax and are a good part of their sleep routine.

2. Don't drink coffee! This includes coffee, chocolate, and sodas and drinks with caffeine. Caffeine keeps you awake longer and makes you wake up more often at night. It usually stays in your body for 3 to 5 hours, but it might impact you for up to 12 hours.

3. Stop smoking! Nicotine is a drug that can make it hard to fall asleep and get up in the morning, and it can even create nightmares. Not only that, but smokers also have sleep problems and withdrawal symptoms for nicotine when they sleep.

4. Don't drink that "night cap"! Alcohol could help you go asleep, but it will wake you up throughout the night, even if you don't know it. Snoring and sleep apnea symptoms might potentially get worse with alcohol. You might think of alcohol as a sedative, but it really keeps you awake at night.

5. Is your room a nice place to sleep? Your bedroom should be a location where you can sleep well: it should be cool, quiet, comfy, nice to look at, and tidy. Make sure your bedding and pillows are clean, comfy, and free of allergens, and get a good mattress. For a good night's sleep, keep the room dark, quiet, and well-ventilated, and the temperature cool but not chilly. If light is bothering you, get blackout curtains, eye sunglasses, or a sleeping mask. Put dimmer switches in the bathroom and bedroom. Keep them low at night and high in the morning. Getting strong light at the same time every morning should help you get up and then feel sleepy at the same time every night. If noise is an issue, buy earplugs, a fan, or a white noise machine to block out sounds that bother you.

6. Don't check your balance shortly before you go to bed! Stay away from things that make you excited, stressed, or anxious. Reading, listening to music, or taking a bath before bed are all good ways to relax and be ready for sleep. Do these things in low light to let your brain know it's time to relax and fall asleep.

7. Don't do pushups right before bed! Daily exercise is good for your health, but try not to work out in the three hours before bed. This could make it harder to fall asleep. Exercise also makes your body temperature go up, which makes it take longer to cool down to the temperature that is normal for sleep.

8. Only sleep or sex! The bedroom is not a place to work! When you solely use your bedroom for sleeping and sex, it makes the connection between bed and sleep stronger. Your body needs to "know" that the bed is for sleeping. Don't do things that make you anxious and keep you from sleeping. If you think about a certain activity or thing before bed that makes you anxious about sleeping, don't do it. If gazing at the clock in your bedroom makes you nervous about how much time you have left before you have to get up, turn it to the wall. Don't use a TV or laptop, and if you like to read, use a very low-wattage lamp to do so. Teach your body that this is the time and place to relax.

9. Go to bed early and wake up early! Naps during the day should only last 30 to 45 minutes. Your brain has a "circadian clock" that keeps track of your sleep-wake cycle and the body's requirement to balance sleep time and wake time. Waking up at the same time every day in the morning helps your circadian rhythm and can make you drowsy at night. That's why it's crucial to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, even on weekends when you might want to sleep in. 10. Don't think about your troubles; count sheep! If you can't sleep because you're worried about things, try writing a list of things you need to do before bed and then putting those worries to bed for the night. If you can't sleep for more than 30 minutes and don't feel sleepy, get up and read or do anything uninteresting in low light until you do. Worrying about whether or not you're getting enough sleep will just make things worse. If you relax, you'll soon fall asleep.

11. No TV in the middle of the night! If you wake up in the middle of the night and can't get back to sleep in 15 to 20 minutes, get out of bed and read, have a light snack, or do something peaceful (not TV). After around 20 minutes, go back to bed. If you wake up, don't look at the clock because it can make you worried. I told you to turn it to the wall!

12. No sleeping all weekend! Most of us live fast-paced lives, so you can have trouble obtaining enough sleep. Sleep deprivation happens when you don't get enough sleep for a long time. This builds up a sleep debt that you need to pay back or you'll keep getting sleepier. But don't try to make up for lost sleep by bingeing on sleep on the weekends, because this will mess up your circadian rhythm.

Make sure you get plenty good sleep! Follow these steps to make your own bedroom and routine for getting healthy, peaceful sleep. Sweet dreams!

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