How to Fall Asleep Fast

Rose knows for those that sleep well at night, we find that it is somewhat hard to believe that someone can’t fall asleep and stay asleep at least 6-7 hours each night. Even though we all experience an occasional night where we toss and turn because our mind is racing. What I really want to know...is sleep overrated? Can I survive during the day with only a few hours of sleep? As I get older do I require more or less sleep? Let’s answer some myths about sleep and get some tips on how to fall asleep fast.

Many people get less sleep than is stated and researched by the National Sleep Foundation. They, being the researchers, are determined that we need at least 7 hours of sleep to function normally during the day. This is for all adults over the age of 18, for those under 18 you require more. But that is no excuse for any of us to sleep in on the weekends and think we can make up for lost shut-eye. Truth is depleting our sleep will make us to feel lethargic during the day, causing us to make mistakes as we fight the temptation to take a nap. How many of us have sat at our desk, either at work or school totally withdrawn from what is happening around us as our eyes are rolling back into our heads? Sleep not only allows us to reenergize, we also process all the information and experiences we have during the day which allows us to recover both mentally and physically. If you find yourself unable to turn off your brain because you have forgotten to do something, need to solve a family issue or work problem….get up and write it down. It is easier to go to sleep faster if we unload what we stress about. Keep a sleep journal or pad of paper next to your bed. If you can get a good night sleep, it will be easier to tackle those issues in the morning.

Some people feel if they watch TV or surf the web in bed they will eventually become drowsy enough to fall asleep while keeping their mind off their stress. This has some truth to it, but watching television and web surfing only makes us stay up past our bedtime. Remember to try and get the required 7 hours of sleep (that’s not 7 hours in bed) so it you have to get up at 7am you need to be asleep by 12am, that means no outside mental stimulation by 11-11:30. This will give you time not only to get ready for bed, but time to fall asleep. If you want something to listen to for a mental distraction, try sleep music such as; easy listening, sounds of ocean or rain or even white noise. There are many products on the market that are known to help us sleep at night. Other suggestions may be self-hypnotic tapes or CDs and Binaural Sound Waves.

Another thing, your television and computer emanate light and any light will interrupt your sleep cycle, because your brain remains unconsciously aware of its surroundings and will prevent you from processing the right amount of melatonin to fall asleep. Melatonin is a naturally hormone secreted in the pineal gland that controls our sleep/wake cycle. If you have problems with insomnia you may want to try melatonin as it is available as a supplement at your local pharmacy or health food store. Make sure you contact your physician before taking any supplement as you might have an interaction with other medications or an adverse side effect if you have other health conditions. Other herbs that are known to cause you to relax are; hops, catnip, valerian and passionflower extract.

Do you snore? For years snoring has been accepted as just a normal part of sleeping. Snoring can be caused by congestion in the nasal passageways. This congestion can be due to a too dry room and a simple solution would be to purchase an air humidifier. Sometimes snoring is due to a narrow or constriction of the air passage due to a condition known an obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), which is very hard on the body and can actually be fatal if not treated. Obesity can also lead to constriction on the neck due to excess pressure contributed to extra weight. Losing at least 10% of body fat maybe enough to alleviate the constriction and stop the snoring. Snoring not only will make you wake up during the night especially if you have OSA, it also hinders your partner’s ability to have a normal night sleep. Snoring is not something you should take lightly and it is recommended if you are a habitually snorer to consult with your physician as they may recommend additional treatment or a sleep specialist. Children that snore may need their adenoids and tonsils removed.

As I mentioned above, if you don’t get enough sleep your body will crave a nap during the day. I am going to suggest two things about taking a nap. 1. Naps are a great way to reenergize yourself during the day, but you don’t need to take more than 20-30 minutes of nap time to do so. 2. Don’t nap after 4pm. Studies have proven people have mental alertness after a “power nap”, but any nap that is longer or later could cause you to stay up later at night and also make it more difficult for you to fall asleep.

