There are many things that can prevent you from falling asleep at night: physical pain, medications, mental stress and even excitement can keep you awake. Trouble sleeping does more than keep you from dreamland; it can have a negative affect on other areas of your life as well. Inability to concentrate, poor work performance and daytime fatigue are just a few reasons you need to find a way to get to sleep that works for you.
Exercise
You may already know that exercise benefits your health in a number of ways, but now you can add a good night's sleep to the list. When researchers at the University of Basel's Depression and Sleep Research Unit in Basel, Switzerland, studied the effects of exercise on teens, they found that exercise promoted falling asleep faster and fewer awakenings once asleep, as well as an increase in the ability to concentrate during waking hours. The study, published in the February 2010 "Journal of Adolescent Health," reports that sleep also lowered the subject's anxiety levels and depressive symptoms. One word of caution, however, regarding exercise. The National Sleep Foundation explains that if you exercise too close to bedtime it can actually interfere with your ability to unwind and fall asleep, so it is best to exercise in the early morning or afternoon hours.
Relax
While exercise should be done in the early part of the day, you should begin relaxing in the evenings to promote sleep. Start winding down at least three hours before you plan to go to bed. Read a book, sit on the porch swing or listen to some relaxing music. Whatever helps you find relief from the daily stresses of life is what you should take time to do. Maybe you could try a yoga class. A study in the March 2010 issue of the "Journal of Nursing Research" shows that when older subjects participated in yoga exercise three times per week, it improved their quality of sleep and significantly decreased depressive symptoms.
Take A Bath
A bath can be part of your unwinding routine, but for more reasons than you might think. While the hot water can relax muscles and the private time can clear your head, a warm bath can also increase your circulation. As your blood vessels dilate, especially those in your hands and feet, heat escapes your body, which lowers your body's core temperature. According to a report from the "New York Times", it is lowering of the body temperature that leads to sleepiness. Don't have time for a bath? Try a hot foot soak. The January 2000 issue of the "Journal of Physiological Anthropology and Applied Human Science" reports a study which shows that a foot bath is just as effective as a full body bath when it comes to initiating sleep. Subjects that participated in either bathing or a foot bath got to sleep sooner than those who did not participate in either. For best results, take your bath 45 minutes to an hour before bed.
Turn Off The Lights
While this may seem like an obvious suggestion, you can be exposed to more light than the one on your lamp stand, and this can have an affect on your ability to get to sleep, as well the quality of your sleep once you get there. A report from Vanderbilt University Psychology Department explains that a hormone called melatonin, which is produced in the brain, is secreted at night, or in the dark. Melatonin has a direct effect on the sleep cycle, inducing sleepiness when it is produced. When there is exposure to light, melatonin production slows and can stop. If you have problems getting to sleep, or sleeping throughout the night, look around your bedroom. When you shut off the light, are there other lights glaring at you? If your alarm clock is beaming bright red, face it away from you. If you have a bright street light outside your window, put up a curtain that will block it out. If you feel you need to sleep with a night light, put it out in the hall, away from the bedroom. Keeping your sleeping quarters as dark as possible will help you maintain a steady melatonin production.
References
- PubMed: Abstract: Journal of Adolescent Health: High exercise levels are related to favorable sleep patterns
- National Sleep Foundation: Sleep Hygiene
- PubMed: Abstract: Journal of Nursing Research: Effects of yoga on sleep quality
- New York Times: Health: The Claim: Cold Temperatures Improve Sleep
- PubMed: Abstract: Journal of Physiological Anthropology and Applied Human Science: Effects of bathing and hot footbath on sleep
