There are a great deal of ways that people utilize when trying to get to sleep. Some of them work and some of them don’t. Some of the best sleep tips involve all natural techniques that you can do in your own home without a daunting middle of the night trip to the drug store.
Make sleep a priority. Don’t stay up till all hours of the morning when you know you must get up early. Do this enough times and then your body will no longer sleep when you want it to. You will have reset your internal alarm clock, which will only make you groggy and very cranky.
Start a sleep/bedtime ritual. Start getting ready for bed earlier in the evening. Unwind from the madness of the day at least 2 hours before bed. Start lowering noise and lighting, along with any other stimulants. Take a shower or bath or just wash your face. Put on your pajamas and get comfortable. Create a bedtime for yourself. Going to bed at the same time every night tells your body what time to go to sleep.
Create a restful place to sleep. No television in the bedroom. No clutter in the bedroom. Make your bedroom an oasis from the rest of the house. Make sure that you have a good quality mattress and foundation on your bed. It should be comfortable and support your spine.
Cut back on what you take in before bed. Avoid foods. Cut back on or reduce the amount you smoke and the amount of alcohol you consume before bed. Try warm milk or herbal tea , like chamomile, to help you relax in the evening.
Need more help to relax? Listen to music. Not crazy music, but soft, lilting music to practice deep breathing to. Get your spouse to give you a massage. Close your eyes and clear your mind. Some people swear by practicing meditation techniques at bed time as well as counting backward from 10,20, or even 30. The belief is that your body comes to understand that you are ‘counting down’ to sleep and it begins to relax into the beginning stages of the sleep mode.
If you just cannot sleep, get up. If you are laying in bed staring at the ceiling then get up. Attempting to force yourself to sleep results in a horrid restless sleep. So get out of bed and deal with whatever issues may be dealing with.
One last way to help you sleep is exercise. Now don’t exercise within 1-2 hours of bedtime. Find some time during the day, even first thing in the morning, to exercise. It has been scientifically proven that people who exercise have a better quality of sleep. Exercise helps to reduce stress levels and increase health, both of which help to create a more peaceful quality of sleep.
Tags: cant sleep right now, sleep tips, tips, tips for adults
There are a huge amount of sleep aids on the market today. When picking a sleep aid there are three categories to pick from. One is available only by prescription, the second choice is to use an over the counter sleep aid while others are at your nearest health food store. Only you and/or your doctor can help to decide which sleep aid is right for you.
Prescription medications that help you get to sleep include Lunesta, Rozerem, Halcion, Ambian and Sonata. Medications that help you stay asleep are Estazdam, Lunesta, Restoril, Ambien CR. These are really more of a last resort for someone with prolonged insomnia. Side effects may include dizziness, headache, sleep-driving, severe allergic reaction, swelling of the face, as well as possible prolonged drowsiness.
The next best possible sleep aids are over the counter medications. Diphenhydramia, is the key ingredient in medications such as Nytol, Sominex and Unisom. These have very few side effects. It is possible to become addicted to any sleep aid, whether a prescription or over the counter drug.
Getting out of the drug thought process, try using herbs to help you sleep. A cup of chamomile tea before bed helps to relax your mind and your muscles. You may also want to try valerian root which reduces the amount of time it takes you to fall asleep as well as increasing the quality of your sleep. This should be taken approximately 1 hour before bedtime. Valerian root takes 2-3 weeks for the user to receive it’s full effects. Do not use it longer than 3 months. Consult a health professional before using this herb if you take prescription medications. Other items are lavender, which is a known stress reliever as well as St.John’s Wort which is known to help with depression. If your insomnia is due to depression then this herbal supplement would help a great deal. Another supplement recommended by herbalists is melatonin. Melatonin is a natural substance inside our bodies that help to control your internal clock. It can be taken in pill form. It is great for jet lag or if you work odd hours at work. Melatonin should be taken within 30 minutes of bedtime and be used for less than three months. Doctors say that caution should be used with this her if you suffer from depression or an autoimmune disease. All of these herbs can be found in health food stores as well as in some grocery stores.
