12 Secrets To More Restful Sleep
If you lie awake at
night thinking about all the things you have to do, you’re not alone. Polls show that a growing percentage of people
are getting less than six hours of sleep and the number of people who get eight
or more hours is dwindling. Here are the
secrets to help you get a good night’s rest:
Prepare your
bedroom:
Ø Create a
sleep sanctuary by eliminating noises,
TV, and computers.
Ø Indulge in
some type of bedtime ritual. It can be a warm bath, light snack, or time
on your favorite quiet hobby like reading.
Ø Invest in a
good bed. You are in it about 1/3 of your life and the
cost of a good mattress is much cheaper than poor health.
Prepare your body:
Ø Avoid foods
containing tyramine in the
evening. Some of those are bananas,
chocolate, liver, avocado, cheese, beer, and wine.
Ø Eat alkaline
foods like apricots, figs, almonds,
turnips, or spinach. They enhance sleep’s
anabolic process.
Ø Avoid caffeine, nicotine, and limit alcohol before bedtime.
Ø Exercise, but not within two hours of bedtime. Some people like to exercise in the early
evening. But a morning routine will give
you the energy to work all day. You’ll
then be ready to slow down to rest at night.
Ø Use
aromatherapy with herbs such as
lavender or valerian.
Prepare your mind:
Ø Try meditation. Focus your
brain on a single thought (or nothing at all) as you listen to your body with
eyes closed.
Ø Unwind with
deep breathing. Breathe in with your abdomen expanding. Hold for 3 seconds and release air slowly to
expel as much air as possible. Practice
for 5 minutes before retiring to sleep.
Ø Change your
expectations and empower your ability
to sleep. If you’ve been struggling with
sleep for some time, you may have attitudes that defeat you. Don’t let your mind worry about how long it
will take to get to sleep or how tired you might feel tomorrow. Expect to sleep well.
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