Tips on Getting Better Sleep

Sleeping Environment:

There are some very important factors that play into how well you will sleep when you go to bed. Most people think the only factor is the mattress they sleep on and end up spending large amounts of money on a premium mattress. This is not to say go out a buy a cheap mattress. Rather to notify you as a consumer that there are more factors that go into our sleeping patterns than the mattress we sleep on. While there are excellent mattresses on the market today there are a few other issues to take into consideration. First of all it’s a common thought that the time of day you are sleeping, or the activities you take part in before you go to bed are the most important factors. The truth is your sleeping environment has many components that either allows you to get a restful night sleep or makes it difficult for you to sleep. Your sleeping environment includes: the mattress, the room itself, temperature, quality of your mattress, the lighting conditions of the room, noise level of the room as well as surrounding rooms. Secondly, try not to leave TV’s or radios on when you are trying to get to sleeping, your sleeping environment should be peaceful. These factors are some of the most important things to consider when talking about sleep. You could have the best mattress in the industry today and still not sleep well if your environment is not controlled.

Sleep Patterns:

Sleep patterns mainly deal with the amount of sleep you get, the time of day you begin and end your sleep, naps that may occur throughout the day, as well as sleeping in other areas of your home such as a chair or couch. It is important that you keep a routine sleep schedule, figure out what works best for you and try to stick to your sleep pattern even on weekends. Evaluate how much sleep you need to perform at your best level. Also take into consideration the sleep patterns of your partner, such as when they sleep and when they don’t sleep. Your partners sleep patters can affect your personal sleeping patterns. Another thing to take into consideration is the sleep depth of an individual, whether they are a deep sleeper or a light sleeper. The best advice here is to try to sleep for one long continuous amount of time, staying away from the occasional nap throughout the day. If you do notice you have a desire to nap during the day this may be an indication that you need to move up the time you normally go to bed.

Sleeping Partners:

Many of us have one or more sleeping partners during the course of the night. Our sleep partners include: our significant other, children, a cat, a dog or other household pets. Children and pets often times create the greatest disturbance to our sleeping patterns because of their constant movements throughout the night. Children are known for taking up most of the bed while also lovingly kicking you throughout the night waking you up. Another concern is that animals often get in and out of bed a couple of times throughout the night creating a disruption in your sleep. It’s important to have a mattress that allows enough space for all occupants of the bed to sleep comfortably and without disturbing the others. If space on your mattress is an issue you may want to consider getting a larger mattress or rethinking the current sleeping arrangements.

Meals:

Caffeine:

Caffeine acts as a stimulant to the body. Drinking too much caffeine throughout the day or too close to bedtime may disrupt your ability to sleep. Mentally you are ready for bed however your body is telling you that you’re ready to get up and run around. At night before bed you may want to consider drinking herbal tea as appose to drinking something full of caffeine. Herbal teas actually blend to promote sleep, causing you to become soothed and relaxed. If you happen to have a snack before bedtime be sure to read the ingredients to check for caffeine.

Nicotine:

The list of smoking risks is long as most people are aware of. What most people don’t know is that smoking raises your blood pressure which in turn disrupts your sleep patterns. These disruptive sleep patterns make it harder for you to sleep at night. Smoking also has long term health affects that we are all aware of– if you happen to be an individual that smokes regularly this may be something you want to consider giving up. Your sleep may depend on it.

Sleeping and effects of alcohol:

Try to avoid drinking alcohol before going to bed, it disrupts sleep patterns. Although a few drinks may make it easier to fall asleep initially, a person will often wake up tossing and turning just a few hours into their sleep cycle. Frequently, sleep patterns are then inconsistent for the rest of the night. This means that drinking before bedtime may also adversely affect the sleep of the person who sleeps next to you. It also means that if they drink before bedtime, your sleep might be compromised, even if you choose to abstain.

Exercise:

Exercise is a wonderful thing to put into a daily routine. However it is best to put vigorous exercise into your schedule early in the morning or in the afternoon. Vigorous exercise gives us an added boost of energy that many of us need in the morning. The same is true if you can’t sleep at night you might try taking a short 15 minute walk to calm yourself down and to de–stress. If this doesn’t help, try getting out for a nice long walk a few hours before bed. Getting a massage can also help in relaxing our bodies. Enlist your significant other or other willing pair of hands to help work the stress out of your muscles. If you can get a full body massage, great, however even 10 or 15 minutes spent on your neck, shoulders, face and scalp can really work wonders to relax you. More often than not massages push us to the point of being ready to sleep peacefully for the duration of the night.