Asleep

Rose knows that sometimes it takes hours to fall asleep every night. Can you remember the last time you had fallen asleep without tossing and turning? Not being able to go to sleep quickly is very wearisome only to leave you tired and restless the next day. The next day, if at all possible, you take a nap only to fall sleep for 2-3 hours and therefore staying up later at night because you’re not tired. Or not napping and becoming so overtired that it affects your daily activities such as having thoughts of falling asleep at the wheel while driving. The more you have trouble falling asleep, the longer it takes you. You need to establish a regular sleep pattern or routine to help you to fall asleep naturally.

If you can’t fall asleep I am sure you have felt how it affects you both mentally and physically. Indecisiveness or total lack of concentration on the job or being short of energy to run errands or take care/play with your children. There are also other side effect if you have a sleeping problem; depression, negativity, laziness, on edge and frustrated easily just to name a few.
It may be as simple as just turning off your mind and relaxing in order to fall asleep faster. If you cannot fall asleep because your mind is racing over pressures of everyday life

It may be that at the moment the pressures of everyday life for instance stressing about work or family problems. All of these emotions can easily get in the way with your ability to relax and therefore upset your sleep routine.

Other reasons you may have trouble falling asleep are; the temperature of your environment is too hot, you drank/ate something hot or spicy causing acid reflux or heartburn, noises around you, not dark enough, bed uncomfortable, worked odd hours, children in your bed and you had a caffeinated beverage right before you retired. All of these reasons not only can prohibit you to fall asleep quickly they also affect the quality of your sleep. Drinking any kind of liquid before bed may cause you to have trouble staying asleep, because you’ll wake up having to go to the bathroom.

Most of these reason can be remedied by making lifestyle adjustments:

1. The best temperature for sleeping is 65 degrees

2. Eliminate caffeine at least one to two hours before retiring

3. Eliminate hot/spicy foods or beverages from your diet for at least two weeks. Then reintroduce them back into your diet one by one to see if any or all of them are causing you to have acid reflux or heartburn. Once introduced try not to eat after 7pm.

4. Eliminate noise and light as much as possible. If you are traveling take ear plugs or an eye mask.

5. Your bed is lumpy or you roll to the middle. Try a Memory Foam Mattress Topper.

6. I know this one may be difficult, because my sister Apnea has trouble keeping her son, Batboy from joining them in the middle of the day…but children need to sleep in their own bed.

7. You don’t have much control over your work schedule when you are required to work a split shift or a night shift at hotel, sheriff’s office or a 24 hour restaurant to name a few. But to fall asleep naturally you need to stick to a routine so your body adjusts to your working schedule.

Some people find ways to fall asleep not by making changes to their lifestyle but by taking sedatives or sleeping pills. These medications may be a quick fix especially if you have worked odd hours or overtime, but you will not feel better the next day. Medication usually robs you of the deep sleep you require. Also these drugs maybe addictive. Please ask your doctor the risks if you are getting a prescription, otherwise read the label for any over-the-counter-medication.

Making adjustments to your lifestyle, even stressful ones, can help you fall asleep easier and faster. In order for natural ways to fall asleep to let your mind and body need to relax.

One way to get help falling asleep is the use of self-hypnosis. Training your body and mind to relax will gently ease you to sleep naturally. Listening to self-hypnotic tapes will help your mind clear itself of thoughts and put you into a pre-sleep phase to fall asleep easily.

Enjoy a cup of sleepy time tea or warm glass of milk before retiring. Turn down the temperature, turn off the lights, tuck your children in their beds and clear your mind. The relaxation technique you will hear will make it possible for you to have a good night’s sleep and not before long you will fall asleep on your own because you’ve trained yourself to relax.

Now imagine how wonderful it would be to have a long, peaceful night’s sleep, just like you used to be able to. Wake up feeling ready to handle anything the day may bring, feeling better than you have in a long time.
Good Day,
Rose Sheepskill