(19-02-11) Try these ten tips and get better sleep

by Elizabeth Walling, citizen journalist


(NaturalNews) In the old days, rising with the sun also meant going to sleep
when the sun went down, after a few hours of healthy, honest hard physical
work. Not anymore. These days we guzzle down coffee or tea, gulp soft drinks or
even (yikes) swig an energy drink to keep us working long past our brain`s
quitting time. Not to mention modern day stresses - those have the power to
keep the best of us awake even when we`re tired. In short, we need a magic
formula to give us those deep, restorative hours of sleep. Fortunately, you can
orchestrate a good night`s sleep. The trick is to follow a few simple steps to
get your sleep back on track:

Ten Tips for Getting Better Sleep

1. The first step, according to Harvard Medical School, is to cut out that
caffeine! If you just can`t resist that cup of coffee in the morning, go ahead
and drink it, but don`t have any more after lunch.

2. Avoid alcohol. Alcohol may in fact make you pass out for a little while,
but chances are you`ll wake up repeatedly throughout the night and never truly
get restful sleep.

3. Don`t exercise too close to bed time. You don`t have to give up your gym
membership, just time it so you have a few hours to come down from your
endorphin high before going to sleep.

4. Try a warm bath or massage. Either one will have you drifting into
dreamland faster than you can say good-night.

5. Keep the TV out of the bedroom. This is also a feng shui recommendation for
overall peace and balanced energy. If you must fall asleep in front of the
tube, take advantage of your TV`s sleep function -- so once you`re dozing, the
TV will shut itself off and not startle you awake when the late-night,
screaming infomercials come on. Same goes for music or the computer: it`s best
to keep it off before bed, but at the least don`t let it stay on all night
long.

6. Keep a regular schedule. Your body will set its internal clock if you get
up and go to bed at about the same time every day.

7. Let go of stress before bed. Maybe you had an argument with your spouse or
boss, and you keep replaying it in your head. Maybe you`re worried about bills
to pay or an elderly parent`s welfare. But bedtime is not the time for
analyzation. It`s time to rest. So before bed, put your worries to rest. If
there`s nothing you can do about it, let it go for the night. If you are
itching to do something, try jotting down possible solutions in a journal by
the bed.

8. Replace that mattress. Especially if you find you`re waking up with a sore
back.

9. A warm glass of milk (raw organic certified) or soothing nighttime tea
really can have a calming effect. Chamomile tea with honey and lemon can be
especially relaxing.

10. Make your environment sleep-friendly. Turn on some white noise (a fan or
anything steady that easily fades into the background and masks other sounds).
Keep the room dark (especially avoid flickering or sudden lights (like on the
TV). Make sure you`re neither too hot nor too cold. Tweak things until your
sleep area is really your sleep haven -- not a spot that doubles as an office,
day care center or walk-in storage closet.

Further Reading:

http://healthysleep.med.harvard.edu...

http://longevity.about.com/od/sleep...

http://www.news.cornell.edu/stories...

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In evidenza

"L'informazione presente nel sito serve a migliorare, e non a sostituire, il rapporto medico-paziente."

Per coloro che hanno problemi di salute si consiglia di consultare sempre il proprio medico curante.