Are you reading this post in a state of tiredness and being in a semi-sleepy state trawling through the internet at 3am because you are not able to sleep again?
Do you feel irritated and moody throughout the day because you didn’t have enough night’s sleep?
You are not alone! Study shows that 1 out of 4 suffer from some form of Sleep disorder or Sleep deprivation, the most common ones being Sleep Apnea, Insomnia, Restless Leg Syndrome and Snoring. Or you can attribute your sleeplessness to poor Sleep Hygiene or Sleep habits.
Doctors describe Sleep Disorders as any disturbance that affects the person’s ability to fall asleep, stay asleep at night or stay awake during the day. It can affect anyone at any time!
If you think that you have a Sleep disorder, you have to work with your doctor to determine what type you are suffering from. There are nearly 100 kinds of Sleep disorders.
Sleep Hygiene not only includes the rituals that you do just before going to bed. But, it also includes your eating habits, the environment in the room that you are sleeping, exercise and the number of hours you sleep. The following are some Sleep Hygiene practices that can help a long way.
1.Use the bed room only to Sleep
Remove TV or technology of any type in the bed room whatsoever. Move the remotes, hand-sets, mobiles and tabs to your living room.
2.Hit the bed the same time daily
Going to bed at the same time every day is a good practice. More important is to wake up at the same time every day. Including weekends! I know it’s difficult but it will keep you fresh after having the adequate quantity of sleep.
3.Avoid having serious discussions or arguments just before going to bed
Don’t discuss something serious or something that will worry you just before going to bed. This will hinder your sleep and increase your stress levels. In turn, you will be irritated the next day.
4.Have Caffeine responsibly
I am not against having Caffeine but drink coffee or tea depending on your needs. Don’t drink too much of it. If you think that you will be able to sleep after having a cup of tea, no problem. Have it but sparingly.
5.Have a dairy product just before going to sleep
Don’t take a heave meal like meat, pizzas before bed time. Light snack will do. To be specific, have milk or some form of dairy product which contains the right amount of carbohydrates, proteins and calcium.
6.Keep your bed room cool and dark
Keep your bed room as cool and dark as possible. That will help you induce sleep faster. Don’t play jarring music or keep the lights on while sleeping.
7.You don’t have to try too hard
If you wake up and cannot sleep within 15-20 minutes, leave the bed room, go to a quiet place in the house and do something like reading or listening to soothing music. Don’t stay in the bed forcing you to sleep. You will end up stressing out.
8.Avoid late noon naps
Avoid having naps after 3 pm especially for more than half an hour. This will disrupt your night sleep. Having a power nap in the afternoon helps though!
9.Watch what you eat
Don’t over eat at night. Eat a balanced food which is rich in greens and has good fiber content. Over eating or eating fatty items results in accumulation of fat in your body. This will in turn hinder your sleep.
10.Avoid Using Sleeping pills
Don’t use sleeping pills everyday to sleep. Use it only if you are suffering from serious sleeping disorder or only if it is prescribed by your doctor.
11.Expose yourself to light early in the morning
Exposing yourself to natural light in the morning which is rich in Vitamin D helps in energizing your body and mind. Early risers are always more productive. A morning walk will help you a long way.
12.Relax yourself before bedtime
Don’t worry about your problems and how to solve them in bed. Have something called as the �Worry Time’ before going to bed. Write down your problems and worries for the next day and also the solution on how you are going to deal with it. Your mind will then be relaxed and stress free before going to bed.
Establishing a good Sleep Hygiene encourages restful sleep and peace of mind. Though it takes some time and effort to bring it to a routiene, the rewards are worth the effort.