10 Tips to Getting Better ZZZ’s

May 21st, 2016

Almost everyone has experienced a night of restlessness and inability to sleep called insomnia.  Contrary to what the pharmaceutical companies and TV commercials tell you, most of us do not need chemicals to get us back on track.  Basic lifestyle changes are more effective and healthier for you.  Here are 10 tips to get a better night’s sleep.

1.  Unplug before you unwind.  Turn off all electronic devices at least 2 hours before bedtime.  Electronic devices are so bright these days that they can fool your brain into thinking it’s daylight.
2. Reduce the caffeine intake.  Think that second cup of coffee at 3pm isn’t affecting your sleep?  Think again.  Not all coffee is brewed equally.  Coffee made by a certain company whose logo is a green circle with mermaid has been found to have extremely higher amounts of caffeine that you could ever possibly brew at home.  Switch to decaf or cut the coffee out completely.
3. Exercise.  Sleep is your body’s time to repair itself.  Given most of us have sedentary desk jobs, this means our body is not physically tired in most cases.  Even doing an extra 7 minutes of exercise during the daytime can help you fall asleep.  Just make sure that you don’t do it too late.  Exercise can release hormones that temporarily make you feel awake.  Wouldn’t it be great if we could all replace that afternoon coffee with some jumping jacks?
4. Create a bedroom that is conducive to sleep.  Don’t watch TV in the bedroom or do work in bed.  If your bedroom window faces a noisy street, use a white noise machine or place a fan set on low and face it to the wall to create a low level humming sound.  You can also purchase thick window curtains (black out shades).  Having rugs in the bedroom can also absorb sound.  Make sure the room temperature is comfortable for sleep.  In general, cooler temperatures are better, around 75 degrees F.
5. Wear ear plugs and eye mask.  By reducing stimulation, your body will ease into sleep.  Even when your eyes are closed, you can still sense light changes.  Try this experiment.  Close your eyes now and wave your hands up and down in front of your eyes.  You will notice that you can sense the movement quite easily.  Nature designed us this way to protect ourselves when we are at our most vulnerable while sleeping to enable us to run away from a tiger or other carnivorous creatures.
6. Set a sleep schedule and follow it EVERY day.  Our bodies like routine.  When we go out of that sleep routine, we end up with altered sleep patterns. A good example when this goes wrong is jet lag.  Try not to sleep in on the weekends or go to bed later than you normally would.  Your body will thank you for it.  You may even notice that you’ll feel much better on Monday morning.
7. Minimize alcohol intake.  Many cultures around the world have the tradition of having a “night cap”, or a drink of alcohol before bedtime.  While it is true that small amounts of alcohol can help induce sleep, any more can actually cause disrupted sleep.  During this type of sleeping pattern, you may appear asleep to others, but your mind becomes restless and when you wake up you may not feel refreshed.
8. Adjust your schedule before travel.  Jet lag can throw off your usual sleeping routine.  Learn how to shift your schedule based on your destination.
9. Avoid eating too close to bedtime.  Eating stimulates production of hormones that may keep you awake.  It also can cause acid reflux in susceptible people which can manifest as pain or burning in the chest.
10. Meditate.  People with insomnia often say they feel like their mind is still thinking about work or they feel stress.  Meditation is a way to clear out those thoughts and prepare your mind to enter into a relaxing restorative state.  Never meditated before?  Here are some simple ways to meditate.  Set aside a small pillow on the floor next to your bed, make it a habit to meditate daily before bedtime, even 5 minutes can be effective.