How to Get a Good Night's Sleep
By Kay Christopher, MA, EFTCert-I
Sleep profoundly affects every area of your life—but the chances are good you aren't getting enough of it. The amount and quality of sleep you get affects your ability to think, create, and produce. It affects your moods. And it is a significant factor in your ability to relate well with others, focus and concentrate, and respond effectively to danger and emergencies. Adequate sleep is a key factor in your overall health and in your life expectancy.
Without adequate sleep irritability, anxiousness, and depression may develop. You may experience "low energy" and be less able to deal with the daily stresses of life. Impairing the ability to focus and concentrate, insufficient sleep makes it harder to learn and harder to work without making mistakes. Regrets are more likely when critical business and personal decisions are made in a sleep-deprived state. And a lack of sleep can affect motor skills and lead to injuries at work, while driving, and in many other circumstances.
Research has shown that inadequate sleep can also disrupt the delicate hormone balance in the body. Proper hormone balance stimulates your immune system function, tissue repair, muscle growth, and a variety of other processes essential to good health. You need a strong immune system to fight off viruses and bacteria, and that's just one good reason to make enough time in your schedule for sufficient sleep.
Prior to 1879, when Thomas Edison developed the light bulb, Americans slept an average of 10 hours per night. At the turn of the century the average was 8 hours. The current average is 6 hours. In an effort to get more done, do you wake up to a big pot of coffee and get "caffeine fix" before you start your day? Many people keep themselves pumped up on stimulants of various kinds throughout the day (coffee, cola, tea, chocolate, tobacco, etc.) . Then, when they find they can't sleep, they take medications to knock themselves out. And when the alarm clock rings in the morning, they begin the same cycle all over again.
How much sleep do you need? Some people can function well on more or less than this, but the average person needs from 7 to 9 hours a night. A general rule of thumb is: If you wake up feeling rested and remain alert throughout the day, you are probably getting the right amount of sleep. If you are low on energy, get headaches (especially in the morning), and have difficulty concentrating and staying alert throughout the day, you probably need more sleep.
Because life has become so full of things to do, many people are cutting into their sleep time to make a longer day. It is satisfying to get more things done, but what is the cost of giving up sleep in order to make that possible?
During sleep REM (rapid eye movement) cycles occur in which the body and mind are repaired and restored. REM sleep occurs about every 90 minutes, and the longest periods of REM activity occur toward the early morning. If you are a six-hour sleeper, you are missing that last REM cycle, and an important opportunity for your body and mind to become prepared for performing well in the coming day.
Here are some tips to help ensure a good night's sleep:
• Sleep the same hours every night. If you are used to going to bed at 11:00 PM and getting up at 7:00 AM be consistent about those times, even on the weekends. Avoid long naps in the afternoon or don't take them at all. If you do sleep late, don't sleep more than 2 hours past your regular routine.
• Create a regular nightly routine. This routine will signal your body that it is time to go to sleep. Follow this sleep routine as regularly as possible, even on the weekends.
• Buy a good bed, if you don’t already have one! This one item can make all the difference in the world in getting a restful night's sleep.
• Prepare for bed a half hour to an hour before you want to be asleep. Give your body and mind a chance to shift gears away from activities and stimulation, and toward relaxation and restfulness.
• Relax your mind before bedtime. Avoid events that arouse or disturb you before you go to bed. Stop working, and stop heavy thinking. Shift your attention to soothing and pleasant things. It may be helpful to listen to peaceful music.
• Don't watch TV in bed---and don't watch the news right before you go to sleep. Catch the news earlier in the evening instead.
• Use your bedroom for sleeping. Get rid of the television. Don't eat or read in bed. Keep your bedroom cool. And decorate it with calming, soothing colors.
- • Read sitting up and then when you get sleepy, go to bed and lie down. This will signal to your body that its time to go to sleep. If you choose to read, read something light, relaxing, and calming.
• Use essential oils, such as lavender, to promote rest and relaxation. There are a variety of ways to use essential oils, such as in the bath and in a diffuser. Learn about the benefits of these oils from the internet, a good book, or from a reliable retail store. Be sure the oils you buy are pure, healthy, natural essences and not made chemically.
• Turn off the lights when you prepare to sleep (except for a night light if it is not disturbing to you). Darkness is a signal to your body that it's time for sleeping and changes occur in your body chemistry accordingly.
• Don't ingest stimulants such as caffeine (coffee, cola, tea, chocolates, etc.) in the late afternoon and evening.
• Avoid nicotine and alcohol in the late afternoon and evening. Nicotine may delay your sleep. Alcohol may interrupt your deep sleep later in the night, suppressing the release of growth hormone.
• Don't go to bed very hungry or very full. Eat a light snack if you are very hungry before bed, but avoid a full meal at this time. Proteins tend to keep you alert while carbohydrates tend to make you feel sleepy.
• Drink a relaxing beverage in the evening, such as warmed milk or herbal tea. Some teas are particularly good for relaxation. Ask your grocer or health food store employee.
• Exercise regularly, and in the morning or afternoon if possible. Working out at night makes it harder to sleep as it causes the release of stimulating brain chemicals. It also suppresses melatonin release. (Melatonin directly or indirectly causes the release of many important biochemicals such as growth hormone, DHEA, cortisol, and the steriod hormones.) If you exercise in the evening, do so at least 2-3 hours before bedtime, allowing your body some time to recover and relax.
• Use deep breathing to relax your mind and body.
• Don't worry about not sleeping if you can't get to sleep. Instead:1) stay in bed and use the time to rest your body and mind, 2) or, get up and involve yourself in a relaxing activity such as listening to soothing music or reading until you feel sleepy.
• Make a sleep a priority. Schedule it. Say "yes" to sleep!
© Kay Christopher, 2005. All rights reserved.
www.KayChristopher.com