A truly all natural way to induce sleep is through food. Ingesting Tryptaphan, most commonly found in turkey meat, causes increased levels in serotonin which transforms into melatonin. This type of response also occurs when eating complex carbohydrates such as whole grain breads or whole grain crackers.
Tags: insomnia, nytol, sleep aids, sleep medications
It happens quite often. You’re sound asleep one moment, then suddenly you’re gasping for air. You’re eyes are wide open, you are trying to inhale or exhale, but your throat is clamped shut. While there are quite a few reasons this could be happening, the most commonly known ailment is Obstructive Sleep Apnea, also know as OSA. This type of ailment is common to approximately 5 % of the world’s population.
OSA occurs when a person who is asleep stops breathing because their airway collapses. It does not stay collapsed but it does restrict airflow for a noticeable amount of time. Symptoms of OSA, Obstructive Sleep Apnea, include snoring and being excessively sleepy during the day. Although being overweight is a risk factor for this type of problem, thin people still get it. Allowing this problem to persist can result in heart disease, high blood pressure and even stroke.
There is treatment for Obstructive Sleep Apnea. The easiest type of treatment is positional. The belief is that sleeping on your back can be more harmful to this sort of condition. Try sleeping on your side. Some people have been known to put tennis balls inside a tube sock and pin it to their nightshirt to keep them from rolling onto their back while asleep. Another way to reduce episodes from OSA is to sleep on your back with your chest elevated on a wedge type rest. Make sure it’s not a pillow that forces your chin to your chest. Avoid alcohol and other central nervous system depressants as these tend to me OSA worse by relaxing the muscles to the airway which reduces the respiratory drive and increases the amount of episodes you might have. If weight is an issue, then the simple idea of weight loss will fix the problem. Medical intervention includes the use of a CPAP machine which is worn at night and acts in a splint like manner for the airway using air from the room. The last resort method is surgery to fix the problem. However, surgery is risky in that it could make the OSA better or it could make it worse.
Before jumping into something, consider other things that may cause you to have the feeling of choking in the middle of the night. The temporary conditions of heartburn, post nasal drip and vocal cord spasms can also cause you to feel as if you’re choking. Discuss your symptoms with a doctor in order to determine a correct diagnosis as well as a correct treatment option. Most doctors will recommend an overnight sleep study if they are unsure as to your exact condition.
Tags: cant sleep, choking, osa, sleep apnea, wake up choking
The statement that you need eight hours of sleep per night is thrown about as fact. The problem is that it is only a hypothesis. Scientists are only guessing about the eight hours. The amount of sleep you need is based on your age and on how healthy you are. Every person needs as adequate amount of sleep in order to function correctly. Proper sleep allows us to be alert, perform to our highest abilities and keep us at our optimum health. So eight hours is the amount of sleep needed by the average person, meaning that some people need less than 6 hours while some need more than 9 hours. Thus an average of 8 hours of sleep at night.
Newborns sleep 14-16 hours per day. They need this amount of sleep because of the amount of growing they are doing. Babies around the age of 3-6 months sleep 10-14 hours sleep. Again, because of the exorbitant amount of growing that is going on. Children and teens need 10-14 hours sleep. This amount of sleep is normally considered laziness in teenagers. They always want to take a nap or are falling asleep in class. Due to the hormonal changes and the internal changes going on inside a teenager they need a great deal more sleep than even they realize. The average adult needs approximately 6-8 hours of sleep per night. Again this depends upon a person’s health. Regular exercise during the day as well as a well balanced diet actually requires less sleep because a better quality of sleep is achieved. Pregnant women need 3 additional hours of sleep a day. It is said that a pregnant woman’s body is doing the job of a rock climber while she is at rest. Thus the need for at least 3 extra hours of sleep per day.
