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14 Tips to Falling Asleep & Sleeping Well

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Screen Shot 2013-06-13 at 7.16.18 PMDo you have trouble falling asleep? How about staying asleep? Sleep has usually come
pretty easily to me in the past, but sadly, falling asleep has been pretty difficult lately. My mind starts to think and think and think and soon enough I get out of bed before waking up my poor husband with all my tossing and turning.

Sleep is the number one thing that you should address right now, even before diet and exercise, if you want to start improving all aspects of your life and your health – physically, mentally, and emotionally. On average, Americans are sleeping 1 – 2 1/2 hours less per night than we were 50 years ago. There are beyond countless studies proving, very conclusively, just how detrimental sleep loss is.

I’m particularly sensitive when it comes to sleeping well and getting in at least 8 hours of sleep each night. A few stressful weeks and staying up late on the computer has really thrown me for a loop recently, so it’s due time I get my system back on track before things start unraveling more. Here are some techniques that you can be used if you’re having difficulty sleeping.

Lifestyle Changes for Sleep
  • Make sleep a priority. Without first making sleep an absolute priority in your life, it’s likely that you’ll easily fall back into making excuses for staying up late (e.g. doing laundry, finishing up work, etc.). Do not forego sleep in an effort to get more “productive” hours out of your day. Remember: You cannot be healthy without adequate sleep. You’re not naturally a sleep owl, your cortisol and circadian rhythm is just disrupted.
  • Limit your bedroom to two things: sleep and sex. Do not eat, read, watch television, or – especially – worry in bed. If you’re laying in bed and can’t fall asleep after about 20 minutes, get up and read or journal in another room until you feel sleepy.
  • Make a sleep routine. We are creatures of habit. A bedtime relaxation routine can help prepare your body and brain for sleep. Have a cup of herbal tea, take a warm bath, read a book, meditate or do breathing exercises, pray, journal. You can also dim the lights or switch to candlelight in the evening, signaling to your body it’s time to begin winding down.
  • Maintain consistent sleep and wake times and stick to them. This means on the weekends too. Ideally, it’s best to get to bed around 10 o’clock pm. Do not push past your initial feelings of sleepiness. Going to bed later or making yourself stay awake when you’re tired may result in your getting a second wind. At the very least, subtract 8 hours from the time you have to wake up to go to bed. 
  • Shut down computer, turn off the television, and put away the phone when the sun goes down. Even a small amount of artificial light from these devices disrupts your circadian rhythm and suppresses melatonin. Your email and Facebook will still be there in the morning! DVR your favorite television show. But – if you absolutely must use your computer, I recommend downloading f.lux. It adapts the lighting on your computer screen to the time of day. When the sun goes down, your screen can be set to “candlelight.” Better yet, invest in a pair of amber-lensed glasses, like these by Uvex. The amber lenses block nearly all blue light, setting you up for a better night’s sleep and a better mood in the morning. 
  • Write a “to do” list before bed. Doing this can help prevent your mind from racing and going through a mental to do list as you’re laying in bed.
  • Get adequate light in the morning and afternoon. If you’re waking up very early in the morning and missing daylight, and then remaining indoors for the remainder of the day, your circadian rhythm will be disrupted. Increasing your exposure to light in the morning and also the afternoon encourages a strong circadian rhythm and increases your melatonin production at night. 
  • Move. Reducing the amount of time that you’re sedentary throughout your day (and not just for an hour in the gym) can have a profound impact on your sleep quality. If you’re sitting at a desk all day, get up every 20-30 minutes and take a walk around the office for a couple of minutes. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Do pushups against the wall. Stretch. In terms of formal exercise, most people do better avoiding it too late in the evening.
  • Sleep time nutrition. In general, do not go to bed too full and do not go to bed hungry. Some do well with a light snack before bedtime. You may also consider adding some more carbs into your dinner, especially if you struggle with insomnia. Low fat and low carb diets can contribute to sleeplessness. If you’re sensitive to stimulants, avoid chocolate, coffee, black teas, and sugary drinks. Alcohol also impairs sleep quality.
  • Drop unnecessary stress. I know that this may be (a lot) easier said than done, but I want you to give it real consideration. Go beyond “managing” stress, and drop as much unnecessary stress as you can. Are there things in your life that you can let go of? I’m sure that there are. Is your job sucking the joy out of your life? Are you in relationships that are not serving you? Try releasing your grip on those things out of your control. Mindfulness based stress reduction, even for 2-5 minutes daily, can have a dramatic impact on reducing stress levels.
Creating the Ideal Sleep Environment
  • Sleep in a cool environment. Just make sure it’s not too cold, because that can also disrupt sleep.
  • Sleep in a pitch black room. And I mean totally pitch black. I use blackout curtains in my own bedroom. Without them, my sleep is wrecked. There is absolutely no light in my bedroom, not even from a digital clock, which can also disrupt your sleep – as small as it is. If you have an alarm clock in your bedroom, cover it. Night light? Get rid of it now. If you’re sleeping in a hotel room or don’t have control over these things, put a pillow over your eyes or consider using a sleep mask.
  • White noise. If outside noises disturb you, consider getting a white noise maker to drown them out. I use this one by Honeywell because it also serves the function of being an air purifier.  
  • Pets? I’m sorry to say, but your best friends may be contributing to your sleeping woes, especially if they wake you up in the wee hours. It may be time to leave your bedroom door closed and sleep without your pets if you find that they disturb you.
Other Considerations
  • Magnesium can help. Most of us are already deficient. Magnesium Glycinate is one of the most absorbable forms of it. You can generally take up to 800mg daily without any problem. The only word of warning is that it can produce quite the laxative effect.
  • Melatonin supplements are not recommended unless it is an emergency situation (such as jet lag). Because it is a hormone, anything more than short term use of it can disrupt our body’s own natural production of it.
  • Rest Assured is a program that was brought to my attention by Chris Kresser, who says that it has helped himself and his patient’s tremendously. I have not used it, but the premise of the program is to address stress during the day to improve sleep at night. You can sample it here.
  • If you suffer from debilitating insomnia, I understand your struggle. My husband suffered for a very long time with it and it was very painful. Consider seeking out a board certified Sleep Therapist who practices Cognitive Behavioral Therapist. Check out the SleepFoundation.org.

 

I hope that this post has helped you. Please leave a comment. I’d love to hear from you.    

 

The post 14 Tips to Falling Asleep & Sleeping Well appeared first on The Coconut Frontier.


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