Senior Wellbeing

How to Get a Good Nights Sleep

10 Tips For Better Sleep

how to get a good nights sleepWe all need some help now and then in getting to sleep. Rather than just popping a pill that can be habit-forming and lead to more sleep problems in the long term, try these sleeping tips. One or more of them will surely help. 10 Tips For Better Sleep

Have a hot bath
Not hot enough to make you uncomfortable though. The heat of the water relaxes the muscles and also causes the core body temperature to drop afterward which sends a sleep signal to the brain. This is great for children too. It only works for baths though, not showers!

Get more light during the day 10 Tips For Better Sleep this sounds strange, but it’s vital for good sleep at night. Our brains are hard-wired to go to sleep when it’s dark and wake when it’s light. Not getting enough light during the day will deprogram our biological clock. Once our circadian rhythm has been upset, our brain won’t receive the sleep signal when we’re ready to go to sleep.
Even if you are working long hours trying to get outside into the sunshine for a while at lunchtime. If you live in a part of the world that has short days in winter, install a bright light at home and sit under it for at least 30 minutes. This should be enough to keep that biological clock ticking!
This is a good reason not to watch TV in bed. Even if the program is dull, the bright flickering light of the TV screen will be working against your natural sleep patterns!

Don’t lie in bed and worry about not sleeping 10 Tips For Better Sleep This will only cause stress and make sleep even harder to achieve. If you find yourself becoming concerned about not sleeping, get up, and make yourself a drink (not coffee!) Find something to read. Stay up until you feel sleepy again and only then go back to bed.

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Go to bed at the same time every night and get up at the same time every morning.
This reinforces the natural biological rhythm and helps your brain send a sleep signal. It also reinforces a habit. Habits are an important part of better sleep. Obviously, you won’t be able to do this every single night, there will be nights where you might go out to a show or out on the town with friends! However, if you manage most nights, this will still work well.
Don’t go to bed until you are tired.

Yes, I know! This sounds like a direct contradiction of the previous tip! The logic behind this is that if you are not sleepy you will lie in bed awake and will start worrying about not being able to go to sleep. The most important part of all this is to get up at the same time every morning no matter what time you went to bed the night before. Eventually, you will feel very sleepy at your normal bedtime. Getting up in the morning when you are still tired is not easy to do but it will help in the longer term. Stick with it!
Keep a sleep diary

This, while rather tedious, will give you an excellent idea of your sleep patterns and will be a necessary record if you ever decide to visit a sleep clinic for help. Some people have done this and found their sleeping problems disappeared of their own accord! The asleep diary should note the following:
What you had for dinner
What drinks you consumed after dinner
Any naps were taken during the day
What time you went to bed
How long it took you to fall asleep
If you woke during the night
What time you woke up in the morning
How you rated the quality of sleep (1-10)
Any further observations

Do this every day for a few weeks and you should see a pattern emerging. This will give you invaluable information on your personal sleep habits and patterns.
Develop an evening ritual.
Do the same things at the same time each night. 10 Tips For Better Sleep This program the unconscious mind that you are preparing for sleep. Brush your teeth, put the cat out, check the locks on the doors. Do each step in the same order. It may sound simple but it can work really well.
Exercise more during the day.

Exercise relaxes the body and mind as well as being good for your health and helping with weight loss. Even walking just 30 minutes a day will help. If walking’s not your thing try Yoga or Qigong. Both are soothing and will relax you totally. If there are no classes near you, videos or CDs are easily available.
Practice muscle relaxation.

You can do this during the day or after going to bed. Practice tensing and relaxing each muscle group in turn, starting at the top of the head and gradually working down to the toes. This relaxes the body and also distracts you from any worrying thoughts while you are performing it. Visit the page on relaxation techniques for some easy to follow techniques.
Write down worries before going to bed.

There’s always something to worry about isn’t there? These 10 Tips For Better Sleep are the things that can keep you awake when your mind won’t let go. Solution? Have a worrying time before going to bed. Think of all the problems that are currently in your life and write them down. Make a decision to do something about them the following day.
If you are tempted to think about any of those things while you are trying to sleep simply tell yourself, “it’s ok, I’ve made a note of it and I’ll handle it tomorrow”
Sweet dreams!

10 Tips For Better Sleep

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