Sleep problems can greatly affect your health. Disturbed sleep on a regular basis can result in mood swings, lack of concentration, stress and in severe cases can even lead to depression. It is natural to have the occasional sleepless night but if you find yourself regularly tossing and turning for hours every night, here are a few tips to help you get a good nights sleep:
- Avoid stimulants several hours before you go to bed. Nicotine and caffeine are 2 of the most common. It can seem harmless to smoke late or have a coffee in front of the TV but the effects on sleep are bigger than we think. If you are a smoker, try and have less in the evening and if you are a coffee lover, switch to decaffeinated after about 3pm - also check medications - some pain killers have caffeine or other stimulants in them and these may prevent a peaceful sleep.
- Lack of exercise can contribute to sleepless nights. Sometimes our bodies just haven’t expended enough energy to feel tired enough to sleep. Exercise (gentle – it does not have to be a vigorous workout) has several benefits - one of which is helping us to sleep better. Exercise naturally releases our ‘feel good’ hormones, helping us to be more restful at night.
- If you are over anxious, stressed or feeling down, this may also lead to sleepless nights. It is important to get to the root of what is causing the stress in order to tackle it in the best way. Taking sleeping tablets on a regular basis only addresses the symptoms and not the cause. You need to get to the root of your stress for longer term results.
- If you are anxious or stressed write down what it is in your life that is causing your anxiety and look at what small steps you can take to reduce the stress somewhat.
- If you wake at night feeling stressed, remember that you cannot do anything to address the situation there and then. If it helps, keep a notebook by your bed and write things down so that you don’t get anxious about remembering them in the morning.
- If you are feeling down, try a natural supplement to help boost you mood and aid natural sleep. 5-HTP is a natural amino acid that raises serotonin in our brain, helping to lift our mood. Having enough serotonin helps us make more melatonin - our sleep hormone!
- Check out your environment - does where you sleep resemble a junk yard, is it stuffy and hot or freezing cold? Make the best that you can of your sleeping environment. You will be surprised at how much it helps to keep it clutter free and well aired. Make your bedroom a place where you enjoy spending time and you find calming and restful.
- How is your mattress? We spend a third of our time in bed so it makes sense to be as comfortable as possible. You can’t get a restful sleep with springs sticking in your back or suffering aches and pains due to lack of support.
- Do you sleep with a snorer? It can be frustrating when someone else is causing your lack of sleep. Try some of the nasal strips or snore sprays on the market as these may help. If your partner has problems generally with adenoids or breathing then it is important for them to see a doctor.
- If you still find it hard to sleep, don’t just lie there hoping. Get up and go into another room, read or watch something on TV (nothing too stimulating or this will make you more awake!)
- Lastly – have patience - if you have suffered with sleepless nights for some time, it might take a while to get back into a regular routine. Follow the above tips, get to the root of what is making you so restless and you should see improvements in a relatively short amount of time.
Useful Resources:
Beat Insomnia - Sleep Tonight
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sleep is one of the most horrible experiences that life can
dish up. Only those who have experienced chronic insomnia can
really understand how debilitating it is to be so sleep
deprived.
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