If you suffer from insomnia, every night becomes a grueling contest in pursuit of a few hours of undisturbed sleep.
There are times when you may feel like throwing in the towel, but it's important to keep trying.
Everyone makes mistakes in their quest for a restful night's sleep.
Here are some sleep tips to help you overcome and avoid the most common slip-ups in the future.
Eating late at night To have the best chance at falling asleep fast and sleeping through the night, you should avoid eating any heavy meals in the evening.
What we're really talking about here is fat content.
High-fat foods (like fast food) can really upset your sleep patterns by making your digestive system work when it doesn't really want to.
You should also avoid high-fiber foods or raw foods.
Your best bet for bedtime is a small high-carbohydrate snack.
The carbs will replenish energy in your muscle fibers and could also increase serotonin levels in your brain, which will boost your mood and encourage relaxation.
Smoking If you're a longtime smoker, it may seem like a cigarette helps you relax.
But nicotine actually stimulates your senses and makes it more difficult to fall asleep.
Plus, nicotine can also cause your throat and nasal passages to swell, which will make it more difficult to breathe and increase your chances for snoring.
The bedtime glass of wine That little shot of alcohol may seem indispensable for making yourself drowsy, but it's also much more likely to wake you up in the middle of the night.
The chemicals that your body uses to break down the alcohol normally act as stimulants.
If you want to stay asleep through the night, you should avoid drinking alcohol within four hours of your bedtime.
Afternoon tea If you crave caffeine to get you through your afternoon, you could also be sabotaging your sleep at night.
You should at least experiment with eliminating all caffeine sources--tea, coffee and soft drinks--after noon.
This will give your body time to eliminate most of the caffeine from your system.
These are just a few of the lifestyle choices that could be derailing your journey to Sleepytown.
To increase your chances of getting a full night of restorative sleep, you should put together a sleep program that includes bedtime routines, improvements to your bedroom, and, if necessary, the use of natural sleep aids.
By making small decisions in favor of sleep throughout the day, you should be able to beat insomnia for good.
There are times when you may feel like throwing in the towel, but it's important to keep trying.
Everyone makes mistakes in their quest for a restful night's sleep.
Here are some sleep tips to help you overcome and avoid the most common slip-ups in the future.
Eating late at night To have the best chance at falling asleep fast and sleeping through the night, you should avoid eating any heavy meals in the evening.
What we're really talking about here is fat content.
High-fat foods (like fast food) can really upset your sleep patterns by making your digestive system work when it doesn't really want to.
You should also avoid high-fiber foods or raw foods.
Your best bet for bedtime is a small high-carbohydrate snack.
The carbs will replenish energy in your muscle fibers and could also increase serotonin levels in your brain, which will boost your mood and encourage relaxation.
Smoking If you're a longtime smoker, it may seem like a cigarette helps you relax.
But nicotine actually stimulates your senses and makes it more difficult to fall asleep.
Plus, nicotine can also cause your throat and nasal passages to swell, which will make it more difficult to breathe and increase your chances for snoring.
The bedtime glass of wine That little shot of alcohol may seem indispensable for making yourself drowsy, but it's also much more likely to wake you up in the middle of the night.
The chemicals that your body uses to break down the alcohol normally act as stimulants.
If you want to stay asleep through the night, you should avoid drinking alcohol within four hours of your bedtime.
Afternoon tea If you crave caffeine to get you through your afternoon, you could also be sabotaging your sleep at night.
You should at least experiment with eliminating all caffeine sources--tea, coffee and soft drinks--after noon.
This will give your body time to eliminate most of the caffeine from your system.
These are just a few of the lifestyle choices that could be derailing your journey to Sleepytown.
To increase your chances of getting a full night of restorative sleep, you should put together a sleep program that includes bedtime routines, improvements to your bedroom, and, if necessary, the use of natural sleep aids.
By making small decisions in favor of sleep throughout the day, you should be able to beat insomnia for good.
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