Helpful Tips To Help You Get That Good Night’s Sleep
Posted By on December 6, 2009
Whenever you have trouble sleeping, you probably blame it on your hectic lifestyle and with good reason. You may go to sleep but your body won’t be resting especially when your mind is full of troubling issues. The words sleep and rest are not synonyms when it comes bedtime. Sleep is generally seen as that total time in hours spent in bed. Rest is what you get when you “go to sleep” and let your body revitalize itself.
You know that there are two forms of sleep: REM and non-REM. REM stands for rapid eye movement and this sleep is the dreaming state. When you’re in REM sleep, you’re dreaming (whether or not you remember it) and people will know if you’re in REM sleep by the swift eye movements. This sleep helps your body restore its mental capabilities. The non-REM sleep stage is when you go into a deep slumber; this allows your immune system and other vital processes to restore themselves.
People’s lives are busy, which can interfere with them getting the rest they need to recuperate properly. Studies were conducted on the interference of electronics on sleep and it found that televisions, computers, smart phones, video games and more tended to interfere with the brain’s need to slow down and rest during bedtime.
Be mindful of what you drink and eat before bed. Any drinks or foods that are caffeinated must be avoided. This means you’ll need to avoid sports drinks, coffee, soda and chocolate. If you enjoy tea before bed, read labels to ensure that it is not caffeinated. If you find that it is, consider switching to decaffeinated.
A common cause of poor sleep is living a sedentary lifestyle. A regular exercise program has been show to improve sleep. Exercise programs improve your overall quality of life. If you are not familiar with exercising it is a good idea to hire a personal trainer. Think of it as taking some golf lessons. Utilizing their experience will save you from wasting time doing the wrong things.
People should take a look at their bedroom and all the items in it. Most bedrooms have a television, computer/laptop or other item that keeps a person from getting the rest they need. This room is supposed to be a place one can relax.
If you’re using your bed to watch television or read, your body will correlate it with your living room. Take these distractions out of your room and leave them to the living room. Revamp your room to make it a cozy setting; a place you want to go to sleep in. This may be difficult but after a little training on your part, you can do it.
Stress has a tendency to keep a person from sleeping well and the more stress a person is under, the greater the problem. They could even fall into a depression. Depression and sleeplessness tends to go hand in hand. People often have many things going through their mind that keeps them from resting well. A person who is thinking while they are trying to sleep won’t get much sleep.
Here are some tips to getting good nights sleep. In addition to repurposing your bedroom, develop a “nite-nite” ritual. Do the same tasks every night before going to bed. Give yourself the gift of a half hour wind down. This will signal your brain and body that you are ending the day and preparing for bed.
Some things that a person can do is read in bed, drink decaffeinated tea such as peppermint tea. Rather than using the overhead light or lamp, a person should use candlelight; a lavender candle helps to relax the body.
As with everything, change is challenging. To improve your sleep you need to change your patterns. It can be difficult be it is achievable. Customize your own wind-down ritual and have a good night’s sleep tonight!
Author: Dr. Robert Simmons is a charlotte chiropractor using applied kinesiology reflex testing. Attend one of our free charlotte chiropractic nutrition seminars or workshops.