Tips On Getting Better Sleep

There are different reasons as to why a person may find it difficult to fall or stay asleep. Some people do not know why they can not sleep. Here are a list of reasons as to why you may not be getting enough sleep and some tips on getting better sleep.

OVERTHINKING

You may be up late thinking about things that happened to you during the day. You might be thinking about bills, your job, money or other things that bring you stress. You may also be suffering from an anxiety disorder that causes you to stay up late. Overthinking can interfere with your sleep. If you have a lot on your mind, jot it down on paper and handle it the next day. By not getting enough sleep, you might find it harder to tackle any problems that may arise. If you find yourself overthinking while you should be sleeping, you may want to try these methods to see if they can help to calm your mind.

Visualization

Instead of thinking about problems or issues that you may have to handle, try to close your eyes and visualize a peaceful scene. Visualize a beautiful ocean and sunset or a lake by a big, beautiful mountain. Change your focus to something more peaceful and relaxing.

Sound

You may want to purchase a sound machine to help distract your mind from overthinking. Listen to the sounds of the ocean, trickling water or even white noise. Listening to peaceful music may help your mind and body to relax as well.

Meditation

Meditation may be helpful in calming your mind of worries and fear. If you set aside time during the day to meditate, you might find that you will be able to sleep better at night. There are guided meditations available on the internet.

Natural Sleep Aids

If you find it difficult to shut off the thoughts running through your mind, you may want to try a natural sleep supplement. Some supplements that may help you to fall and stay asleep are melatonin, passion flower and magnesium glycinate. Drinking chamomile tea may also be helpful as it promotes relaxation and may help to calm your mind.

TEMPERATURE

The temperature in your room may be a factor as to why you are having difficulty sleeping. Some people may find that they sleep better in cooler temperatures, while others may prefer room temperature.

Adjust The Temperature

Adjust the thermostat to a comfortable temperature. If the room is too warm or too cold it may be interfering with your sleep. Turn on a fan, open a window or put on the air conditioner if the room feels too warm and stuffy.

COMPUTER AND PHONE LIGHT

You may be having trouble sleeping due to the light that emits from your computer or phone. If you stay up late on your phone or computer, you may want to try these suggestions to see if they can help you with your sleep.

Computer Lighting Software, F.lux

If you stay up late on your computer, you may want to download a program called f.lux onto your computer. This software creates a dimmer, more warming light on your computer at night and may help you to fall asleep. In the morning, it brightens up the light display on your computer according to the time of sunrise. Also, you may want to dim the brightness on your computer when you are working on it just before bedtime. It may be a good idea to stop all computer activity at least an hour before you would like to fall asleep.

Dim The Brightness On Your Phone And Turn Down The Volume

Dimming the brightness level on your phone might help you avoid a distracting bright light if you must be on your phone. If you do not have to be on your phone, try shutting it off or turning the volume down. Distractions from phones can interrupt with your sleep. There are ringtones for downloads, texts and other applications that might be keeping you awake.

PAIN AND PHYSICAL DISCOMFORT

Pain and physical discomfort can interrupt with a person's ability to get good sleep. There are all different locations of pain throughout the body. Nausea, upset stomach, backaches, headaches, muscle aches and all other types of pain and discomfort may be reasons why a person has trouble sleeping. If you suffer from any of these ailments, here are a few suggestions to help you get better sleep.

Better Mattress, Better Support

If you are experiencing backaches without a known cause, you might find it helpful to buy a more supportive mattress. You might be sleeping on a mattress that does not support your back properly and is causing your back to ache. You may want to look for a mattress that can help provide better sleep. Also, make sure that the pillows you sleep on are not causing any strains on your neck. Make sure that your head is properly supported to prevent any neck aches.

Pain Medications

If you suffer from pain, there are over the counter as well as prescription medications to help relieve the pain. Some pain medications may actually make you drowsy, so they may help you to fall asleep. If you do not like taking medication, you may want to try natural pain relief. Using a heating pad/ice pack for back pain might be helpful. Do stretching exercises during the day to loosen up the muscles in your body and relieve tension. If you feel nauseous, try taking a ginger supplement before bed or sipping on some ginger ale. Try to find natural pain remedies to help ease your pain so that you can get better sleep.

LIGHTS AND SOUNDS

Some people may find it hard to sleep unless they are in a quiet, completely dark room. Sometimes light can get into your room from the outside or if someone else in the house has the lights or television turned on. Try these methods to see if they might help.

Eye Mask

Using an eye mask might help to keep any lights from bothering you while you try to sleep. You place the mask just over the eye area when you are about to go sleep. The mask usually has a band that goes around your head to help keep it in place.

Room Darkening Blinds And Curtains

You can purchase room darkening blinds and/or curtains for your room if there is light from the outside that shines into your room at night. You may want to buy a combination of room darkening blinds or shades and curtains to help keep the room as dark as possible. These room darkening products may also be good for people who are trying to sleep during the daylight hours.

Ear Plugs

You may want to try using ear plugs if sounds keep you up at night. You may not be able to sleep because of the sound of nature or busy streets outside. People in your house may be watching television and it may be disrupting your sleep. Ear plugs may help to block some of the noise that is preventing you from having a good night sleep.

Headphones

You may want to listen to peaceful music through headphones if you find that other noises are distracting you. Sometimes peaceful music can help lull you to sleep and the headphones can help to block out other sounds that may be keeping you awake.

FOOD AND BEVERAGES

There are some foods and beverages they may be interfering with your sleep. Drinking a lot of coffee or tea with high amounts of caffeine throughout the day may be preventing you from getting proper sleep. Going to bed with an empty stomach or a stomach that is too full might also be a reason why you are having trouble sleeping.

Eat Something, But Not Too Much

Eat something before bed, but not too much that you stuff yourself. Going to bed with an empty stomach may keep you awake. Feeling overstuffed may keep you from getting a good night sleep as well. Try to eat enough just so that you are not hungry.

Cut Down On Caffeine

You may want to cut down on how much caffeine you consume because it may be contributing to your sleep issues. Try not to consume caffeine too close to bedtime. Switch regular coffee for decaf coffee. If you drink tea, try herbal teas that do not contain any caffeine. Some sodas are caffeinated so you may want to switch to a soda with no caffeine, such as ginger ale or Sprite. You might find that cutting down on your caffeine intake may help you to sleep better.

Food And Beverages To Help You Sleep

There are some foods and beverages that might be able to help you get better sleep. Some foods contain melatonin, which helps regulate sleep. Some of the foods and beverages that may help you to sleep are warm milk, chamomile tea, cherry juice, rice, bananas, cherries and tomatoes.