9 Easy Ways to Get a Good Nights Sleep

Most adults need at least eight hours of sleep every night to be well rested. Not everyone gets the sleep they need. In fact, in some cities around the world up to 50% of the people that live there take suffer from some form of insomnia.

Not getting enough sleep is not only annoying it can have a massive impact on your health, relationships and overall well-being. From mood swings to depression, making mistakes to loss of productivity, sleep deprivation is definitely not fun.

Many things can rob you of your sleep like…

• Working long hours
• Stress or worry
• Irritating noises from traffic, neighbors or stereo’s
• Feeling too hot or cold.
• Eating too much food before going to bed

What are the different types of sleep disorders?

• Insomnia
• Feeling sleepy during the day
• Snoring
• Sleep apnea (blockage to airway)

Insomnia includes…

• Having trouble falling asleep or getting back to sleep
• Waking up before your sleep cycle has completed
Interestingly, insomnia is more common in females, people with depression, and in people older than 60.

Most people will have trouble falling asleep from time to time. It is usually nothing to worry about. Stress, like the loss of a job or a death in the family could cause problems falling asleep.

Certain medicines can make it hard to fall asleep. Drinking alcohol or eating too close to bedtime can also keep you awake, too.

Insomnia is called chronic (long-term) when it lasts most nights for a few weeks or more. You should definitely see your doctor if this happens.

Feeling Sleepy During the Day

Feeling tired every now and then is normal. It is not normal for sleepiness to interfere with your daily life. Watch for signs like:

• Slowed thinking
• Trouble paying attention
• Heavy eyelids
• Feeling irritable

Snoring

Snoring is noisy breathing during sleep. It is caused by vibrating in the throat. Some people can make changes that will stop snoring.

These include:

• losing weight,
• cutting down on smoking and alcohol, and
• sleeping on your side instead of on your back

Sleep Apnea

Snoring loud and often, together with too much daytime sleepiness, may be signs of sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is a very common sleep disorder. It is also very dangerous. The most common type of sleep apnea happens when your breathing stops during sleep.

It can stop for about 10 seconds to as long as a minute. You wake up trying to breathe. This stop-and-start cycle of waking to breathe can repeat hundreds of times a night.

You are likely to feel sleepy during the day if you have this problem. People with sleep apnea also tend to be overweight. It is more common among men than women.

9 Stress Relaxation Techniques to Get a Good Nights Sleep

1. Go to bed and get up at the same times each day.

2. Avoid caffeine, nicotine, beer, wine and alcohol 4-6 hours before bedtime.

3. Don’t exercise within two hours of bedtime.

4. Don’t eat large meals within two hours of bedtime.

5. Don’t take a nap later than 3pm.

6. Sleep in a dark, quiet room that isn’t too hot or cold for you.

7. If you can’t fall asleep within 20 minutes, get up and do something quiet or read a dull book while lying down.

8. Wind down in the 30 minutes before bedtime by doing something relaxing such as having a warm bath with lavender oil in it.

9. Try a simple open eye meditation like gazing at a candle flame with your eyes open for a few minutes. This is guaranteed to slow your mind down.

To give yourself the best shot at changing your sleep patterns, start with a firm resolve to make it a priority. Your body wants to sleep, that’s what it’s designed to do. It’s not natural to stay awake longer than is required to perform your daily functions.

Sleep will come when your body returns to its naturally balanced state. Find out what’s causing the disturbance and then do whatever it takes to change or remove it. Then sleep will descend upon you like leaves falling out of a tree in autumn.