Managing a Good Night

Managing a Good Night's Sleep

Are you always tired? Do you toss and turn, trying not to think, willing yourself to relax?

With the mind wide open and the brain active, any attempt to proper rest is doomed.

Being unable to sleep well is common. Most people think of it in the same terms as having a chronic headache.

But prolonged poor sleep actually results in poor health. It can slowly destroy your physical stamina, your ability to concentrate and work properly, and start to affect your personality.

An adult needs average 7-8 hours sleep with at least 2 hours of deep restful sleep per night - enough good sleep to wake refreshed, with your body recovered and ready for the next day.

Cheating the sandman costs!Tiredness makes us irritable, touchy and low in pain tolerance and energy.

Chronic poor sleep decreases your life expectancy and increases your chance of having a work or vehicle accident.

Poor sleep dampens your immune system, makes you at risk of getting sick, and is very ageing due to lack of good repair of body systems.

Sleeping well provides the body with growth and sex hormones which act at a cellular level like a personal repair kit.

To ensure a good night's sleep, the first factor to remember is set your body clock to a rhythm.

Wake up at the same time every morning.

Dont sleep in on the weekends. If you are tired go to bed earlier. Otherwise you will jetlag yourself.

Use regular predictable before-bed rituals and habits to set the mind towards going to sleep. These should be calming and winding down, not stimulating.

Stress and anxiety will rob you of deep sleep.

Alcohol, nicotine and sleeping pills might act as a sedative first, but then produce adrenaline-like substances later into the night which retard REM sleep.

They usually have addictive qualities and cause re-boundwakefulness when you stop.

Herbal Valerian works well but must be taken for two weeks before its affects start to work properly.

Calcium and tryptophan rich foods are ideal before bed.

( like cheese or a hot cocoa ) or a small amount of carbohydrate ( pasta or rice or a light dessert.)

However, a heavy protein or fatty meal late at night will cause digestive demand that disturbs good sleep.

Some habitual low to moderate intensity exercise in the early evening before dinner, some calming music, a warm bath or relaxation massage gets your mind ready for sleep.Your body has to register a 2 degree drop in external temperature to stimulate sleep so keep the room cool.

Sleep is a barometer of your general health

So a better balance in all aspects of your life will help you sleep well and be well.

» Home