Get a Good Night's Sleep
 Sleep problems can greatly affect your health.
Disturbed sleep on a regular basis can result in
mood swings, lack of concentration, stress and in
severe cases can even lead to depression. It is
natural to have the occasional sleepless night but
if you find yourself regularly tossing and turning
for hours every night, here are a few tips to help
you get a good nights sleep:
-
Avoid
stimulants several hours before you go to bed.
Nicotine and caffeine are 2 of the most common.
It can seem harmless to smoke late or have a
coffee in front of the TV but the effects on
sleep are bigger than we think. If you are a
smoker, try and have less in the evening and if
you are a coffee lover, switch to decaffeinated
after about 3pm - also check medications - some
pain killers have caffeine or other stimulants
in them and these may prevent a peaceful sleep.
-
Lack
of exercise can contribute to sleepless nights.
Sometimes our bodies just haven’t expended
enough energy to feel tired enough to sleep.
Exercise (gentle – it does not have to be a
vigorous workout) has several benefits - one of
which is helping us to sleep better. Exercise
naturally releases our ‘feel good’ hormones,
helping us to be more restful at night.
-
If you
are over anxious, stressed or feeling down, this
may also lead to sleepless nights. It is
important to get to the root of what is causing
the stress in order to tackle it in the
best way. Taking sleeping tablets on a regular
basis only addresses the symptoms and not the
cause. You need to get to the root of your
stress for longer term results.
-
If you
are anxious or stressed write down what it is in
your life that is causing your anxiety and look
at what small steps you can take to reduce the
stress somewhat.
If you wake at night feeling
stressed, remember that you cannot do
anything to address the situation there and
then. If it helps, keep a notebook by your bed
and write things down so that you don’t get
anxious about remembering them in the morning.
-
If you
are feeling down, try a natural supplement to
help boost you mood and aid natural sleep.
5-HTP is a natural amino acid that raises serotonin in
our brain, helping to lift our mood. Having
enough serotonin helps us make more melatonin -
our sleep hormone!
-
Check
out your environment - does where you sleep
resemble a junk yard, is it stuffy and hot or
freezing cold? Make the best that you can of
your sleeping environment. You will be surprised
at how much it helps to keep it clutter free and
well aired. Make your bedroom a place where you
enjoy spending time and you find calming and
restful.
-
How is
your mattress? We spend a third of our time in
bed so it makes sense to be as comfortable as
possible. You can’t get a restful sleep with
springs sticking in your back or suffering
aches and pains due to lack of support.
-
Do you
sleep with a snorer? It can be frustrating when
someone else is causing your lack of sleep. Try
some of the nasal strips or snore sprays on the
market as these may help. If your partner has
problems generally with adenoids or breathing
then it is important for them to see a doctor.
If you still find it hard to sleep, don’t just lie
there hoping. Get up and go into another room, read
or watch something on TV (nothing too stimulating or
this will make you more awake!)
Lastly – have patience - if you have suffered with
sleepless nights for some time, it might take a
while to get back into a regular routine. Follow the
above tips, get to the root of what is making you so
restless and you should see improvements in a
relatively short amount of time.
Useful
Resources:
Beat Insomnia - Sleep Tonight
Stop Feeling Tired
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