| Subcribe via RSS

Top Advice For Catching A Good Night’s Sleep

February 21st, 2008 Posted in Uncategorized

To get the most from each day, getting restful sleep at night is key. Getting enough sleep has a big effect on energy, health and overall mood. Every night the average adults needs about eight hours. However, millions aren’t getting this level of sleep. There are countless ways to ensure a better night’s rest to have more energy and optimal health.

The first step in getting a good night’s sleep is to keep your body clock set for the appropriate time. To begin, start sleeping and waking each day at precisely the same time. When you sleep in on weekends, the weekday schedule will be put off by that amount. This creates tiredness during the day and the beginning of a bad sleep cycle. Getting sunlight can speed up the correction of the cycle. Getting exposed to sunlight helps to reset the internal clock for daytime activity and nighttime rest.

Often, the best predictor of your night’s sleep is what happened throughout the day. Getting enough exercise will make sleep more restful at night. The exercise should not be done too close to bedtime, however. Late exercise will get the blood flowing and the heart rate up and promote energy when it’s time to sleep. An earlier exercise time means that the energy will be there during the day but will have dissipated by bedtime. The later afternoon provides the ideal time for exercise. This makes the raise in energy end when it’s time for bed.

Habit is often what determines sleep time. The habit of a late bedtime can be hard to change. Staying awake after going to bed is another habit. It’s important to start a new bedtime routine. Including several bedtime rituals into a routine will become a habit. Falling asleep and the events in the routine will soon become connected. After it’s become ingrained, performing the routine actions will make you tired.

What you consume at night will have a profound affect on your sleep as well. Everyone knows to avoid caffeine before bed. But, there are several other foods and drinks that can have the same effect. Foods with tyrosine will cause wakefulness. Cheddar cheese, pepperoni, bologna and avocados all contain it. Red wine has similar effects on sleep. Warm milk, accompanied by bread, can help with late-night cravings. The combination of both of these items will create a sleep inducing snack. But, a large meals is not a good choice at bedtime, or it may interfere with a good night’s rest. Dinner should be eaten a few hours before it’s time for bed, and milk and bread can be a snack if needed.

Leave a Reply