Sleep Problems, Catnip And Other Tricks

Yes the same plant that drives the common cat crazy will help you to get a good nights sleep. You can grow catnip in your garden and then dry it and make it into catnip tea. You will want one of the little balls that screw apart so you can open it and add herbs to make a cup of tea. You'll want to use a teaspoon of dried powdered catnip to make a cup of catnip tea. If you don't have one of the little metal balls to brew you a cup of tea you'll have to strain your tea to remove the dried catnip before you drink and enjoy your tea. You can add a teaspoon of honey to your cup of catnip tea before you drink it. Just stir the teaspoon of honey into your cup of catnip tea. You will want to use boiling water for your catnip tea. I suggest drinking a cup or two of catnip tea 30 minutes or so before you get ready for bed. Some people like to add a teaspoon of fresh squeezed lemon to their catnip tea.

If you want to avoid insomnia you should avoid caffeine in the two hours before you know your going to sleep. If your having a real problem getting to sleep at night you should plan to have a light meal in the evenings and avoid stress. Do nothing stressful in the last two hours before you go to sleep. Reading helps some people to get to sleep. But don't read work papers , newspapers or similar items. Instead read an interesting book that you can get lost in.

Not being able to sleep can be really hard on some people. If you get where you can not sleep you have to do something to enable you to get back into a pattern of regular sleep. If you just suddenly get where you can not sleep. Why? What changed? At this point in time you may want to start keeping a journal so you can see what may be keeping you from sleeping. And remember if all else fails give a warm glass of milk a try. Yes it really does work sometimes.

You want to make going to sleep at night as routine as possible. Make your bedroom into the most comfortable place on earth. Make sure you have good sheets, pillows your comfortable with and as firm a mattress as possible.

You can beat insomnia with soft music and make your bedroom as dark as possible. You really should use your bedroom for sleep and not as a place to watch T.V. , eat , or talk on the phone. Do those things before you come to the bedroom to go to sleep. Maybe you should take a long walk outdoors, take a shower , have a cup or two of catnip tea and go to sleep. If you simply can't sleep get up and have a peanut butter sandwich. Sometimes that will put you right off to sleep. If you haven't tried that warm glass of milk why not have it with your peanut butter sandwich.

If you have a on going problem of not being able to sleep at night don't medicate yourself with over the counter sleep aids. Instead make an appointment with your doctor and discuss your sleep problems with your doctor. You may want to take the sleep journal with you when you go to see your doctor.

Keep in mind that proper nutrition and exercise are very important for your health but so is sleep. You must sleep to feel right and be healthy. Don't go to bed with problems on your mind. Leave all your problems at the bedroom door and you'll find yourself getting more restful nights of sleep.

You don't ever really notice it but your brain is still very active while you are asleep. While you sleep your brain moves through five stages of sleep. A complete cycle of sleep averages 90 to 120 minutes of sleep.

But you should also keep in mind that insomnia can be made worse by worrying about not sleeping. Personal problems can also keep you from sleeping. It helps some people to write down their problems in a journal in another room before they go to the bedroom to go to sleep. Some people can use a candle that they like the smell of to help them get to sleep. Just remember to always practice candle safety. Candles cause many accidental fires every year so keep this in mind.

But as I said above if you have serious sleep problems or suspect you may have restless leg syndrome or sleep apnea tell your doctor your concerns and discuss it with him or her. Resist the common solution to use over the counter sleep aids because these can lead to more serious health problems.