How To Get A Better Night’s Sleep
By Troy Rampy
“O sleep, O gentle sleep, nature’s soft nurse, how have I frighted thee, that thou no more wilt weigh my eyelids down and steep my senses in forgetfulness?” — Shakespeare
I’ve gone through stages, usually short-lived and for no apparent reason, where I fall asleep quickly at the end of the day and stay asleep throughout the night. On those rare occasions, I will generally awaken the next morning feeling refreshed and ready for a new day. Oh my, sweet joy.
If this describes your usual sleep pattern, count your blessings! You are truly among the lucky. According to the National Sleep Foundation, about half of Americans report sleep difficulty at least occasionally. But in these stressful times of economic uncertainty, dual-income families, overfull to-do lists, and compulsive multi-tasking, we all need a good amount of sleep to stay healthy … and sane.
Exactly what is a “good amount of sleep”? Although it varies from person to person, sleep experts generally recommend approximately seven to eight hours of sleep per night to function properly. But too many of us live an “on-the-go” lifestyle in which our need for sleep gets downgraded to a low priority. If you are stressed or under more demands than usual, you may need even more than eight hours, and most certainly you’ll need better quality sleep.
Fortunately, there are things you can do to improve the quality of your sleep. The first step may require a little detective work. You’ll need to examine your diet, exercise patterns, sleeping environment, personal habits, lifestyle, and current concerns. As you begin to see a connection between, for example, what and/or when you eat and poor sleep, you can develop your own improved sleep plan.
Here’s what you can do to upgrade the quality of your sleep … beginning tonight. I can personally vouch for the following list as it has helped me over the past few years to improve my own sleep patterns:
- Exercise. Exercise can help relieve the day’s tension — however, it’s best to complete your workout a few hours before bedtime so that it won’t interfere with your sleep. Exercise outdoors in sunlight whenever possible.
- Cut down on stimulants. Consuming stimulants in the evening (such as caffeine in coffee, tea, cola, or chocolate) may interfere with falling asleep. It can also prevent deep sleep. Nicotine is a stimulant that can have a similar effect. In addition, many over-the-counter and prescription drugs can disrupt sleep. Be sure to read the labels.
- Drink in moderation. Small amounts of alcohol may bring on drowsiness, but larger amounts can lead to nightmares and disrupted, fragmented sleep.
- Avoid heavy meals before bedtime. Eat an early, light dinner, if dinner is eaten at all. Heavy meals at night tend to keep you awake. rather than dinner, eating a light snack (a piece of fruit, a vegetable, or a starch) an hour before going to bed may improve sleep. Foods containing the amino acid “tryptophan” increase serotonin levels in your body, which in turn increase your feelings of sleepiness. It is best to eat tryptophan on an empty stomach. Foods that contain a notable amount of tryptophan are (with mg/100 grams): tofu (747), pumpkin seeds (578), Gluten Flour (510), Sesame Seeds (358), Almonds (322), Black Walnuts (290), Black-Eyed Cowpeas ( 267).
- Don’t nap during the day. If you are having trouble sleeping at night, try not to nap during the day because that can throw off your body clock and make it even more difficult to sleep at night. If you are feeling especially tired, and absolutely must nap, be sure to sleep for less than 30 minutes, early in the day.
- Make sure your bed is large enough and comfortable. If you are disturbed by a restless bedmate, switch to a larger bed, or your own twin bed. Test different types of mattresses and pillows. Try therapeutic-shaped foam pillows that cradle your neck, or extra pillows to help you sleep on your side. Get comfortable cotton sheets.
- Hide your clock. A big, illuminated digital clock may cause you to focus on the time and make you feel stressed and anxious. Place your clock so you can’t see the time when you are in bed.
- Keep regular hours. Get your biological clock in sync by going to bed at the same time each night and waking up at the same time each morning — even on weekends. Go to bed only when you are sleepy, and avoid staying in bed too long in the morning.
- Unwind early. Deal with worries and distractions several hours before going to bed. Find ways to relax an hour or so before bedtime. For example, you can take a warm bath, shower, or footbath, listen to soothing music, or read an enjoyable book. Don’t watch the “bad” News, or work on your lap-top before going to bed. Those activities will only serve to stimulate your nervous system and disrupt your frontal lobes. When that happens, it’s much harder to get good quality sleep.
- Develop a sleep ritual. Do the same things each night just before going to bed. This cues your body that it’s time to settle down for the night.
- Make sleep a priority. Find the optimal sleep schedule that keeps you energized throughout the day, then stick to your schedule. For most, that means getting to bed by 10:00 PM, and certainly no later than 12:00 Midnight. It is said that two hours of sleep before 10:00 PM is worth four hours of sleep after 12:00 Midnight. Be careful not to sleep too much or too little.
- Make your bedroom primarily a place for sleeping. It’s not a good idea to use your bed for paying bills, doing work, etc. Help your body recognize that this is a place only for rest…or intimacy.
- Keep your bedroom peaceful and comfortable. Make sure your room is as dark as possible, well ventilated, and slightly cool during the night. And try to keep it quiet. You could use a non-ozone producing air purifier, fan, or a “white noise” machine to help block outside noises.
- Jot down all your concerns and worries. Anxiety excites the nervous system and makes you more alert. Write down your worries and possible solutions before you go to bed, so you don’t need to mull them over during the night. A journal or concise to-do list can help you put away your concerns until the next day when you are fresh and can do something about them.
- Go to sleep when you are sleepy. Pay attention to your body and the natural cues it gives you. When you feel tired, go to bed.
“That we are not much sicker and much madder than we are is due exclusively to that most blessed of all natural graces, sleep.” — Aldous Huxley
