July 18th, 2010 by Phil

Try to avoid heavy meals at least 4 hours from sleep, as Stomach digestion will disturb sleep. If you must eat, you should avoid sugars and refined carbohydrates before bedtime, you should also avoid foods that are likely to cause excessive gas, for obvious reasons.

Drink at least 8 glasses of water a day. This may seem like a lot but water is essential to keep our bodily functions working properly. Dehydration can also cause you to wake at night, but try and avoid drinking too much just before bedtime as you may find yourself waking up constantly to go to the toilet.

Drinking alcohol before bedtime may make you feel relaxed, but generally should be avoided. Although it may help you to fall asleep, you will experience lighter, more fragmented sleep. This is partly due to the fact that it metabolizes during sleep, which causes mild withdrawal symptoms.

You should avoid drinking too much Caffeinated drinks in the day and at least 3 hours before bed time. Nicotine is also a stimulant that should be avoided before bedtime. We all need a boost in the morning to wake us up and indeed caffeine does promote alertness, however it can also cause nervousness and irritability.

Caffeine is a stimulant which increases your brain waves, heart rate and blood pressure, and can last up to 6 hours in your system. If you don’t like the taste of water but like a hot beverage in the day, try a herbal tea, or decaffeinated drink. Chamomile tea is caffeine free, and is a soothing and relaxing drink which can aid a restful night’s sleep if drunken before bedtime.

Most people dread exercise, the idea of sweating, hard work and aching muscles isn’t the most alluring past time. But, exercise doesn’t have to be intense and strenuous. If you don’t like playing sports like basketball or football, try swimming, Pilates, yoga or other low impact exercises. Even housework and a brisk walk can be beneficial to your health.

Exercise is not just good for you physically but also mentally. It is effective at improving mood, confidence and self image, and also effective at reducing anxiety, stress and depression. Exercise increases your metabolic rate and your body temperature, making you more awake. This aids the body’s natural rise and fall in temperature during the day, which can improve sleep.

It is worth noting also that when you exercise, our brain increases deep sleep to compensate for the physical stress caused on the body. Ideally we should exercise everyday for at least 20 minutes during the day, but avoid exercising at least 3 hours before sleep to give your body enough time to cool down.

As well as physical exercise, we need to exercise our brains! Lack of mental stimulation during the day can affect our body’s need to sleep. During the day you should engage yourself in mental activity.

Try learning something new and fun, or creative like painting, cookery or writing. Even playing Sudoku or other puzzles will help stimulate the brain. Mental stimulation increases alertness and improves memory and mood. Similarly to physical exercise, you should avoid too much mental exercise before sleep.

As you already know stress and anxiety can disrupt the normal sleep cycle. Even before you attempt to sleep you may have already decided that you are not going to be able to sleep. Experiencing stress and negative thoughts during the day can affect sleep. Later we will look into some useful techniques that are quick, easy and highly effective at tackling stress.

Find out here how to sleep peacefully every night

July 12th, 2008 by Phil

If you have ever suffered from insomnia, no one has to tell you how crazy it can make you feel. Not being able to sleep when you desperately want to can be incredibly frustrating. Not getting the rest you need can completely drain your energy and motivation. Plus, the sleep deprivation symptoms that build over time turn you into an accident looking for a place to happen. Would you like to find out how to beat insomnia? It can be done. But first it’s important to determine if your sleeplessness is related to sleep disorders.

Many people mistake insomnia for a disease or disorder. But inability to sleep is really a symptom that something is wrong. Mental conditions like stress or depression can cause insomnia. So can physical pain or side effects of medication. But if these common causes have been ruled out, you need to take a closer look at the possibility that you suffer from sleep disorders.

Sleep disorders are not like a cold or a skinned knee. That is to say, they are not simple conditions, nor are they easily understood. Medical knowledge about conditions that disturb your sleep is continuing to evolve. Research continually leads to new findings. New medications are regularly introduced. So if you’re dealing with a condition like obstructive sleep apnea or restless legs syndrome, you will need to stay informed about the latest advances. And you should realize that you may actually know more about your condition than most physicians.

Unfortunately, sleep disorders don’t play well with others. They tend to have a negative effect throughout your body. And they affect more than just your sleep. By keeping you awake all night, your daytime quality of life is harmed just as much as your sleep, if not more. As you continue to miss out on sleep at night, your immune system is weakened. Your reactions become slower. Your thoughts are muddled and foggy.

But none of this means that sleep disorders can’t be controlled. It is possible to do more than just survive. You can learn to deal with your sleep disorder and learn how to beat insomnia. Just remember this: sleep disorders are often around for a long time. To effectively manage your life and health, you may not want to just accept the flavor-of-the-month prescription. A much better solution is to learn how to manage your sleep naturally.