How To Get Yourself Ready For A Good Night’s Sleep

 How To Get Ready For A Good Night’s Sleep

I hear it all the time—people complaining that they have trouble falling asleep at night. It seems they can’t shift their brains out of overdrive and their bodies just won’t settle down. They toss and turn, fatigued, in dire need of sleep, but somehow sleep eludes them.

Life for many of us is so packed that we stay occupied right up until bedtime. Some of you may even find you fall asleep each night on the couch while trying to catch one more episode of late night TV. If you are still doing laundry, bills, and other tasks late at night, or worse yet you find yourself climbing into your bed with your lap top—no wonder you can’t settle down when you finally turn off the lights!

If you want to fall asleep quickly and rest well throughout the night may I suggest that you create for yourself an environment conducive to sleep? Here is a list of helpful ways to get yourself ready to receive the gift of sleep:

• Ban TV and computer usage from the bedroom one hour prior to bedtime.
• Do not think about or discuss stressful subjects before bed.
• Keep your bedroom on the cool side (65-72˚ F) as this helps the body to settle into its sleep stages.
• Seven to eight hours before you need to be up in the morning should become “lights out” time—the darker the room, the easier it is to fall asleep.
• Avoid caffeine and alcohol after 4pm.
• Do not take antihistamines before bed as these can act as stimulants and disturb your sleep cycle.
• Finally, your sleeping surface should entice sleep. Invest in a new mattress if yours is over ten years old, and a new pillow if yours is over 4 years old.