The best way to stop that occasional night of sleeplessness is to establish a night-time routine. This allows your body and mind to prepare for sleep. Take an hour before retiring to relax; read a book, take a warm bath, have a cup of decaf Sleepytime tea, do yoga stretches or even being intimate with your partner are great ways to get your mind off of your day and get a great night’s sleep. Do you know the saying…Never put off until tomorrow what you can do today. When it comes to getting a good night’s sleep the saying should be….What you put off today will always be there tomorrow…and don’t stay awake over the small stuff.
Sweet Dreams
Rose Sheepskill

How to Fall Asleep Fast

Rose here….Tonight I want to talk about how to fall asleep fast. Do you have a hard time falling asleep? Are you tossing and turning thinking about all the things you have to do? Stress is the number one reason why people can’t relax and fall asleep. There are ways you can turn off your mind and learn how to fall asleep fast.

First even before you go to bed you need to get into the mind set to get ready to fall asleep. Having a nightly routine such as taking a warm bath, not a hot bath as your body will have to cool down before you will be able to fall asleep. Have a cup of decaffeinated sleepy time tea or warm glass of milk, but don’t drink too much or you will wake up during the night and have to go to the bathroom only to start the process of falling asleep all over again.

Try some PearlyDreams toothpaste which has natural sleep aid ingredients for instance passion flower extract, valerian, Melatonin and balm mint all known to have relaxing properties that absorb into your system. Melatonin is naturally produced in your pineal gland and will regulate your sleep cycle. Some sleeping disorders are caused just because people don’t produce enough melatonin. There are a few reason why this happens; one as you age melatonin decreases and two if you sleep with a light in your room your body will not produce enough. So if you want to fall asleep fast...lights out.

Make sure your room is as sound proof as possible. If you are traveling sometimes this is hard to do. You might want to consider listening to sleep music, white noise or binaural sound waves. What is white noise? White noise is a neutral sound that will drown out external noises. A white noise machine is relatively inexpensive, but if you can’t afford one a fan or the air conditioner will work just the same.

A self hypnotic tape or CD trains you to relax your entire body by repetitive suggestions and deep breathing. Try this deep breathing exercise; inhale through your nose until you feel you stomach rise, hold for 10 seconds then slowly exhale counting backwards from 8 to 1. Repeat two more times. My self hypnotic tape has a breathing exercise along with other stress relieving exercises I do and before long I am fast asleep. Even though I do not complete the tape my unconscious mind still soaks in all the relaxing, self improvement suggestions. A self hypnotic tape or CD will keep your mind off your problems and will help you relax and fall asleep fast. If you aren’t sure about using hypnosis meditating will work just as well. Concentrate on relaxing your body and lowering your heart rate. I repeat a single word over and over and match it to my breathing which will gradually slow down then eventually my mind will drift off to sleep.

Other suggestions to prepare for sleep try reading, writing or anything that will get your mind off whatever you are stressing about. Make sure you are not in restrictive clothing. Anything that is too tight will not move with you when you turn over. I feel loose fitting pajamas are easier to sleep in than a nightgown that is sometimes tighter around the shoulders and rides up during the night.

How is your mattress? Do you sink to the middle of your bed or do you feel the bed spring? If you can’t afford a new mattress get a Memory Foam Mattress Pad with a terry cloth cover. Why should you make sure you have a terry cloth cover? Memory foam is known to hold into the heat and with a terry cloth cover it will allow more air movement between you and the pad therefore keeping you cooler. Make sure your room temperature is set at 65 degrees or less and make sure you don’t have too many blankets on. Keep your pets out of your room they will only disturb your sleep. Don’t use your bed for anything other than sex and sleeping. You don’t want to watch TV or play video games in bed or it will take you longer to fall asleep…always wondering how to get the bad guy.

