For some of us, the act of falling asleep is a night long challenge and struggle. The reasons are many while the solutions seem to be few. Tossing and turning while a million different thoughts, feelings, and ideas keep running through your mind keeping you from fading off into that much needed state of rest.
Exercising is great for your body and your sleep life. Regular exercise has been shown to promote deep sleep and shorten the time it takes to fall asleep. It's recommended to exercise two or three hours before you go to sleep, however if you find that right before you sleep is the only time you can do it and it helps you relax, then go for it.
I personally believe that it is the relaxing feeling you get from the warm milk in your stomach. You should also not have anything with caffeine before bed. Avoid sodas alcohol how to fall asleep and even smoking. Aromatherapy is also a great way to fall asleep naturally.
The last bit! Almost there. Take a hot drink of milk of chocolate - sweeten the milk with honey, rather than sugar - before bed. Milk and chocolate contain tryptophan - which converts to seratonin. Seratonin is a sleep hormone. There are, in fact, many foods that are fairly rich in seratonin and again, there's a link to an article that talks more about them. There's some truth in the old wives tale regarding hot milk helping you to drift off to sleep.
Another very important part of your sleep is your sleep system (pillows, mattress, and sheets). If your mattress is more than ten years old, or if your pillow is more than 18 months old then it is time to replace them. If you wake up will a stiff neck, back pain, then you should consider getting a new sleep system: soft bed, fluffy pillow, and comfortable sheets.
Turn down the lights. Our bodies and brains are programed to create different chemical reactions at different points during the day. For us "night owls" it seems that the onset of dusk creates an alarm system of alertness. Ease your body into the transition by eliminating the light earlier and longer. Resort to using natural how to fall asleep fast sunlight coming through the windows. Pull the shades during summer months to compensate for the longer days. When you would normally flip on the light switch, stop yourself and light a candle in the room instead. This is a more soothing andrelaxing form of light.
Get comfortable. Create a room that's ideal for sleeping. Often, this means cool, dark and quiet. Your mattress and pillow can contribute to better sleep, too.
Establish a bedtime routine. When you keep your bedtime consistent you are helping your body stays in how to sleep balance which will promote better health to help you fall asleep faster. You should want to go to bed and wake up at the same time everyday including weekends.
In this method, the person is supposed to ease the tension in the various parts of his body, step by step, by performing a few light exercises such as rotating the legs, wrists, pelvis, neck, each part one by one for a couple of minutes. Perform a few breathing exercises or meditation for 5 - 10 minutes. Loosen up your body and mind well enough and climb into bed. If needed, play a CD of soothing music to calm your senses. There are also many meditation techniques available which can relax the body.
So if you havent already gathered, the goal to combating sleepiness is to get the blood flowing. Of course, the best thing to combat daytime sleepiness is to get enough sleep at night!
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