How to get a better night's sleep

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The importance of sleep

Of all the methods for self improvement, sleep should be considered near the top on the list of importance. Lack of sleep can have devastating effects on the body, while a good sleep routine can have a wide range of benefits. Some reasons for getting a good sleep include:

1. Memory/Learning - Memory Consolidation is the process the brain uses to commit new information to memory. You need sleep to do this. People who sleep after learning a new task tend to do better on tests and projects later on.

2. Weight/Metabolism - Lack of sleep can affect the way the body processes and stores carbohydrates (carbs) and alters the levels of hormones that affect appetite. Both can lead to weight gain.

3. General Safety - If you aren't sleeping you risk falling asleep at very inopportune times, such as while driving, at work or walking down the street. You could end up in a crash, commit serious errors on the job or stumble into disasters you would ordinarily avoid.

4. Mood and Emotional Health - Lack of sleep can cause impatience, irritability, moodiness and the inability to concentrate. It can also make you too tired to do things you love to do, which can have a negative impact on your mental health.

5. Cardiovascular - Hypertension, increase stress hormones and irregular heartbeat have all been lined to serious sleep disorders.

6. Diseases - Lack of sleep alters the function of your immune system, making you unable to fight illnesses like you should.

On this page we'll give you a load of tips on how to sleep better. If you find it useful, consider giving us some stars at the top of the page.

Sleep like a baby

Avoid eating late at night 

You may not be hungry, you may be bored. When you lie down after eating your body doesn't digest food like it does when you're up and moving. The position can cause you to get heartburn and you'll never get to sleep if your insides are on fire.

No caffeine after dinner 

Even if you don't feel a rush after drinking caffeine, a little bit can keep you up all night long. Some specialists say you shouldn't drink caffeine after 3 pm to allow your body time to come down. Caffeine in general causes more problems than any advantages, especially when there is no moderation. But if you're hooked on caffeine, abstain later in the day and you'll have a better change of falling asleep.

By the time the pick me up takes effect, it will be close to bedtime. Caffeine not only keeps your body awake, but your mind too. You may have trouble falling asleep, and when you do, it may be restless and full of strange dreams. Skip the caffeine until breakfast to have sweet dreams.

Eat a small dinner, early 

Smaller meals typically digest faster, which will help with weight loss and not keep you up with digestive problems. The sooner you can begin the digestive process, the better. You can have a small snack in between, not risk putting on more weight or having heartburn, and let your body relax. If you're going to eat a big meal, let it be breakfast or lunch.

Avoid a lot of grease as well. It doesn't help the body at all to have a big bowl of grease roiling around in your belly for hours. Yikes.

Avoid nicotine 

I know, I know, nobody likes to be told not to have a smoke. I know, because I've been physically threatened for even suggesting it. But it has a real connection to your sleep. Nicotine withdrawal starts immediately after it is ingested so by giving yourself a couple hours between your last cigarette and bedtime, your body will have had more time to relax and get ready for sleep. Otherwise you have to go through that process first before your body can think about easing down.

Drinking before bed 

My grandmother always told me to drink warm milk or tea to get to sleep. This can help but only drink in moderation. The goal is to warm your insides while not filling your stomach. A little warmth can help but you don't want to have to get up in an hour.

Also, make sure that tea doesn't have caffeine in it. A half cup or so can relax you and get your ready to doze off without making you run to the bathroom before you hit the REM cycle.

Hot chocolate is no good because chocolate has caffeine.

Avoid sugar and sweets 

Sugar amps up your system which makes it hard to go to sleep. If ingested right before bedtime, sugar can cause wild dreams or nightmares if you do get to sleep. It's also one more thing that can sit in your gut and cause you to gain weight. Save the sweets and enjoy something less hyper instead.

Try relaxing music or nature sounds 

Relaxing music, especially classical music, is shown to ease the senses and reduce stress. Soft music, nature sounds and noise machines can lull you to sleep in no time flat, barring an actual serious sleep disorder. It can also help relax your mind and allow you to better let go of some of the burdens of the day.

The term noise machine may sound counter-productive, but these typically make sounds like ocean surf or rain, which can be very soothing.

Clearing your mind before bedtime 

Nothing can keep you awake more than stress and a rampaging mind. If you have an argument with someone, try to resolve it by the end of the day. Not only will this ease your mind and his or her mind, it will reduce your stress, take away bad thoughts, and improve your relationship. Going to bed angry not only keeps you awake, it decreases the time you can enjoy with someone that you may greatly miss later on.

Comfy sheets and support mattresses 

We'd all love to have satin sheets and a high dollar Tempur-pedic bed. Some of us can't afford them, but it is possible to get comfortable bed linens and mattresses for less. Regardless of what kind you buy and where you get, your mattress should be comfortable enough to relax you, but supportive enough to avoid giving you horrendous back aches. Sheets should be comfortable and season-specific: you won't want flannel in the summer or paper thin sheets in the winter. Being comfortable goes a long way in getting to sleep.

Useful Links: Organic Bedding | Wool Mattress and Pillow Covers

Pajamas for the season 

Comfortable pajamas can have a great influence on how well you sleep. If they aren't comfortable, too hot, too cold or too loose you can have trouble. A comfortable, season-specific pair of pajamas will help those who enjoy wearing them.

Read a book 

Reading can put your mind at ease and unwind you from the problems and events of the day. I find that lighter subjects make me happy and more rested, but some people might actually relax to mayhem and murder. Whatever floats your boat. The act of reading is soothing unless you're reading the annual federal budget report.

