How To Sleep Better

10 Tips for Better Sleep ~ How To Sleep Better

Most of us have some trouble sleeping every now and again. Often we find it difficult to put the cares, concerns, and pressures of the recently completed day behind us, and so enter the bedroom in an agitated, wakeful state. While the following ten tips will not cure you of a serious or chronic sleep disorder—for that, you want a specialist—they can help you prepare your mind and body for a good night’s rest and help you discover new ways on how to sleep better.

Follow them, and we hope you will lay your head on the pillow tonight feeling receptive to sleep and freed, at least until morning, from the worries of the moment.

1. Make your bedroom a pleasant place to be (and sleep!). Decorate with your favorite photographs, choose soothing colors for the walls and accents, and add candles to your bedside. Flowers are also nice to notice and smell, so long as they aren’t so fragrant as to be distracting.

2. Follow the natural human sleep pattern by going to bed early and rising early. Also, once you fall into a sleep groove that works for you, try to stick with it. Your nightly routine ought to help you gradually transition from the hustle and bustle of the day to the peace and tranquility of the sleep that awaits you.

3. Unwind physically. Progressively relax your body, gently tensing and then releasing each group of muscles. Yoga and meditation, in particular, are great for relaxation.

4. Unwind mentally by clearing your mind of all anxieties and worrying thoughts of the day.

5. Tell yourself during the day—and again at night— that you will relax in mind and body, drift off to sleep effortlessly, and doze straight through until the next morning.

6. Repeat a soothing, reassuring statement to yourself or listen to a tape recording of rhythmic, natural sounds (waves gently splashing on the beach, a spring breeze lightly rustling the leaves of a tree) when you first lie down. These are the “big girl” equivalents of the lullabies that probably helped you nod off as an infant.

7. Try drinking hot milk and honey, or a malted milk drink, as a comforting bedtime beverage.

8. Don’t read an exciting book or watch a suspenseful movie just before going to bed. Even if the story isn’t especially scary or tragic, simply getting mentally and/or emotionally involved in it can be enough to keep you awake well past bedtime.

9. Avoid nicotine, caffeine, and other stimulants for at least an hour prior to bedtime, and preferably longer. Many people, in fact, find that their sleep becomes disrupted or delayed if they have a second cup of coffee at lunchtime.

10. Try not to worry if you don’t fall asleep right away, as this is a virtually foolproof way of ensuring continued wakefulness. Instead of fretting over the amount of sleep you’re losing, console yourself with this fact: You will derive most of the benefits of real sleep through mere rest and relaxation.
So lie still, close your eyes, put your mind at peace, and let your body relax.
 

I hope some of these tips will show you how to sleep better.