It’s about the quality of the sleep you get, not just the hours. In order to get the most out of a good night’s sleep you should understand the whole system. Stage one is when you’re drowsy. You are relaxed but still somewhat aware of the world around you. This lasts for approximately 10-15 minutes. Step 2 is light sleep. Your temperature starts to decline, your movements tend to stop, your heart rate reduces as your body slows for rest. Step 3 is deep sleep. You are unaware of the world around you. You’re groggy and completely disoriented. Deep sleep is when hormone cells begin to regenerate. Scientists have discovered that those who exercise stay in this stage 2-3 times as long as those that don’t exercise. Stage 5 is REM sleep. REM stands for Rapid Eye Movement. This is the last 5-6 hours of an 8 hour sleep. How much sleep you get in this stage depends upon how much sleep you get per night.
While you are sleeping the body is repairing itself and rebuilding parts that need assistance. You know that you have achieved the right amount and the right quality of sleep when you wake feeling refreshed and ready to tackle the day. If you have trouble focusing during the day or find yourself nodding off then perhaps you need more sleep.
Find out how much sleep you need by trying out a sleep reduction experiment. The first night get the least amount of sleep you believe you can function on. Don’t be crazy and not sleep at all. Start out at 5-6 hours sleep. Take note of how you feel in the morning. Are you dragging or did you bounce out of bed? Now did you need a nap halfway through the day? Then try adding one hour of sleep to the amount you slept the night before. Repeat this exercise until you not only bounce out of bed, you don’t feel sleepy during the day anymore. If you’re getting the right amount of sleep, going to bed at the same time every night, as well as getting up at the same time every day, then you may soon find yourself throwing out that alarm clock because you have optimized your body’s natural alarm clock.
Tags: 8 hours for good sleep? newborns sleeping, adult sleep, natural alarm, sleep amount
There are many factors that go into a good night’s sleep. Your sleeping environment is the most essential to sleeping well. The room that you sleep in must be free from noise, free from bright lights, free from clutter and have a comfortable bed. A comfortable bed involves clean sheets, the right type of pillow for you and just the right mattress.
A good mattress is essential to a good night’s sleep. What qualifies as a good mattress? The optimal mattress will offer comfort in the form of proper cushion and recoil, while providing firm enough support for a person’s back, legs and neck. The best mattress will distribute a person’s weight evenly so that you won’t wake up sore. This comes from the firmness of the mattress. While a great deal of people seem to prefer a very firm mattress, scientific research has been inconclusive due to the differences in every person.
How long does a mattress last or when should I buy a new mattress? The life of the mattress is reliant on whether the mattress is used everyday or for guests only, the quality in which the mattress was created, along with the weight and sleep patterns of the user. Taking all of these things into consideration , the average mattress should be replaced every 5-7 years.
When shopping for a mattress, doctors recommend that you purchase a mattress that supports the natural ‘S’ curve of your back while allowing you to completely relax. You should spend anywhere from 15-30 minutes ‘trying out’ a mattress. That’s right. Lie down in the middle of the mattress store and turn over just like you were sleeping. Now don’t do this quickly. It takes your body 15-30 minutes to relax, so lay down and wait for relaxation to happen.
Keep in mind that there are many types of mattresses. There are traditional coil, air, latex and memory foam. A good mattress is not made up of all the bells and whistles, nor is it the most expensive. It is the one that fits your needs and your body. The one that offers support and evenly distributes your weight. A good mattress allows you a deep, restful sleep so that you can wake in the morning feeling refreshed and rejuvenated not groggy, sore, achy and tired.
Keep in mind, when you’ve eliminated the stress from your bedroom and eliminated any other issues that might be interfering with your sleep patterns, it’s time to look at getting a new mattress. If you’re mattress is over 8 years old don’t try to justify keeping it. A good mattress equals a good night’s sleep which equals better health.
Tags: cant sleep, good sleep, mattress, new bed, sleeping trouble
I came across some information that I found surprising. Most doctors recommend that you abstain from drinking caffeine after 2 pm. I thought that this was amazing, I mean how many of us enjoy a caffeinated beverage with dinner or a nice brew of coffee after dinner; apparently, it takes a long time for the caffeine to dissolve, and to completely leave our bodies only once this occurs we can start to relax. I decided to see if this was true and I soon realized that it’s much harder to do than I thought.
