All About Sleep Part 2

SLEEP PROBLEMS -

do you have problems with sleeping then these tips may help

TIPS FOR BETTER SLEEP

YOUR BEDROOM: MAKE SURE THE BED AND ROOM ARE WARM. IF YOUR BED IS PAST ITS BEST, AND YOU CAN AFFORD IT, THINK ABOUT GETTING A NEW ONE. THE SAME GOES FOR YOUR PILLOWS. ARE THE CURTAINS HEAVY ENOUGH TO KEEP THE ROOM DARK.

NOISE: IT MIGHT BE HARD TO STOP NOISE FROM OUTSIDE THE HOUSE BUT TRY TO CONTROL AS MUCH NOISE INSIDE THE HOUSE AS YOU CAN.

YOUR PARTNER: IF YOU’RE PARTNER SNORES OR ARE RESTLESS, ASK IF HE OR SHE COULD MOVE TO ANOTHER ROOM IF YOU HAVE ONE UNTIL YOUR START TO SLEEP BETTER. HE OR SHE MUST MOVE- NOT YOU – AS YOU MUST LEARN TO SLEEP WELL IN YOUR OWN BEDROOM.

EXERCISE: EXERCISE CAN HELP YOU SLEEP BETTER. DO THIS IN THE MORNING, AFTERNOON OR EARLY EVENING. LEAVE THREE HOURS AFTER EXERCISE AND BEFORE BED.

RELAX BEFORE BED: TRY TO SLOW DOWN IN THE HOUR BEFORE GOING TO BED. HAVE A HOT BATH, LISTEN TO MUSIC, READ A BOOK. IF YOU WORK ON THE BACK-SHIFT OR ARE STUDYING FOR EXAMS, DON’T GO STRAIGHT TO BED FROM YOUR WORK. GIVE YOURSELF TIME TO SWITCH OFF. TRY TO BUILD UP A RELAXED ROUTINE.

CAFFEINE: CAFFEINE IS A STIMULANT. YOU GET IT IN TEA, COFFEE, FIZZY DRINKS, ENERGY DRINKS AND TABLETS, SOME HEADACHE TABLETS AND PAIN KILLERS. TRY TO CUT DOWN YOUR CAFFEINE INTAKE ACROSS THE DAY, ESPECIALLY IN LATE AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

SMOKING: NICOTINE, LIKE CAFFEINE, IS A STIMULANT. DON’T SMOKE IN THE THREE HOURS BEFORE BEDTIME. NEVER SMOKE DURING THE NIGHT IF YOU WAKE UP. IF YOU ARE A HEAVY SMOKER, YOU WOULD BE BEST TO GIVE IT UP. ASK YOUR GP FOR HELP.

ALCOHOL: IF YOU RELY ON A NIGHT-CAP TO GET TO SLEEP, YOU MUST STOP THIS NOW. IT MAY WELL GET YOU OVER TO SLEEP, BUT AS THE ALCOHOL LEVEL IN YOUR BLOOD DROPS, IT WILL WAKE YOU AGAIN IN 2-4 HOURS. IT WILL THEN BE HARD TO GET TO SLEEP AGAIN. IT ALSO DISRUPTS SLEEP RHYTHMS AND CUTS DOWN YOUR DEEP SLEEP.

WARM MILKY DRINKS: THE OLD WIVES WERE RIGHT! HOT MALTED DRINKS OR WARM MILK MAY HELP YOU GET TO SLEEP. DRINK THESE INSTEAD OF TEA AND COFFEE AT NIGHT.

FOOD: TRY NOT TO EAT FOR ABOUT TWO HOURS BEFORE GOING TO BED. YOUR BODY STARTS TO WORK TO DIGEST THE FOOD. YOU WANT IT TO BE SLOWING DOWN. IF YOU ARE HUNGRY, TAKE A VERY LIGHT SNACK. TRY NOT TO EAT DURING THE NIGHT IF YOU WAKE UP.

DRINK: TRY TO DRINK AS LITTLE AS YOU CAN IN THE EVENING AS THIS MAY STOP YOU FROM WAKING TO GO TO THE TOILET DURING THE NIGHT.

