How To Get A Better Night’s Sleep – Part 1
By Troy Rampy, Editor, The Wellness Blog™
“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 been a light sleeper most of my life. When my children were young it was comforting for them to know if they were restless or scared or not feeling well that Dad would soon be trotting upstairs to check on them while Mom continued her peacefully uninterrupted night of deep sleep.
I can remember being at retreats, or on camping trips, or visiting friends or relatives or just home in my own familiar bed when everyone else was blissfully sleeping…and I was not-so-blissfully wide awake. Worse, occasionally I would be listening to them deep-breathing and…yes…both men and women making those irritating, guttural, gurgling sounds that we generally refer to as snoring, even though many women assure us that they don’t “snore”…anymore than they sweat. Right…
I would sometimes go through stages, usually short-lived, where I would fall asleep quickly for no apparent reason and stay that way throughout the night. On those rare occasions, I would awaken in the morning refreshed and ready for the new day. Oh my, what sweet joy!
If the latter describes your usual sleep pattern, count your blessings. You are among the truly lucky. According to the National Sleep Foundation, about half of Americans report sleep difficulty at least occasionally.
If you are part of that other unfortunate half, there are some things you can do to improve the quality of your sleep. The first step requires 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 good sleep plan.
Here are some things you can do to improve your sleep…starting 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.
And there are more things you can do. I’ll describe them in my very next blog post.
