How To Get A Good Nights Sleep

Do you remember when you were little and it seemed as though sleep overcame you as soon as your head hit your pillow And you slumbered through the night until morning time They call it the sleep of the innocent but dont you wish you could sleep like that again

Adult responsibilities stress lifestyle and other worries often result in poor sleep habits and once the cycle of tossing and turning begins it is difficult to return to a decent nights sleep Many adults rely on prescription drugs to fall asleep and quite a few are addicted to them Others self medicate and use alcohol and other recreational drugs to try and fall asleep If you are regularly struggling to sleep well then you probably need to learn to fall asleep again

So lets go back to basics

And who better to consult than babies After all babies are the experts at sleeping so why not learn a little from them Apart from their age and body clock there are specific reasons that babies fall asleep so well Lets have a look at a few of them and see if we cant borrow some of the tricks

ROUTINE Most parents try very hard to get their children into a routine Regular bedtimes bath times and mealtimes are something to strive towards Of course one cannot be too rigid but a child on a regular routine will feel secure and will be able to predict his environment more easily It also helps his body clock to start the process of winding down before he actually gets to bed He knows that after supper comes his bath a story a prayer and a good night kiss When his head hits the pillow he is ready to meet the sandman

So try and follow this example Start a night time routine Make your evenings more or less predictable along the lines of supper bath and bed For at least three weeks try and follow this simple routine and go to bed at the same time each night about 8 hours before it is time to get up Wear soft comfortable and cozy nightwear specifically for sleeping remember flannel pyjamas

EXERCISE This is something kids do lots of They dont stop running around for a minute Now I am not suggesting that you start running around wherever you go but regular exercise is one of the best sleep aids around Its also free and healthy and has lots of good side effects Take up a sport go to the gym or start regular walks You wont regret it

HAVE PEACEFUL EVENINGS How many times dont you hear parents saying to their kids quotCalm down now its nearly bed timequot Or quotYoud better stop running around you wont be able to fall asleepquot Perhaps you say this to your own children with good reason Do you follow your own advice Or do you sit up watching thrillers or even worse the news or finishing off the days work that you brought home from the office Sound familiar Try a different approach Never watch TV while trying to fall asleep Rather dim the lights while you get into a hot bath and put on some soothing music Use aromatherapy in your home in particular lavender for its soporific properties Be quiet and peaceful for the hour before you go to bed and your body will start to get the message

OTHER HINTS Avoid all products with caffeine or sugar after 6pm That means coffee cola chocolate and all soda pops fizzy drinks Also stay away from heavy meals at night Your tummy will be too busy digesting to allow you to sleep well Dont eat red meat refined products or lots of cheese Go for pastas grains pulses potatoes and rice Good evening or bedtime drinks are warm milk lettuce extract and chamomile tea sleepy tea all safe and proven sleep aids If you are really struggling some herbal remedies to aid sleep are Valerian Passiflora and Kava Kava Try to put these simple hints to the test for three weeks only You will be surprised at the difference they make Should you do this faithfully and still struggle to sleep consult your doctor or request an online consultation at wwwfeelgoodcounselingcomonlinecounselhtm

Reference : www.e-nterests.com/healthhtml/howtogetagoodnightsleep.php

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