Quick Tip #3 – No bright light before going to sleep
Our biological clocks are built to be awake with the sun and sleep in darkness. All the technology in recent years has thrown off our biological clocks. To remedy this situation, be sure to be in dim lighting 1/2 hour (or better yet, a full hour) before sleep. This means no TV or computer.
Not feeling sleepy? Here are some common herbal teas to help your insomnia that you can find in any store that sells tea.
Chamomile Tea
Chamomile tea is created from the chamomile plant and is used as a relaxant. It gets its natural insomnia cure from the flavone Chrysin, which also occurs in passion fruit. For the best results, brew one cup and drink 45-60 minutes before sleep. This tea can also be drank throughout the say (will not make you sleepy and instead just helps you relax).
Sleepy Time Tea
If you go to your grocer’s herbal tea section, you are almost bound to find a tea that is specially made to drink right before you go to sleep. The main ingredient is chamomile but there are a handful of other herbs thrown in that will help you get to sleep.
Valerian Root Tea
This is more obscure and not something I have seen in my grocery store but instead can be found either online or some novelty stores. I haven’t used this but from what I’ve read online, a tea brewed from valerian root will help you get to sleep a lot faster.
Quick Sleep Tip #2 – Get sunlight in the morning for sleep at night
Our bodies are developed to work with the sun. If you spend all day indoors, without sunlight, your body can’t process time correctly and may cause you to be awake all night and sleepy during the day.
To remedy this situation, try to get as much sun light throughout the day. More importantly, as soon as you wake up, get as much light as you can to reset your body’s sleep clock. This will allow you to be more awake during the day and sleepy at night.
Although it may be difficult to establish a steady sleep routine in today’s hectic world, it is necessary for people who have trouble falling asleep each night. Your body and mind need to have a consistent time at which they will be conditioned to stop working and go to sleep.
In addition, get into a habit of performing the same actions before sleep as well. Make sure they are quiet and peaceful.
Things NOT to do right before sleep:
Exercise – Increases the heart rate and makes the body more alert. We want the exact opposite – to slow down the heart rate and make the body drowsy.
Eat/Drink Sugar/Caffeine – For obvious reasons. We consume caffeine to keep ourselves awake. Doing so before we sleep works against us. Additionally, if you currently drink lots of caffeinated drinks throughout the day and have trouble falling asleep – stop.
Don’t work – Working involves thinking. Too much thinking will continue into the bed and be harmful in trying to fall asleep.
No bright lights – This is the hardest thing to achieve. Melatonin, the chemical our brain produces which makes us drowsy, gets pumped out faster in dark environments. Staring at the laptop or watching TV slow down melatonin production, causing you more time to fall asleep.
Don’t stuff your stomach – Your body will have a lot to digest during the night and will affect your sleep. Likewise, don’t go to sleep on an empty stomach. Eat a small snack before going to sleep to keep your mind of the thought of “I’m hungry”. I recommend yogurt (which also contains tryptophan).
Things TO do before sleep
Take a warm bath – Who doesn’t like one of these? You lie down in warm water and everything feels right. The warm water will help your circulatory system relax.
Set the room temperature – Make sure your nice and cozy. Not freezing or sweating.
Drink something warm (and not caffeinated) – Warm milk (for the tryptophan bonus) or some herbal tea (I enjoy Sleepy Time tea)
The goal is to get the body into a stable time table so that every night, at the time you are used to going to sleep, your body reacts accordingly.
The room you sleep in has a huge effect on how long it takes you to fall asleep and how well you sleep at night. Now each person has their own personal sleeping conditions but the following is what is found to be the most common for a good night’s sleep.
Room Temperature
Although this varies amongst people, sleep scientists have found that the ideal room temperature for a good nights sleep is between 60 and 65 degrees Fahrenheit. This is a moderately cool temperature which allows you to cover yourself without sweating in your sleep. Once again, you have to experiment with the temperature but try that range first.
There have been many studies that show that regular exercise helps people fall asleep faster, have a deeper sleep and wake up feeling more refreshed. I don’t know the exact science behind it but I will tell you what studies have found to be the most beneficial to maximizing sleep quality.
Time
The best time to exercise is in the morning, right after you wake up. Exercise gives you more energy so going for a quick jog or lifting some light weights to get the blood flowing wakes up the body and mind.
We are all told that turkey makes us sleepy but is that really true? Yup.
I’m not going to bore you with the science of turkeys but you should get one thing out of this article: Tryptophan makes you sleepy.
Tryptophan is the chemical which creates the the feeling of drowsiness. It cannot be manufactured by the body, but taken in from foods – like turkey (although this isn’t the best food).
(more…)
Your daily diet can and does affect your sleep. I’m about to take you back to elementary school.
THE FOOD PYRAMID!
Yes. There is a new food pyramid with the amount of servings changing depending upon daily caloric intake.
You should be hitting all of the groups with the right proportions. Your body needs all of its nutrients to make it through the day and night at optimal level. If you don’t hit all of these groups, take a multivitamin and supplements (although supplements are never as healthy as the real deal).