If you have had problems you will need to Re-train how you sleep break the patterns you have established

Follow this 7 step plan to a peaceful night

RE-TRAINING YOUR SLEEP

STAGE 1: DON’T GO TO BED UNTIL YOU FEEL SLEEPY

ONLY GO TO BED ONCE YOU START TO FEEL SLEEPY. DON’T GO TO BED BECAUSE THE OTHERS ARE GOING TO BED, OR YOU FEEL BORED OR BECAUSE IT IS ‘BED-TIME’. YOU MUST STAY UP UNTIL YOU FEEL TIRED NO MATTER HOW LING THIS TAKES.

STAGE 2: YOUR BEDROOM IS ONLY FOR SLEEPING

THIS STEP GETS RID OF THE THINGS THAT KEEP YOU FROM SLEEP. WHILE READING A BOOK SEEMS LIKE A GOOD IDEA, IT IS NOT: IF YOU ARE READING, YOU ARE NOT SLEEPING. YOU SHOULD NOT READ, WATCH TV, LISTEN TO THE RADIO, PHONE FRIENDS, ETC. THIS DOES NOT INCLUDE SEX. SEX CAN HELP RELAX YOU AND MAY HELP YOU GET TO SLEEP. AS SOON AS YOU GET TOT BED PUT THE LIGHT OUT AND TRY TO SLEEP. YOU MAY KNOW GOOD SLEEPERS WHO READ IN BED OR WATCH TV, BUT DO THESE OUTSIDE THE BEDROOM TO START WITH.

STAGE 3: IF YOU DON’T FALL ASLEEP IN 25 MINUTES, GET UP.

IF YOU ARE NOT ASLEEP IN 25 MINUTES YOU MAY NOT BE ASLEEP IN 50. AFTER 24 MINUTES, GO BACK TO THE LIVING ROOM. DON’T WATCH TV. DON’T EAT OR DRINK, READ A MAGAZINE, LISTEN TO RELAXING MUSIC. YOU MUST STAY IN THE LIVING ROOM UNTIL YOU FEEL TIRED AGAIN NO MATTER HOW LONG THIS TAKES. WHEN YOU FEEL SLEEPY, GO BACK TO BED. AT THE START YOU WILL BE UP MANY TIMES EACH NIGHT. IT IS HARD TO GET OUT OF THE WARM BED BUT YOUR MUST DO THIS

STAGE 4: REPEAT (AND REPEAT AND REPEAT)

REPEAT STEP 3 AGAIN AND AGAIN IF YOU HAVE TO. SO YOU HAVE 25 MINUTES EACH TIME TO GET OVER. IF YOU DON’T – IT’S BACK TO THE LIVING ROOM.

STAGE 5: GET UP EARLY EACH MORNING

GET UP NO LATER THAN 8.30 AM. SET THE ALARM AND AS SOON AS IT GOES OFF, GET UP AND OUT OF THE BEDROOM. EVEN IF YOU FEEL THAT YOU HAVE HARDLY SLEPT A WINK, YOU MUST FOLLOW THIS TO THE LETTER. YOU SHOULD ALSO TRY TO DO THIS SEVEN DAYS A WEEK I.E. NO LIE-INS AT THE WEEKEND UNTIL YOU GET THIS PROBLEM SORTED OUT.

STAGE 6: DON’T TRY TO CATCH UP ON SLEEP

YOU MAY WANT TO NAP DURING THE DAY TO CATCH UP ON LOST SLEEP, E.G. AFTER A MEAL. DON’T DO IT. SAVE THE SLEEP FOR BEDTIME. WORK OUT WHEN YOU MOST WANT TO SLEEP DURING THE DAY. THEN WORK OUT A WAY OF DEALING WITH THIS – GO OUT FOR A WALK, PHONE A FRIEND, ETC.

STAGE 7: KEEP AT IT!

THIS IS A VERY GOOD APPROACH BUT IT IS ALSO A HARD ONE TO FOLLOW. IT MAKES GREAT DEMANDS ON YOU. IT IS VERY TEMPTING TO STAY IN BED AFTER 25 MINUTES, TO HAVE A LONG LIE OR HAVE AN AFTERNOON NAP BECAUSE YOU CAN HARDLY KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN. FIGHT THESE URGES THE WHOLE WAY.

DON’T EXPECT RAPID CHANGE. YOUR POOR SLEEP MAY HAVE BUILT UP OVER A LONG TIME. SO IT WILL TAKE TIME TO GET BETTER.