First thing you have to do before you go to bed is follow a nightly routine. This prepares the mind and body to get ready to fall asleep. Take a warm bath with some lavender scented bath beads or candles. Lavender is used in spas to relax the client while getting a massage. Don’t let the water get too hot, because hot water will increase your heart rate, so it will take longer for your heart rate to return to normal let alone slow down enough to fall asleep. Have a cup of decaffeinated tea or a warm glass of milk, but limit it to only one drink or you will have to get up in the middle of the night.
There is a new product on the market that absorbs natural sleep aid ingredients into your system. It’s not a pill, it’s not a liquid, it’s a toothpaste. Yes, PearlyDreams toothpaste is made with; passion flower extract, melatonin, valerian and balm mint all herbs known to have relaxing properties. As you know melatonin is produced in our pineal glands and regulates our sleep cycle. When we don’t produce enough melatonin we have trouble falling asleep. Jet lag, working odd hours, too much light in your bedroom and age are factors that cause us to produce less melatonin.
Make sure your room is as sound proof as possible. If you are traveling sometimes this is hard to do. You might want to consider listening to sleep music, white noise or binaural sound waves. What is white noise? White noise is a neutral sound that will drown out external noises. A white noise machine is relatively inexpensive, but if you cant afford one a fan or the air conditioner will work just the same.
Have you ever tried a self-hypnotic tape for relaxation which uses repetitive suggestions, subliminal messages and deep breathing? Deep breathing is a great way to get you to relax because is slows down your heart rate. Take a deep breath until you see your entire torso expand and hold it for 10 seconds. Exhale counting backwards from 8-1, repeat 2 more times. Repetitive suggestions include tightening areas of your body while you are taking a deep breathe. Keep the area tense for ten seconds. As you exhale slowly release the tension. A self-hypnotic tape or CD is good for two reasons; one it helps you relax and two it keeps your mind off stressful matters allowing you to fall asleep faster. Not a fan of hypnosis? Then meditation will also help you to fall asleep by lowering your heart rate. Concentrate on a single word and repeat it over and over matching your breathing pattern or heart beat. Gradually say the word slower and slower and eventually you will fall asleep.
Other suggestions to prepare for sleep try reading, writing or anything that will get your mind off whatever you are stressing about. Make sure you are not in restrictive clothing. Anything that is too tight will not move with you when you turn over. I feel loose fitting pajamas are easier to sleep in than a nightgown that is sometimes tighter around the shoulders and rides up during the night.
Speaking of your bed…do you sink into the middle, feel the springs or wake up with a back ache? If you need a new mattress but can’t afford one a memory foam mattress topper with a terry cloth cover will help relieve stress on your pressure points. A memory foam mattress topper has been know to hold extra heat in and become too soft for some people. That is why I recommend getting a terry cloth cover, as it will allow the air to flow between you and the mattress keeping you cooler. Other ways to keep cooler are; lower the temperature of your room to 65 degrees, use less blankets and don’t sleep with your pets. They will not only disturb your sleep, but they will also add more heat. Your bed should be used for sex and sleep only. Don’t watch TV, play video games or eat in your bed. How are you going to get to sleep if you are thinking about that horror flick you just watched. Um?
Now you are ready to go to bed, you close your eyes and a memory of a dream flashes in your mind. Did you know that when you close your eyes at night your brain will recall the last dream you had which was in the morning when you were half asleep and half awake. This conscious dreams are known as lucid dreams. Recalling lucid dreams and remembering them when you go to bed helps your subconscious mind slip off to sleep. You may want to start a dream or sleep journal to remember your dreams, your nightly routine, what helped you fall asleep and what didn’t. If you feel your inability to fall asleep and stay asleep is causing you to have health issues, please contact your doctor. He may have you see a sleep specialist for an over night sleep study to determine your sleep disorder.
Finally, if you are a napper like me causes you to stay up late at night because you aren’t sleepy. Long naps cause terrible sleeping patterns and if you going to nap it should be only 15 to 20 minutes. Not only should you power nap you need to keep a regular sleep schedule that includes your nightly routine. If you have to get up at 7 am to get ready for work and you need 7-9 hours of sleep that means you should be ‘asleep’ between 10pm and 12am then allow an additional hour or so to prepare yourself for sleep. Always getting the recommended amount of sleep at night will help you deal better with all your stress tomorrow. This is Off the Kuff with the Kuffner Twins Rose and Kitty
Kitty and Rose knows Memory Foam Mattress Pad Topper at Sleep Aides.
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