Ways to Sleep Better

Ways to Sleep Better

Our minds are typically the best tools we have for coming up with ideas and solving issues. This is definitely true when it comes to not being able to sleep. People who have trouble sleeping know all too well how worrying about not sleeping makes the situation worse. You can't sleep; you toss and turn. The fact that you have to get up at a certain time the next morning makes things worse, and you toss and turn even more.

But there is something you can do to change the situation. You may fool your mind into getting more sleep. The mind may be deceived into doing what you want, especially if you change how it thinks about when it's time to wake up and when it's time to sleep. Here are some tips that might help you fool your mind into following a sleep routine.

a) Keep up good sleep hygiene by sticking to a regular sleep schedule and regimen. Getting used to a specific bedtime routine works well because it sets your mind and body up to expect the same things every night: the same time, the same bed, and the same things to do. Doing the same thing over and over again is the best way to show your mind how serious you are and what you expect. You may have trouble sleeping the first night or two, but if you stick to the program, you should be able to fall asleep easily within a week. The Boston Globe reported that a study of people with insomnia revealed that those who set and stuck to their waking and sleeping schedules, avoided naps during the day, and solely utilized their bedrooms for sleep were able to cut their sleepless time (after going to bed) by 54%. This percentage is important because a control group that used relaxation therapy only saw a 16% drop, and a placebo group only saw a 12% drop. One approach to fool your mind into getting better sleep is to keep up proper sleep hygiene.

c) Before bed, turn down the heat in the bedroom. Cool temperatures help you sleep better because they can deceive your body into reducing its temperature, which is necessary for deep slumber. An internal clock tells the body what temperature it should be. The average body temperature for people is roughly 97 degrees F, however it changes in a regular way every day. Between 3 a.m. and 6 a.m., body temperature drops to its lowest point (approximately 88 degrees F). It then rises slowly during the morning before dropping again around 3 p.m.

c) Putting on socks and mittens before bed will also help you sleep better. According to a study from Switzerland, wearing socks and mittens makes blood vessels in the hands and feet bigger, which is a required step to falling asleep. Researchers in this study revealed that the blood arteries in the hands and feet get wider as the body gets ready for sleep. As the blood travels through the open channels at the surface of the skin, it cools down. When the body temperature drops, sleep automatically follows.

c) Don't go to bed hungry. Being hungry will keep you on edge and alert. The optimal nighttime snack has the amino acid tryptophan in it. The body turns tryptophan into compounds that make you sleepy. The ideal thing to eat is a small, lean piece of turkey (which is high in this amino acid) with a piece of toast. One oatmeal biscuit and a glass of milk (which is also high in tryptophan) is another option.

e) If you have stomach problems that keep you from sleeping well, including heartburn or acid reflux, try sleeping on your left side. Researchers have shown that people who sleep on their left sides are less likely to get acid reflux. Dr. Anthony A. Star-poli, a gastroenterologist in New York City and an assistant professor of medicine at New York Medical College, says that when you sleep on your right side, your stomach is higher than your esophagus, which lets food and stomach acid slip up your throat. But when you sleep on your left side, the opposite happens: stomach acid travels down.

f) Another thing that can help is to focus on staying alert instead of trying to fall asleep. The mind that is focused on staying awake will relax faster than the mind that is trying to fall asleep. This is called "paradoxical intention." If you haven't fallen asleep 30 minutes after going to bed, get up and read a book. It should be one that you know is boring and uninteresting. Studies demonstrate that the longer you stay awake in bed, the less likely you are to get a full night's sleep. It is far better to get up and do something else till you are tired.

g) Another way to sleep better is to get at least one to two hours of sunlight per day. Studies show that obtaining adequate sunlight helps maintain our biological clock in sync. The hypothalamus is a small region deep in the brain that contains the master body clock. This part of the body handles basic things like eating and body temperature. Light affects this group of nerve cells, which controls the release of melatonin, a hormone that controls our body's circadian cycle (when we sleep and when we stay up). During the day, sunlight slows down the production of melatonin, which is why we feel so alert. At night, the production of this hormone rises, making us feel sleepy and calm. Getting two hours of sunlight during the day will help your body's normal sleep and wake cycles stay on track.

If you still can't get asleep or remain asleep, you should consult a doctor because disorders like sleep apnea, menopause, or depression can cause insomnia. Antidepressants, beta-blockers, diuretics, and painkillers are among medicines that might make it hard to sleep.

Michael Smolensky, Ph.D., and Lynne Lamberg's The Body Clock Guide to Better Health Dr. Peter Hauri's No More Sleepless Nights

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