Sleep is imperative for the body, mind and soul. It allows the stresses of the day to leave your body and prepare itself for a new day. Likewise, it can be frustrating to lay awake at night when sleep just won’t come. Getting proper rest is difficult for many people. Until a proper sleep routine is developed, it can be difficult to get consistent results night after night. Here are some techniques you can try to get better sleep naturally, with no pills required.
Relaxation Techniques
Meditation and yoga are both great ways to get into a relaxed state of being quickly, as is playing soft, soothing music. A calm mind is a restful mind.
I have found that natural sounds have the highest rates of success. Water related sounds such as rain, thunder or crashing waves are very effective in producing relaxed states. I use the Sleep Pillow app on my iPod. It's available for free from the app store and I have been very happy with it. It works in combination with a timer that shuts off your device after a specific length of time. An hour works for me, but I'm usually asleep in 15 minutes.
Though some people use the TV as a source of white noise, I recommend against having a television in the bedroom altogether. Studies show that light can interfere with melatonin production and that our bodies produce melatonin more effectively in the dark. Melatonin is available as a health supplement, sold as a sleep aid, but can have adverse side effects as the dosage is much higher than the body needs. Forget the pills and produce your melatonin the natural way.
In addition, TV shows are dramatic by nature. They center on a conflict to resolved, and conflict causes distress. Shut off the TV an hour or two before bed and allow yourself time to wind down and relax.
Aromatherapy
An hour before bed, make use of the natural relaxation that scents like lavender and roses can bring. Draw yourself a bath, and indulge yourself with some bath oils or bath foam. If baths or flowers are not your style, try shower tablets. Shower tablets react with the water in your shower and create comforting vapors (such as eucalyptus or vanilla mint) and also help to relieve congestion. Many drug stores carry them and some even stock a generic brand.
A candle or incense beside the bed is not recommended however; if you fall asleep before they are extinguished, they pose a fire hazard.
Exercise
Proper exercise has been proven to be beneficial to achieving deeper, better sleep.
Set up an exercise regimen every day, especially cardiovascular targeting exercises. This is not only healthy for the body, but can improve your sleep dramatically.
Regular exercise produces a calmer state of mind all around. It helps to relieve feelings of restlessness, boredom, stress, anxiety, and even depression.
Find Your Natural Rhythm
Our sleep is governed by the circadian rhythm, which is an internal clock that controls the sleep schedule that is most natural to our body. In general, the circadian rhythm is based on a day-night cycle, with the body beginning to shut down and relax for sleep when darkness comes.
Do what you can to work with your internal rhythm. This is not always feasible if your work calls for you to work overnights, but to achieve better sleep, this will be an important consideration. Make your home as dark as possible when it comes time to sleep. Invest in thick curtains or blinds, and shut out as much light as you can.
Many other activities can interfere with this natural cycle as well. These tips are no secret. Avoid eating close to bedtime. Sugary or heavy foods like pasta can throw off your digestion and may even lead to nightmares. Alcoholic drinks before bed may allow you to fall asleep quickly, but they also destroy the quality of rest you receive. A nightcap may have less side effects than sleeping pills, but both can be habit forming and neither is recommended. Doing what you can to relieve stress in your life is also beneficial, for obvious reasons.
Sleep well, and prepare yourself for another beautiful day tomorrow.
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