Relaxation exercises 

Everyone has stress, it's part of life. Doing some easy relaxation exercises before bed can help you calm down. Deep breathing is good. Focusing on one object and making yourself relax is another.

Some simple stretches that don't raise your heart rate too much can soothe the body as well. Any stretches you might do to loosen up your neck and arms before computer work will work here.

Daytime exercise 

Daily exercise is healthy in a variety of ways. It helps raise metabolism, burns calories, keeps your body limber, helps your immune system and can help pump out toxins.

Doing it near bedtime however can hurt your sleep. Exercise gets your blood going, so doing your routine during the day or farther away from your bedtime will allow your body to settle in again and help you sleep.

You can try body weight exercises or use a variety of Fitness Equipment.

The joy of a great pillow 

Pillows are as important as your mattress when it comes to sleeping. Having a pillow soft enough to let your relax, yet supportive enough to help you avoid neck problems, will also help you sleep. you don't want one that's too soft, but a pillow that feels like a brick won't help either. Magnetic pillows have shown success in reducing headaches and stiffness.

A peaceful bedroom 

Mementos, pictures, posters, candle holders, furniture... if you like to be in your room you're more likely to sleep better. If you can't have full control over your area, some small framed pictures or something from home will help out. Your room should put you at peace, so painting it in colors you enjoy and using items that make you happy will go a long way in the battle against insomnia. I think that's why some people, myself included, can't sleep in hotel rooms very well.

A little bit of paper... 

You might be surprised how helpful a small pad of paper and a pencil next to the bed can be. I use it all the time.

If you wake up with a thought or a dream, sometimes you can stay awake for hours trying to commit it to your brain so you'll remember it in the morning, or turn it over a thousand times thinking about it. If you just roll over and right it down, you can clear your mind again and go back to sleep knowing you can still remember it tomorrow.

Put your feet up before bed 

Putting your feet up for a while before bed will help you relax, increase circulation, and decrease swelling. Swelling during the night can cause your body to ache and throb and wreck your sleep. Plus it gives you a chance to just stop and unwind.

Set an alarm 

Relying on your natural alarm clock can actual keep you awake hoping it will actually work. The simple act of setting an alarm takes the worry off your mind, and you can go to sleep knowing you'll get up on time.

A nice, dark room 

Whether you work at night and sleep during the day or live in an unusually bright place, keeping the room dark is an important part of the process. Unless you've been trained otherwise, your body is used to doing something when it's light, so it can be very distracting. If you have to, hang dark towels or curtains, get an eye mask or pick another room.

Get into bed feeling good 

It's always good, not just for hygiene's sake, to wash your face and brush your teeth before bed. Feeling clean can help your body relax. Going to the bathroom will keep you from having to get up within an hour or two and allow you the time needed to achieve true sleep. Being comfortable and feeling fresh can bring a smile to your face any time of day or night.

The sandman will thank you, and your health will too.

Take care of the furry ones 

Anyone with pets knows that they love a good midnight meal, especially cats. If you only feed animals once a day, feeding them before you go to bed will fill their bellies and keep them from howling in your ear at one in the morning and waking you up. If you have dogs, taking them outside and letting them go to the bathroom (and maybe even run their legs off) will greatly increase the chance of your not having to worry about it again until morning. Plus, they'll feel better.

Tomorrow's To-Do List 

You might not think so, but even the tiniest tasks can lodge in your mind and come running back just as you're trying to go to sleep. It will want you to remember it, so it will remind you over and over and over again. Writing down a to-do list will allow you to erase those things from your mind and let you worry about them tomorrow.

Follow a routine 

It doesn't have to be an insanely rigid routine, but if you go to bed at approximately the same time every night, you'll be able to sleep better. Your body won't want to be up when you want it to be down or vice versa.

Get the kids on a routine. They'll sleep better too and will know they can't just be up whenever they feel like it. If they're awake, chances are you will be too. So make a family routine and help everyone involved.

Remember medications 

If you are on any sort of nighttime medication don't forget to take it, or your mind may jolt you awake in the middle of your slumber. It isn't healthy to skip doses anyway and you don't want to have to worry about it.

Turn down the thermostat 

Night sweats are a sleep killer. You don't want to get too hot in the middle of the night, so dial it down just a tad to keep yourself comfortable. Not enough to waste energy, just enough to help you sleep.

It's also helpful to have a couple blankets of varying thickness so you can switch without having to get up and find another one.

Do a last minute house check 

One last trip around to check that the doors are locked and everything is turned off will set your mind at ease and let you rest. You don't want to pop up like a paranoid squirrel in the middle of the night wondering if you left the stove on.

PLAN on a good night's sleep 

You've heard of athletes visualizing a win, right? Visualization can be very beneficial. If you plan on getting a good sleep, you're more likely to do just that. If you worry or think you may not get to sleep, you probably won't.

Enjoy your night 

So enjoy your night and get some rest. If none of these help you get a good night's sleep, consider asking your doctor. You want to make sure you don't have sleep apnea or some other disorder that is wrecking your rest.

For greater relaxation, try a portable far infrared sauna or a far infrared eye mask. Both are available from Promolife. We're always promoting a healthier lifestyle.



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by promolife

At Promolife, we are always promoting a healthier lifestyle. We carry items ranging from far infrared saunas, spas, massagers, massage tables, pain re... (more)

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