How To Get A Good Night's Sleep Using Several Helpful Tips

Written by Dr. Robert A. Simmons on Mon, 30 Nov 2009

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Whenever you have trouble sleeping, you probably blame it on your hectic lifestyle and with good reason. You may go to sleep but your body won't be resting especially when your mind is full of troubling issues. The words sleep and rest are not synonyms when it comes bedtime. Sleep is generally seen as that total time in hours spent in bed. Rest is what you get when you "go to sleep" and let your body revitalize itself.

You know that there are two forms of sleep: REM and non-REM. REM stands for rapid eye movement and this sleep is the dreaming state. When you're in REM sleep, you're dreaming (whether or not you remember it) and people will know if you're in REM sleep by the swift eye movements. This sleep helps your body restore its mental capabilities. The non-REM sleep stage is when you go into a deep slumber; this allows your immune system and other vital processes to restore themselves.

You may not realize it but what you do every day can hinder your chances of getting a restful night's sleep. Studies were done on how electronics affected a person's sleep. The results were that televisions, video games, computers, etc. interfered with how well a person slept. Electronics keep your brain active so it's vitally important to set aside some quiet time to unwind before you go to sleep.

When a person wants a good night's rest, they need to avoid drinking certain beverages. These include any kind of caffeinated beverages like soda, coffee and sports drinks. If a person wants tea, they need to read labels since some teas do have caffeine.

Another reason for bad sleep is a non-active lifestyle. Regular exercise is very important and can improve a person's sleep. If a person hasn't exercised in some time or not at all, they should look into hiring a personal trainer to help them get started. By getting help from the beginning, the person won't waste their awake and sleep time with the wrong type of exercises.

Another way to get some good sleep is to deal with your bedroom. Do you have a television that you go to sleep by? Do you think of your bedroom as just another living room but with a bed instead of a couch? If so, then you may need to do something about this. Remember your bedroom should be a place to relax.

When a person uses their bedroom as another "living room", their body associates this room with that concept. If a person were to remove these items, they could retrain their minds to think of it as a bedroom. While a person may really like their bedroom to be an entertainment center, it's one of the worst things they can do for themselves.

Recognize the amount of stress you are under. Increased amounts of stress can lead to depression. In fact, one of the signs of depression can be the inability to sleep. Ask yourself what do I think about when I am sleeping? If you have an answer to this question you are probably under a lot of stress or pre-occupied. The reasoning being that you should not be thinking and sleeping at the same time.

If you want a good night's rest, then implement a nighttime routine that will help you relax before you lay down; 30 minutes is generally sufficient time to get your mind to relax. As time passes, your brain will realize that you're ready to end the day and go to sleep.

So what can you do to make your brain slow down and relax? Consider picking up a book and drink a decaffeinated cup of tea; maybe peppermint tea. Instead of using lamps and the room's overhead light, use candlelight. Be aware that you'll need to blow these out before you go to sleep. A very relaxing scent to use is lavender.

Change can be hard but if a person wants to improve how they feel in the morning after they sleep, it's important to change the habits that's hindering them from getting that good night's sleep in the first place.

About the Author

Author: Dr. Robert Simmons is a charlotte chiropractor using applied kinesiology technique. For more information attend one of our free charlotte chiropractic nutrition lectures and exciting classes.

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