Tips and Strategies For a Good Night’s Sleep
Whenever you have trouble sleeping, you probably blame it on your hectic lifestyle and with good reason. You may go to sleep but your body won’t be resting especially when your mind is full of troubling issues. The words sleep and rest are not synonyms when it comes bedtime. Sleep is generally seen as that total time in hours spent in bed. Rest is what you get when you “go to sleep” and let your body revitalize itself.
There are basically two types of sleep. These are rem (rapid eye movement) and non-rem. Rem sleep is know as the dreaming state. Non-Rem is referred to as the quiet sleep. In rem sleep the brain is active. This is when you can observe the eyes moving rapidly. Rem sleep helps to restore your mental functions. Non Rem sleep is more of the deep sleeping and helps to restore body immunity and other processes.
There are many things that we do on a regular basis that interfere with getting proper rest. Studies have shown that the flickering of electronics interferes with sleep. This includes computers, television, video games and smart phones. These activities keep the brain active and require some “wind down” time after use and before bed.
Be aware of what you consume before bedtime. Avoid caffeinated drinks before bed. This includes coffee, sports drinks and soda. Even some teas have caffeine, so be sure to read the labels.
A common cause of poor sleep is living a sedentary lifestyle. A regular exercise program has been show to improve sleep. Exercise programs improve your overall quality of life. If you are not familiar with exercising it is a good idea to hire a personal trainer. Think of it as taking some golf lessons. Utilizing their experience will save you from wasting time doing the wrong things.
One great idea is to take inventory of your bedroom. What is it’s purpose? Is your bedroom a media room? The bedroom should not be used for reading, watching television or using computers. Keep it an area designated for low stress
If you sit in the bed reading or watching television, your body recognizes the bed as no more than a sofa. By keeping these activities out of the bedroom, you will be training yourself to go into the bedroom in order to rest. Repurpose your bedroom if necessary. It may be a difficult task, but it does work.
Stress has a tendency to keep a person from sleeping well and the more stress a person is under, the greater the problem. They could even fall into a depression. Depression and sleeplessness tends to go hand in hand. People often have many things going through their mind that keeps them from resting well. A person who is thinking while they are trying to sleep won’t get much sleep.
There are other things that a person can do besides reorganizing their bedroom. They can repeat the same things every evening before heading to bed. This means giving themselves a 30-minute window to wind down. This allows the brain to understand the person is getting ready for bed and is calling it a day.
So what can you do to make your brain slow down and relax? Consider picking up a book and drink a decaffeinated cup of tea; maybe peppermint tea. Instead of using lamps and the room’s overhead light, use candlelight. Be aware that you’ll need to blow these out before you go to sleep. A very relaxing scent to use is lavender.
Everything in life is a challenge and changing your sleep patterns is one of them. While it’s difficult to do, you can change them so that you get a good sleep. Remember to put together a nighttime routine to help you wind down your day and relax your mind; within no time, you’ll be fast asleep.
About the author: Dr. Robert Simmons is a charlotte chiropractor using applied kinesiology technique. For more information attend one of our free charlotte chiropractic nutrition seminars and exciting classes for self improvement.
categories: charlotte chiropractor,kinesiology,alternative healthcare,chiropractic