Lack of sleep can have a negative effect on many aspects of your health. It can even cause you to have problems with your memory and feel depressed.
Prescription and over-the-counter drugs are simply not safe. They do not cause you to fall asleep naturally. They are sedative drugs that can affect your daytime performance and generally interfere with your life. Here are 5 tips that will help you get a good night's sleep naturally.
Reduce or Eliminate Caffeinated Beverages
A small amount of caffeine early in the day may be alright. But caffeine is a mild drug, a stimulant. Drinking coffee or sodas in the afternoon and evening can interfere with your ability to fall asleep.
Caffeine is also a mild diuretic. Drinking caffeinated beverages close to bedtime can cause you to wake up with a full bladder. Many people have difficulty getting back to sleep after getting up to use the bathroom. Ideally, you should avoid drinking anything in the hours preceding bedtime especially if nighttime urination makes it difficult for you to bet back to sleep.
Turn down the Lights and Turn off the TV
There is a natural process in the body called the circadian rhythm. It controls when you become sleepy and when you wake up. Assuming nothing artificial interferes with the process, your body should start producing more melatonin around 9pm. The melatonin makes you sleepy. By 11pm, you are ready to fall asleep.
Receptors in the eyes are involved in the process that triggers melatonin production. Artificial lights and light from the TV interferes with the process. About 2 hours before bedtime, you should turn down the lights in your home and turn off the TV.
You can use a small reading lamp and read until you feel ready to fall asleep. You might also do other relaxing things, such as stretching, taking a warm bath or drinking a cup of herbal tea.
Try Using a Sound Machine
Sudden noises in the night wake some people up. Sound machines or white noise machines help by blocking out background sounds like traffic, slamming doors and other irregular noises.
Limit Alcohol Intake
Alcohol might make you drowsy but like caffeine it is a diuretic. Drinking an alcoholic beverage too close to bedtime may cause you to wake up in the middle of the night with a full bladder.
Take a Good Dietary Supplement
Certain nutrients support the natural circadian rhythm and are also needed for your body to produce melatonin. There are plenty of natural sleep aids out there. As you might guess, some are better than others. Here are some of the ingredients you want to look for.
· Hops, valerian root, passion flower extract and chamomile-herbs that relax the body
· Phosphatidyl choline-a precursor to neurotransmitters involved in sleep regulation
· Folic acid-particularly important for restless leg syndrome
Remember that combinations of herbs and nutrients may not be safe. The ingredients in a well-designed multi-ingredient supplement are carefully measured. It is safer to choose one of those to help you sleep naturally than it is to combine different ingredients on your own.
By Larry L. Taylor
