Can't Sleep?--Here's Help
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Last Updated June 30, 2009
By Susan M. Callahan, Health Editor and Featured Columnist
Why can't I sleep? Poor quality or restless sleep is one of
the most common complaints in America, Europe and
industrialized countries. The latest 2008 Sleep Study
reported that nearly 50 million of us have some form of
sleep problem.
Most if us think of sleep as a luxury which we can
"manage" with little or no cost to our health. Got a big
project? Cut down on sleep. Need more time to party? Ct
back more time on sleep? But we humans can't survive
without sleep. In fact, sleep deprivation is used in some
countries as torture for a good reason. We actually become
psychotic if we are deprived of sleep continuously for too
long a period.
When you think about it, our sleep has always had to
achieve a balance of two competing goals. We have to
sleep deeply enough to give our bodies a rest. But we can't
sleep too deeply that nothing will rouse up. For us cave-
dwelling humans, sleep had to be restful enough to restore
us from our days of heavy labor but not so restful that we
couldn't hear the approach of a saber-tooth tiger outside
the cave.
Many factors influence the quality of your sleep. If you are
waking up too many times at night or waking up tired, ask
yourself a few questions. How is your general diet--are you
eating late at night? Are you drinking caffeine --sodas,
coffee? Are you waking yourself up snoring without
realizing it?
To help you sleep, establish a pattern of what you do just
before bed. Here are 10 tried-and-true Tips to Help You
Sleep.
1. Turn off the TV a half hour before and don't watch TV
in your bedroom. Avoid listening to the news for awhile.
Your brain can become stimulated and dwell on the news
for hours into the night.
2. Don't drink coffee or caffeinated
sodas. Even a small amount of added caffeine can interrupt
the delicate patterns of your sleep.
3. Stop eating big meals at least 2-4 hours before
sleeping. A little --very little-- bit of carbs
can help you to relax into sleep more easily.
4. Eat Turkey. If you must eat, make it a cracker and a
slice of turkey. Turkey contains tryptophan, a compound
that makes us sleepy. It's the reason we all get sleepy after
Thanksgiving dinner.
5. Cover the clock. Here's the answer to the mystery of
why you wake up at the same time every night. I used to
be a clock watcher. Every night I would wake up and the
clock face would say 3:33 AM. Got to be spooky. I thought
the universe was trying to give me a Sign. If you find
yourself waking up at the same hour each night, don't
panic. Here's what you should do
- Cover the clock face. The bright diode digits can be
seen through your eye lids while you're sleeping. You
may also be opening your eyes while you're sleeping
and your brain registering the time
- Put the clock on the floor. That way you are less likely
to "see" it while you are sleeping.
6. Keep your room dark. Make sure hallway
lights are also off or dimmed.
7. Don't answer e-mails, return phone
calls-- issues and concerns linger and
can disturb your sleep.
8. Turn off your cell phone, computer and
Blackberry.
9. Scent your room with lavender.
10. Stretch. Stretching is a natural way to relax
and to tell your body you are preparing for
sleep.
11. Masturbate. Masturbation has been used by
humans for centuries and longer as a natural
way to relax and to induce sleep.
12. Take Your Mind Off Yourself. A tried and true method
of inducing sleep is to think of something or someone other
than yourself. It takes your mind off your worries.
You're just getting started. Find out more tips on improving
the quality or your sleep: Snoring Tips / Shallow Sleep-
America's Hidden Problem / Foods That Stop Snoring
More Related Links:
Sore Throat-Causes and Cures
Snoring Linked to Higher Risk of Stroke, Heart Disease
Sleep Study 2008 Results-Americans Are Chronically Sleep Deprived
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