Did You Know?

In many instances, ours is a sleep-deprived culture. Are you getting all the sleep you need? Many factors affect how much or how little sleep we get. Often, stress is a primary factor affecting not only the amount of sleep we get, but certainly its quality. The right quantity and quality of sleep for each individual is important to try and maintain, as it directly affects every other aspect of our lives.

 

Everyone has their own individual level of slumber they need to satisfy their sleep needs. As some people can function just fine on six hours of sleep, others require more like nine. It is important to understand how sleep deprivation can negatively affect you, and in some instances, potentially put you in harms way, if you are not careful. For example, teenagers tend to feel invincible and may not realize that lack of sleep can alter their alertness factor, not just behind the counter at work, but behind the wheel, as well. Human beings are not always the fine tuned machines we wish we were. We need to be well fed, well rested, as well as emotionally and physically fit as possible. Sleep deprivation affects both our emotional and physical abilities. Our brains have to work harder to process information, to make decisions, and to comprehend when we are tired. Our moods, no doubt, swing back and forth, depending on how much our tolerance and patience pendulums have already been swung around and around. When we don’t get enough sleep, even doing the simplest things slow us down. How do you get out of the sleepless rut? How do you get more quality sleep for yourself?

 

Here are some suggestions to help you try and improve the quality of your sleep, so you feel well rested and able to take on your life. Utilize whichever suggestions apply to you.

 

1. Remember that it is the regular, routine late nights and early mornings that will kill you. The once in a while late night should not have a big affect on you.

 

2. Develop a sleep ritual that involves doing the same things every night before you go to bed. If you do the same things in the same order each or most nights, you are more likely to have a more restful sleep. Try it.

 

3. Try not to leave any loose ends hanging or anything “undone” before you go to bed. These things will hang with you or hover over you making it difficult to fall asleep, and then to sleep as soundly as you can.

 

4. Consider replacing your pillow and  / or your box spring and mattress if they are eight to ten years old.  A mattress that is too soft can interfere with the quality of your sleep.

 

5. Having eaten healthily during the day will help you sleep better. The spicier foods will tend to linger with you and may cause indigestion or heartburn during the night. If you have eaten a lot of food, you may have a less restful night. As we all cannot eat perfectly all the time, trying to as often as you can will help you sleep better more often.

 

6. Often eating something high in carbohydrates such as pizza, bread, or pasta can help you sleep well. 

 

7. Exercise is key. If you do not participate in a regular exercise program, at least ensuring you are moving around during the day will make a big difference to your quality of sleep at night. If your job requires you to sit a good part of the day, taking a walk during lunch or in the evening could help. Using the stairs instead of an elevator adds up for you. Park a ways from the front door in a parking lot and walk a little. The fresh air and the walking are huge pluses.

 

8. Whenever possible, either mentally plan out your next day, or jot down bullets so you know what you have to accomplish.  This will prevent you from running through it all in your mind relentlessly until you finally fall asleep. 

 

9. If you wake up in the middle of the night anxious about all that awaits you the following day, get up and make yourself a list, if you hadn’t before you went to bed. Once you have it on paper, let it go, and go to sleep.

 

10. Cut down on your caffeine intake. If you consume too much caffeine, either from coffee, tea, chocolate, or cola beverages, it could likely interfere with the quality of your deep sleep. Smoking and alcohol have similar affects.

 

11. Go to sleep to calming, quiet sounds or music. If you have a system that can be set to shut off after a certain amount of time, you can doze off without worry.

 

12. Give yourself the luxury to breathe deeply and slowly for a few minutes prior to going to sleep. Think of these as cleansing breaths. This can go a long way for your night’s sleep.

 

13. If you have the time and the opportunity, try taking a warm bath before going to sleep.

 

14. Remember back when you were a child, how your mother offered you warm milk before bedtime. Warm milk is a natural tranquilizer. Calcium helps you relax. Try a glass at night before you go to bed. If you are worried about calories, drink skim milk for the occasion. 

 

15. If warm milk is not your bag, try drinking warm herbal tea. Make sure you have decaffeinated, or you will be up a bit longer than you probably will want to be. 

 

We hope some of these ideas will help you relax and usher in the Sandman, and ultimately have more better nights sleeps and more often. Good night. Sleep tight.

 

 

 

 

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