I found out that after eating a big meal I had become incredible custom to that much needed caffeine boost and avoiding coffee or stimulants I fell asleep watching television. I did notice that I slept better than I have ever slept before, I got to sleep right away no tossing or turning, I didn’t wake up half way through the night and when I woke up the next morning I felt much more alert even before my morning brew.
I have decided to make this one of my permanent rules when I get home from work I stay away from caffeine unless I don’t feel like I am going to be able to make it to bedtime of course. I hereby issue you the same challenge you may find it difficult at first but I encourage you to stick to it.
I would like people to try this simple and easy method and see if it works for them. In one of my other articles I wrote about the over use of stimulants and relaxants or as I called them uppers and downers. This is your chance right now to remove yourself from this negative cycle and stop your body from working against you and help it work for you. Not to mention think of all the money you will save on sleeping pills and coffee.
Bill Hanson
I suffer from TMJ (Temporomandibular joint disorder) which is a popping and clicking of the joint of the jaw. TMJ can cause a wide variety of symptoms such as headache, dizziness, severe migraine, and considerable jaw pain. Severe sleeping disorders can develop due to this very common condition. You may find it hard to get and stay comfortable or you may wake up with extreme pain in your jaw here are some tips to minimize these problems:
1. Advil relieves more inflammation than other over the counter pain medicines (when you’re feeling pain from TMJ it’s inflammation of the jaw muscles consult a pharmacist for more info
2. Get a exercise regimen from your doctor i.e. jaw stretching
3. Night guards may help minimize the stress on your teeth; however, I know several people who managed to bite clean threw their bite plate at night.
4. There are surgical options to correct congenital jaw malformations.
5. Orthodontics
6. Modifying the way you chew your food
Avoiding certain behaviors can minimize your TMJ & sleep related problems. Such as avoiding Alcohol or Stimulants this can reduce the severity of your TMJ. It’s proven that excessive amounts of stimulants for example caffeine and alcohol before sleep can intensify some symptoms.
I was instructed by a health care provider when I try to sleep I should start on my back. Place the tip of my tongue gently behind the front teeth. Some people find it helpful to start off in this position. I place large pillows or cushions along both sides of my head, that may help keep me from rolling over to my side.
Avoid sleeping on your side Try cradling your head, or putting your arm under it so the pressure is not on the jaw joint; however, just this method can cause some people to experience jaw aching.
I recently heard that there was a supplement on the market that was helping a lot of people. It’s called ‘natural calm plus calcium’ I believe it dissolves in water and you take it before bed. I am going to try this stuff before I recommend it. I will give it a month trial run before I post a review on the message board.
Bill Hanson
Tags: jaw pain, TMJ
Sounds for Silence is a baby settling program with soundtracks and a health guide, developed by Pediatrician, Dr Harry Zehnwirth.
Sounds for Silence is safe, easy, fast and effective, successfully soothing 90% of babies, 50% in less than a minute. The baby-specific soundtracks, that are dramatically different to lullabies, combine layers low-pitch, everyday domestic noises and physiological sounds that mimic the womb. Recall the sounds during a pre-natal ultrasound and it makes perfect sense.
The Sounds for Silence package includes a health guide with practical information on health and settling issues. It cuts through the myths on settling with reliable expert information and is all parents need to know before they start to panic.
Sounds for Silence has been developed by Dr Zehnwirth using over 25 years of specialist Pediatric experience. All the knowledge and understanding of what makes babies cry and how to soothe them culminate in this wonderful package.
It meets the needs of parents and young babies everywhere. It has been embraced internationally and has become the benchmark for settling babies in Australia over the past 5 years.
Sounds for Silence is comforting for babies and reassuring for parents – the multi-award winning essential baby settling program.
