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Do you have any sleep problems that you don't think are as severe as needing "treatment", but would like some relief (or, rather, sleep?!)
A week or two ago, I got about six hours of sleep over the course of three days. It wasn't related to parenting, stress, an all-nighter or anything else -- I just couldn't sleep. You would think after the first sleepless night or two, my body would just follow its course and crash. My husband, who felt sorry for me, pulled out all of the guns -- made me dinner with turkey, chamomille tea, you name it. Thankfully it worked. It did get me thinking about ways I could've been more proactive. Here's a few tips I found from the Mayo Clinic:
Make sure to get some exercise into your day;
Set up a quiet, relaxing bedtime routine, such as a warm shower or soft music.
Gentle upper body stretches or gentle yoga may help tight muscles unwind.
When you wake up in the middle of the night, staying in bed and listening to some soft music or a book on tape with the lights out may help you transition back to sleep.
You might also want to avoid foods, drinks or activities that might affect your sleep patterns. Caffeine, alcohol and sugary foods can affect the quality of your sleep. Avoid caffeine after noon, limit alcohol to one drink several hours before bedtime, and pass on late night sweet snacks.
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What helps me the most is the temperature of the room, and it must be cave-like dark! I love to have the room slightly cool (which is difficult in Texas summer!!), and to curl up with a blanket.
According to Division of Sleep Medicine at Harvard, the ideal sleeping temp. ranges from 60-75 F degrees.
Should you nap or not? If you are having trouble sleeping at night, and nap during the day...try to take naps before 5pm and keep them short...that might help you sleep better overall!
Best tip, and one that is most difficult: keep same bedtime and wake-up time, even on the weekends! Consistent sleep schedule is crucial to setting your "internal clock".
http://healthysleep.med.harvard.edu/
March 1, 2008 - 1:21pmThis Comment
I'm a bona fide insomniac. My mind constantly races and my body just gets exhausted trying to keep up. That's one big reason why I run - to expend as much energy as I can.
Activity does a lot of good in more ways than one, and promoting good, restorative sleep is one. A good mattress also helps, as well as not having animals in the room with you, or installing light blocking drapes over the windows (I still need to do that). I think that the evening walk for your constitution has a lot of merit.
I wonder how many people still go for the warm milk routine. My magic "sleeping pill" is a book. I can guarantee you that, as soon as I try to read one page, I'll fall asleep. I have no idea why, lol!
February 29, 2008 - 8:04pmThis Comment