Physicians Health

At some periods of our life nearly all of us experience problems with getting sleep. If your insomnia is not chronic and is not connected to psychological problems, there are some things you can do to help get some sleep.

The main thing that affects good sleep is routine. If you lead a not very orderly life, try to fix a time for going to bed and waking up. Seven to eight hours of sleep are practically enough, so if you need to wake up at seven in the morning, go to bed at 10:30 pm. Do it every day, even on the weekends, because every time you go to bed later, your routine will get mixed up again. If you keep the routine, your mind will send signals to your body to get sleepy. If you go to bed, go right to sleep, don’t read or watch TV in bed.

The same goes for waking up. Try to wake up always at the same time. If it so happens that you wake up too early in the morning and can’t go back to sleep, stand up and do something, but keep your brain sleepy– don’t turn on bright light or make brisk movements. Don’t take long, go to bed again.

If during the day you feel that you badly need a nap, take one, but not for longer than an hour, because power napping can break your day-rhythm.

Food and drinks can be natural sleep aids, but they can also prevent you from getting sleep. Try to restrain yourself from eating within three hours before going to bed, especially high cholesterol food or dairy products. They can cause restlessness and nightmares. Don’t drink tea, coffee or too much alcohol before going to bed. If you do drink a lot of alcohol, drink big quantities of water with it, in order to neutralize its effect on your body. Yet, a glass of alcohol can relax you and make you sleep better.

Try exercising. Take a brisk walk an hour before going to bed. You can take a hot shower afterwards and chill out to relax your mind and body.

Another option for making sleep better is sex. But note, this refers only to men. Women get stimulated by sex, while men get sleepy. If sex is not an option for you, lie down in bed and relax. Start stretching the muscles of your legs and arms, then relax them again.

If you still can’t sleep, turn on the radio and listen to talk radio. Note–listen only to talk. Music can wake you up even more.

Reduce the number of pillows if you use many–the closer your body is to a horizontal position, the better.

Still have problems? Then wake up and do something. Eventually you’ll get tired and want sleep. Remember–don’t think! Turn off your mind. Also if you wake up in the middle of the night, don’t watch the clock! You can always try some natural sleeping remedies or turn to a doctor.

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