Now you are ready for sleep and as you drift off I don’t know if you have ever noticed but your mind will remember your last dream. Even though it is fleeting, it might remind you enough for you to remember more of it. These dreams are called lucid dreams. They are the conscious dreams you have when you are in between a sleep and a wake state. When you are having a hard time falling asleep remind yourself that sleep means lucid dreaming and your subconscious mind will make sure when remembering your dream that you will get to sleep fast. When you wake up in the morning you might want to keep a dream or sleep journal. As time goes by your mind will remember more and more of your dreams. In your journal you can also keep track of how long it takes you to fall asleep and what you did to fall asleep faster.

Lastly if you are like me you love to nap and stay up late and sometimes find yourself up until 3 or 4 in the morning, getting into a terrible sleeping pattern. If you are going to nap, try to have a power nap of 15 or 20 minutes. Not only should you limit your nap time you should keep a bedtime schedule. Make time for your nightly routine and get to bed at a decent hour to get the amount of sleep you need and wake up feeling fresh and rested.
Good Day,
Rose Sheepskill

Sleep Medicine

Good Evening everyone. My friend Dr. Narcolepsy is here and we’ve been talking about sleep medicine. Since he owns a sleep center and has specialized employees that treat insomnia, restlessness and other chronic symptoms of sleep problems, he has information on natural sleep medicines. Utilizing herbs, amino acids and minerals creates an effective reliable and safe sleep medicine alternative for those suffering from sleep disorders.

Dr. Narcolepsy asks “How long has it been since you had a really good night sleep? Although many people don’t realize it, the quality of sleep can affect your mood, health and your job. You may feel exhausted, restless, stressed and not productive at work. Your personal and professional relationships may suffer. As we age, our lifestyles and our bodies change (well those of us that are not undead), our quality of sleep can change too. That is why it is necessary to get a sound sleep naturally to maintain optimal health for people of all ages”

“Natural sleep disorder medicine is available without a prescription. As we know prescription sleep aides are narcotics that not only cause a dependency, but can cause other serious side effects. Natural sleep medicine has minimal side effects and you don’t wake up groggy and disoriented that’s associated with prescription drugs.” Dr Narcolepsy said.

“For example,” he continued. “Take LUNESTA, Melatonin, Antihistamines aka Tylenol PM Etc. and compare them for fun... humor me.”

“When taking LUNESTA you may experience:

• unpleasant taste in mouth, dry mouth
• morning drowsiness
• dizziness
• headache
• symptoms of the common cold
• You may still feel drowsy the next day after taking LUNESTA. Do not drive or do other dangerous activities after taking LUNESTA until you feel fully awake.
These are just some of the side effects of LUNESTA. Ask your doctor for more information.

Possible serious side effects of LUNESTA include:
• Getting out of bed while not being fully awake and doing an activity you do not know you are doing.
• Abnormal thoughts and behavior. Symptoms include more outgoing or aggressive behavior than normal, confusion, agitation, hallucinations, worsening of depression, and suicidal thoughts or actions.
• Memory loss
• Anxiety
• Severe allergic reactions. Symptoms include swelling of the tongue or throat, trouble breathing, and nausea and vomiting. Get emergency medical help if you get these symptoms after taking LUNESTA.
• Abuse (taking more than prescribed) amnesia and hallucinations have been reported.
• Addiction. LUNESTA may lead to physical and psychological dependence. The risk of abuse and dependence increases with the dose and duration of treatment.

Melatonin

Melatonin is a hormone secreted from the pineal gland in our brain. It regulates our bodies’ internal clock or circadian rhythm i.e. when it's time to go to sleep and when it's time to wake up.
Melatonin is herbal sleep medicine and probably the most widely prescribed among herbal non prescription sleep aids. Even 15% of pediatricians who prescribe sleep aids for children with insomnia recommend melatonin as a natural pediatric sleep medicine, according to the medical journal Pediatrics (2002).

