How to Get a Good Night's Sleep

Are you getting enough sleep?
Does it take you a long time to fall asleep or do you wake up after a few hours, unable to go back to sleep?
If so, you may have a sleep disorder.
According to the National Institutes of Health, 70 million Americans of all ages suffer from some form of insomnia.
The lack of sleep takes its toll in many ways. In addition to being tired and less alert, inadequate sleep makes people more prone to accidents.
Every year, sleepy workers cost American businesses hundreds of millions of dollars in lost productivity and errors.
Students who are sleep-deprived have difficulty learning.
Inadequate sleep can lead to stress, irritability, mood swings and health problems.
Fortunately, there are things you can do that will increase your chances of falling asleep and staying asleep for seven to eight hours.
Here are a few tips that may help you:
Reduce stress. Regular exercise, yoga, meditation, self-hypnosis, listening to CDs of nature sounds such as streams and ocean waves can all calm your mind.
If you decide to exercise, don’t do it for at least five to six hours before sleeping.
Turn down the lights an hour or so before bedtime. Bright light produces chemicals in the body that tend to keep you awake. Dim light increases production of chemicals that make you sleep.
Keep your bedroom dark and quiet. If there is too much light coming in the window, consider wearing a sleep mask. If there is too much noise, you may want to try earplugs designed for noise reduction.
Recondition yourself. Don’t read, watch TV, study or work in bed. You want your subconscious mind and body to associate the bed with sleep, so only use the bed for sleep and sex.
Slow down. Don’t exercise at least three hours before bedtime. Don’t do activities that are mentally stimulating such as studying, playing video games or doing work from the office at least an hour before bedtime. If you want entertainment, read a novel. It is less stimulating than watching TV.
Stop trying. If you don’t fall asleep in about 20 minutes, get out of bed and do something else (not too stimulating) for a while. If you stay in bed when you are unable to fall asleep, you can condition your body to not sleep when it is in the bed. Once you begin to feel sleepy, go back to bed and see what happens.
Stop eating. Stop all food intake, including snacks, at least three hours before bedtime. The process of digestion tends to keep the body awake.
Don’t sleep or drink coffee late in the day or at night. Caffeine and nicotine stay in your body and may keep you awake.
Avoid alcohol. Although many people think that a drink will relax them, alcohol can keep you from falling asleep. Even if you do sleep after drinking, alcohol can prevent you from entering the deepest, most restful and rejuvenating stage of sleep.
Create a sleep routine. Do the same thing to each night to help you wind down, such as reading a book, taking a bath or listening to soothing music or nature sounds.
Consult a physician. If these techniques don’t work for you, it may be time to seek professional help for your sleep problems. If you don’t want to take drugs, you may want to visit a sleep disorder clinic or a specialist in sleep disorders.
The bottom line is, good sleep is essential to a healthy, happy and productive life. Take action now to get the sleep you need, and --pleasant dreams!