How To Get A Good Night’s Sleep

 Do you need help to get a good night’s sleep?

There are a lot of tips and tricks you can employ. Let’s look at some of them.

1. Stick to the same sleep time or ritual. Try and make sure that you go to bed at the same time and get into the ritual of preparing for sleep. It is better to avoid different sleep times at the weekend.
2. Wake up at the same time each day. If you are tired then try and avoid sleeping in. You can always have a power nap later to refresh yourself.
3. Napping is best done in the early afternoon when your body energy is at its lowest. If you have severe insomnia problems then try to avoid napping at all.
4. Leave at least 2 hours between your last meal and preparing for sleep. This will help to ensure that your body is in a more relaxed state.
5. A hot shower or bath can help to relax your muscles in preparation for sleep.
6. Avoid alcohol before sleeping. Although it might well help you to get to sleep quicker there will be a negative effect later. As the effect of alcohol wears off, your body will experience withdrawal symptoms and you will probably start to wake during the night.
7. Try to limit any day time sleeping to just cat or power naps of maybe 20 minutes.
8. Most people will find it easier to sleep in silence. Background music might help you to relax but it doesn’t really work if left on all night.
9. Exercise during the day will help to tire your body.Try to leave at least 4 hours between the last exercise and sleep.
10. Avoid caffeine. It isn’t just coffee either. Tea can also have high caffeine content.Remember that there are natural alternatives to help you sleep.
11. Let your bedroom become cooler than the rest of the house. Snuggle under the sheets.
12. Keep your bedroom dark and quiet. It sounds idyllic to be awoken by the birds but a 4 am start is not ideal for most people.
13. Bedrooms are not for working in and they are not somewhere to play with your pets. they are for sleeping and sex so don’t allow the boundaries between the different parts of your day to blur together.
14. Experiment with the best bed. The firmness of the mattress as well as that of the  pillows is really important and everyone has their own preferences.
15. Think carefully about what to wear in bed.Everyone has their favourite night clothing and sometimes people prefer to not wear anything at all.
16. Choose clean and cool linen bed sheets can. A small luxury which can repay you very quickly.
17. Read a good book or even better listen to an audio book or radio program as a way to distract your mind from the endless daily chores.
18. Remember that your body has its own internal clock which is also referred to as a circadian rythmn.Your body temperature is at its highest at 7 p.m. and after this it starts to cool down in preparation for sleep. By 10.30 p.m. your bowel has quietened and by 2 a.m. you are at the deepest point of your sleep. By 4.30 a.m. your body has reached its coolest point and at 6.45 a.m. your blood pressure starts to increase as you begin to awaken. Be sensitive to this internal clock and monitor your daily energy levels.
19. Chose a preferred sleeping position and try to keep to this when preparing for sleep. It is all down to routine.
20. If you are still having trouble then look at keeping a sleep journal. Writing down your night time routines and what you have done can be a good way to understanding your requirements.

In later articles we will tackle other questions such as

1. How to get back to sleep if you wake during the night
2. How to keep a sleep journal
3. How to relax your mind and body and  the benefits of visualisation and meditation
4. What is the best way to wake up