• Its synthetic form is available in many brands; AVOID natural forms that are basically melatonin derived from animal’s pineal glands due to possible contamination
• Side effects that are common are daytime drowsiness headaches, dizziness, a "heavy-head" feeling, stomach discomfort
• It may interact with common drugs

Antihistamines

How do they work? These antihistamines are very popular not just because they are effective for your cough and allergies. You recover faster because the “benefit” of their side effect of prolonged drowsiness “forces” your body to rest and recover. In the same way, you are basically using the drowsiness side effect to get you to sleep

Popular brands are:
• Sominex, Nytol, Tylenol PM, Benadryl
• Unisom, Equate

Common side effects:
• Prolonged drowsiness or hangover effect that impairs driving, etc
• Dizziness
• Fatigue
• Headaches
• Reduced alertness
• Vomiting




Racing heartbeat and constipation are also becoming frequent complaints in this group of non prescription sleep aids.

However, there are certain groups of people who cannot use the antihistamines as a non prescription sleep aid. As with any medication, they are not for pregnant or nursing women due to unknown risk of drug transfer to the fetus and young infant on mother’s milk.

You are advised against taking Sominex, Nytol if you have:

• Heart problems
• Glaucoma
• Enlarged Prostate

Unisom, you can’t even take them if you’ve got asthma or bronchitis.

Other precautions when you take the antihistamines.

Avoid alcohol. It increases the sedative effects of the pills. Even a small amount of alcohol combined with sleep aids can make you feel dizzy, confused or faint.

Never mix with a sleeping pill, sedative, tranquilizer, or another antihistamine. This could lead to dangerous drug-drug interaction outcomes.”

“As you can see this is a very good reason the undead came out of the coffin and started drinking synthetic blood, a lot of human blood is contaminated with chemicals and diseases.” The doctor stated.

“Natural sleep aides not only treat insomnia, restlessness, light sleep or frequent waking it also helps with jet lag.

Other herbs and minerals that aid sleep are:

Hops Herb has been known to be beneficial in the treatment of insomnia and sleep disorders because of its calming effect. Hops herb helps the body with pain and insomnia. Hops are rich in nutrients that nourish the nervous system.

Passion Flower which increases the level of a neurotransmitter known as gamma-amino butyric acid (GABA). And decreases the activity of nerve cells in the brain which helps the brain to relax. With total relaxation during sleep, GABA promotes re-energization. It helps with the release of growth hormone (which is responsible for repair of the body) and allows you to feel rested and alert upon waking.

L-Theanine helps with the production of alpha brain waves, which help promote deep relaxation in the body. In addition, it is also responsible for producing mental alterness. The natural ingredient helps increase dopamine in the body, and has been shown to be helpful in enhancing memory, enhancing learning ability and helping high blood pressure return to normal. It successfully allows for an increase in focus and concentration, while promoting relaxation.

Chamomile It’s one of nature’s oldest herbal sleep aid used for centuries. It is best known as one of the gentlest non prescription sleep aids around. The active ingredients are chrysin and apigenin, believed to reduce restlessness helping one feel more relaxed and more prepared to sleep.

Valerian is a plant; its active ingredient is still unclear therefore how it works is unclear too. Valerian appears to increase the body's available supply of the neurotransmitter gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA). It’s generally thought to help reduce the time to get to sleep.

Valerian is less effective than prescription sleep medication. One possible advantage of valerian, however, is that it does not seem to cause as much of a "hangover" effect the next day. Also, people taking sleeping pills sometimes have a temporary worsening of insomnia when they are discontinued (rebound insomnia), an effect that hasn't been reported with valerian”.

“Most of the times, getting to sleep can be solved by listening to some soft music and a glass of warm blood (I mean milk or wine) and a hot bath. But for those with a sleep disorder a natural sleep medicine should help you get to sleep without the worry of dependency or serious side effects.” Dr Narcolepsy concluded.

“Thank you Dr Narcolepsy that was very informative and since the sun is rising, I must say good day until we meet again.”
Rose Sheepskill