Fifty Useful Tips For Better Sleep
You can sleep without pills and still beat insomnia.
The fifty following tips will help you to have a better night's sleep.
- Try to relax before bedtime; take a walk or read a newspaper; just do something which is not stressful.
- Do your paperwork or other work-related activities early in the evening.
- Make sure your bedroom is not noisy.
- If your bedroom is noisy and you can't correct it, wear earplugs.
- Think of places you fell asleep easily and try to copy those places; set your room up the same way.
- Check the medicines you are taking to see that they aren't nervous system stimulants.
- Make sure your bedroom is well-ventilated but not too cold.
- Don't use too many or too few blankets.
- Don't tuck your sheets in too tight at the bottom of the bed; your feet should feel free and unrestricted.
- Your mattress should not sag.
- Have a big enough bed for yourself; if you're 6'8", don't try sleeping in a single bed.
- Your pajamas or nightgown should be comfortable, not too tight.
- Use a pillow that suits you, soft or firm, whichever you prefer.
- If you like a soft light on while you sleep, have one on.
- If you prefer to sleep in darkness make sure your blinds are thick.
- Rise at the same time seven days a week, no matter what.
- Do not linger in bed when you wake up; instead, get up right away and start moving on with your morning routine.
- Avoid napping in the afternoon.
- Do some sort of physical exercise each day which will tire you out.
- Cut down on smoking and drinking alcohol at least two hours before bedtime.
- Don't drink coffee or soft drinks containing caffeine after dinner.
- If you like to watch TV before going to bed, keep it light; watch a comedy instead of a drama.
- If you like to read before going to bed, keep it light. Read to a logical stopping point, so you won't lie awake wondering what's going to happen.
- Don't socialize with friends with whom you are likely to argue in the evening. Nighttime arguments are like poison to an insomniac.
- Establish a regular bed-time.
- Avoid eating too much salt with your dinner and in any after-dinner snacks.
- Try eating snacks high in calcium and protein before retiring; small amounts of cheese and nuts contain Tryptophan, an amino acid which promotes sleep.
- Take bone meal tablets or some other form of calcium regularly after dinner.
- Herbal teas such as chamomile and valerian induce sleep.
- Try a teaspoon of brewer's yeast and a tablespoon of molasses in a glass of milk.
- Don't forget about a glass of warm milk before bed; it does work.
- A teaspoon of honey in a cup of hot water is said to induce sleep.
- Another old-fashioned remedy is to take two teaspoons of cider vinegar with two teaspoons honey in a glass of warm water.
- Ask your spouse which sleeping position you sleep most soundly in; try to assume that position upon retiring.
- Don't go for 8 hours of sleep; you may only need 4 to 6 hours.
- Spend no more than 3 minutes thinking about the day's problems when you are in bed.
- If you find it difficult to sleep with your spouse, try getting twin beds or separate bedrooms.
- The optimum temperature for sleep is 60 to 64 degrees F.
- Relax before bed in a warm bath.
- Buy a humidifier to keep your room warm in the winter without drying out the air too much.
- Add a tablespoon of dry mustard powder to your before-bed bath.
- Add baking soda to the bath water.
- Footbaths before bed help.
- Before bed, listen to relaxing music.
- When you are in bed, recall the happiest experiences of your life.
- Ask someone to read aloud to you in bed before you go to sleep.
- Lie on your back in bed and relax each muscle in your body.
- Visualize various parts of your body relaxing.
- Concentrate on doing some deep breathing as you lie in bed.
- If all else fails, try counting sheep; it's an age-old cure and has helped many an insomniac get a good night's sleep.