More information is available on the website at:www.okidokiebaby.com
Tags: babies cant sleep, developed by doctor, different to lullabies, help your baby sleep at night. Baby soundtracks, sounds of silence
I purchased a king size Serta mattress about two years ago, Let me be honest, it was the best money I have ever spent in my life. It however was a lot of money about 1400.00 Canadian dollars. I originally purchased the queen, then I upgraded to the king for a few hundred extra. In the summer time when the mattress feels really hot I can just roll over to the other side and it’s ice cold.
I don’t even know if my wife is in bed with me it’s great. I toss and turn sometimes all night and it doesn’t bother her at all. When I purchased the mattress the sheer amounts of sell ups the sales people aggressively pushed almost made me walk out the store. So I made a list of what I believe for the most part is a waste of money;
Dust mite protection
Stain guard
Mattress pad
Bed frame
Dust mite protection
First they show you a picture of a dust mite; of course it a poster size picture of this tiny insect. For the record if you own anything with a shaggy service like carpets, rugs, and couches let me be the one to tell you that you already billions of dust mites. Here is some more info on these harmless creatures.
Dust mites are so small you really can’t see them with the naked eye. They usually reside in blankets, mattresses, stuffed animals and carpets. They eat dander and flakes of dead skin, thereby eliminating extra dust, so there is a purpose for their existence. However, for many people dust mites are problematic because of allergies.
So unless you have allergies take a pass on the dust mite protection.
Stain guard protects against any damage to the mattress from bodily fluids to burns, scratches and scrapes to any house hold products i.e. food and beverages for ten years. The problem I have with this insurance plan is the cost for a king size mattress they wanted an additional 89.99 I was already spending so much so I decided to take a pass on the insurance. Anytime insurance is offered to you from a company different than the one you’re buying the main product from it should be suspicious. It’s so easy for a company offering that type of insurance to just fold up shop that I figured that I made the right call.
Mattress pad is the next item they will push on your really hard for those who don’t know it is a fully detachable pad that they sell so that you can remove it once a week and wash it with your sheets. I suppose this isn’t a bad purchase but at the mattress store be prepared to pay a premium, I recommend that you check your local Wal-Mart for the same item probably for half the price.
The bed frame they tried to sell me for a whopping 149.99 was a bad joke. I am a welder by trade and I could have built that mattress frame for maybe ten bucks of scrap iron. Of course the wife wouldn’t like that so, I had a woodworker make a custom platform bed out of my favorite wood ‘pine’ for little under a hundred bucks.
The best time to go mattress shopping is around September that is when the mattress companies but on their best sales to attract the college students.
Bill Hanson
P.S. When you’re ready to make your purchase always ask’ What is the cash price’.
Most retailers will knock off five to seven percent if you pay cash the reason for this is the store will avoid having to pay credit card fees or interact related fees.
You start your morning with a nice brew of hot coffee. At the office, you may find yourself enjoying another cup of coffee at around 10:30. If you go out for lunch with some co-workers and have lets’ say a rum and coke with your lunch, Around 3 pm you notice that your really starting to find yourself in a slump or crash. The way home you have a red bull or another energy drink or maybe just another coffee. The average person consumes 3 cups of coffee a day. When you add up how much caffeine has been consumed in my mock day at work, it would look like this.
Three cups of coffee
Glass of cola
1 Red bull / energy drink
That’s just before you get home and have dinner. We have developed into an upper and downer society. We think we need chemicals to get us going and to put us down. We in fact have been trained since grade school ‘when they installed the cola machines’ to be chemical dependant. You may find your hypertension (stress) going through the roof at times so maybe you consult your doctor. He may give you some sleeping pills or anti anxiety medication and this is the downer side.
Uppers and downers with so much of this going on are you surprised when your dentist tells you that you have been grinding your teeth when you sleep and it’s all due to stress. We have lost so many celebrities to our chemical depend society. Heath ledger to Elvis Presley they all died to due a combination of depressants (drugs) and alcohol (increases hypertension upper) and it also doubles as a depressant.
If you take an honest look at your own addictions caffeine, alcohol, sugar, maybe nicotine. You will never look at someone who is addicted to meth or heroin the same way again.
Bill Hanson
