Better Zzz's - Your Practical Guide to Better Sleep, Part 1

How to Get Better Sleep

Preparations:

Determine the time you need to wake up. Give yourself enough time to wake up, take a few deep breaths, contemplate your goals for the day, eat some breakfast, take a shower, stretch a little, make your bed, plan your to do list, get your head together, and get your personal things ready for the day.

Establish a preferred bedtime. At first, assume you need about the average 8 hours of sleep.  Eight hours of sleep will give you enough time to complete 5 full sleep cycles, each cycle composed of 5 Sleep Stages (Stages 1 and 2 provide you light but restful sleep.  Stages 3 and 4 help to restore your body.  Stage 5 or REM sleep restores your mind).  Count backwards 8 hours from the time you need to wake up.  Assume you need 20-30 minutes to fall asleep.  This is your preferred bedtime. 

Now, this preferred bedtime is an experiment.  Not everyone needs 8 hours of sleep, and some actually need more.  After a week, you will begin to see a pattern.  Either you'll wake up feeling tired and groggy, or you'll find yourself waking up too early.  After about a week, re-assess your sleeping needs and adjust your bedtime accordingly by either moving your bedtime up or back by one 1/2 hour.  Repeat this process each week until you either wake up just before your alarm goes off, or you at least wake up to your alarm feeling well-rested and refreshed.

Keep Consistent. As far as sleep is concerned, your body doesn't like drastic change.  So once you establish a preferred bedtime that seems to work for you, as well as a time to rise, then do your best to retire no more than 2 hours, and rise within 1 hour of the same time everyday. 

The Sleep Diary

A Sleep Diary will help you identify your sleep habits, both good and bad.  Does a cappuccino in the late afternoon keep you tossing and turning throughout the night?  Do you find yourself waking up repeatedly?  Do you tend to wake up groggy when you stay up past eleven?  These are some of the things a sleep diary can help you identify.

Make entries in your sleep diary every morning and every evening for the next 28 days.  Every week, review your past entries to identify any patterns.  Then, change your sleep habits accordingly (i.e. go to bed earlier or later, refrain from as much caffeine, avoid alcohol so late in the evening, etc.).  Pretty soon, you'll become your own sleep expert!

Make Your Bedroom Sacred

1. Clean your room!  The bedroom is where you should find peace and relaxation.  That's hard to do when your sleeping environment is cluttered or unkempt.  Keep your bedroom clean and well organized.  Make it inviting.  You may even choose to redecorate - and if you do, choose cool, calming colors.2. Keep your bed as comfortable as possible.  Find the right mattress, sheets, pillows, and blankets that are the best fit for YOU!  If you can't splurge on a new mattress right now, try a matress pad instead for added comfort.3. Use your bed for sleep and sex ONLY!  No reading, watching TV, or paperwork allowed.  your goal is to train your mind and body to associate your bed with rest only.  This will make it easier for you to fall asleep when bedtime comes.4. Always keep a few essentials on your bedside table: alarm clock, linen spray (for aromatherapy), eye mask (to block out light or to help rest your eyes), eye drops (for dry, tired eyes in the morning), tissue, a beverage (for late night thirst so you don't have to get out of bed), a small light (so you don't have to turn on any bright lights if you need to find something late at night), a night cap (if you tend to get cold at night, this will help you maintain your body heat), extra blanket, and pain pills (late night headaches and back pain can be really bothersome).5. Keep a comfortable, sleep-conducive bedroom environment.  Your bedroom should be completely dark.  It should be kept at a temperature between 60 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit (if it's too cold, you won't get out of bed, and if it's too hot you'll wake up feeling groggy.  Adjust accordingly for the season).  Make sure you have plenty of fresh air, as this will help you breathe better and will fuel your mind and body with oxygen.  Either maintain silence in your bedroom, or some type of "white" noise (such as a fan, or by placing the dial on your FM radio between two stations.

Avoid the "Sleep Robbers"

1. No smoking, at least not within 2 hours of your bedtime.  Nicotine is a brain stimulant for some people.  Even if you are able to fall asleep, the stimulant effects will cause you to sleep lighter, preventing you from acquiring the full restorative benefits of deep sleep.  Also, many people tend to wake up early throughout the night due to nicotine withdrawal.2. No alcohol within 3 hours of bedtime.  Sure, this "night cap" may help you feel relaxed, and may even sedate you, but s with nicotine, you'll be unable to slip in the deep sleep necessary for you to feel well-rested the following morning.  3. No caffeine within 8-10 hours of bedtime.  This one is obvious.  Caffeine is definitely NOT a sleep aid. And, it can take several hours for the stimulant effects on your brain to wear off.  Again, this will prevent you from falling into deep sleep.4. Cut your caffeine intake overall.  You'll find that the better you sleep, the less you'll even need that cola or cup of "joe" to get you going in the morning.  But cut down gradually, as caffeine has some withdrawal effects as well, such as severe headaches and irritability.5. No large meals within 3 hours of bedtime.  Late night digestion of heavy meals can also effect how deeply you sleep, as well as set you up for acid reflux.  A light snack about 60-90 minutes before bed is fine, but it may be better to save your heaviest meals for breakfast or lunch.6. Be wary of your prescriptions.  Some prescription drugs can actually cause insomnia.  Check with your doctor or pharmacy to find out, and discuss alternatives if your medication falls on the "sleepless" list.7. Turn your cell phone off.  This is a toughie for many of us.  But unless you're concerned about a possible emergency arising, it's best for your to avoid any and all interruptions during your sleep time.8. No strenuous activity after 7pm.  When you get revved up from exercise, it can take hours to wind down.  A better option would be light stretching, yoga, tai chi, qui gong, meditation, or walking at a relaxed pace.9. Keep your pets in check.  If you have allergies or your pet tends to wake you up throughout the night, transition your pet into either sleeping on the floor, or in another room altogether.

Tips Throughout the Day

1. Try to get at least 30-60 minutes of natural sunlight exposure each day.  The daylight is actually key to regulating your daily sleep patterns. 2. Maintain proper nutrients in your diet.  Drink plenty of water and eat plenty of fruits and vegetables throughout the day.  Avoid excess fat and refined sugar.  Take a multivitamin and a B-complex daily, but avoid taking the B-complex after 5pm, as this acts as a stimulant in some people.3. No naps after 3pm and for no longer than 30-90 minutes.  Naps in the late afternoon can make it difficult to fall asleep at night, and naps that are longer than 90 minutes may make you feel groggy. 

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