The information being shared in this article will make more sense
to you if you read the previous report entitled Natural Sleep Help
Part 1. To get the full benefit to this short report you need to read
both parts.
Natural Sleep Help #5 Do Some Physical Exercise
Do you know that how well you sleep at night is directly related
to how active you are during the day? The more sedentary your
lifestyle is, the more likely it is that you will also have
sleeping problems.
The good news is that you don’t have to spend hours a day at the
gym to get the sleep benefits of exercise. Sleep experts suggest
that as little as twenty to thirty minutes a day of moderate
exercise will help to eliminate insomnia.
It doesn’t even matter what kind of exercise you do. Anything you
enjoy – whether it’s a full-blown workout or just puttering in
the garden – will help in the fight against insomnia.
The main thing to keep in mind when choosing an exercise program
is what time of day you will be exercising. Another thing to
consider is using exercises that make strenuous use of your leg
muscles as this produces a tranquilizer effect that helps you get
to sleep more easily.
The more strenuous your workout, the earlier in the day it should
be done. The two schools of thought on this are first thing in
the morning, and mid to late afternoon. My own personal favorite
is a thirty-minute power walk first thing in the morning.
If your preferred exercise time is later in the day or as part of
your routine before bedtime, activities such as yoga and stretching
exercises are a good choice. The body positions and breathing
techniques used in yoga will help to slow down both your mind and
body.
Another type of exercise that has been proven to have a positive
effect on sleep quality is tai chi. In a study done in 2009,
participants who did tai chi for one hour, three times a week,
improved their sleep quality and decreased daytime drowsiness.
Similar to yoga, the study’s authors speculated it was the
relaxation and breathing techniques used in tai chi that provided
the most benefit.
Natural Sleep Tip #6 Learn to Unwind
One of the major causes of insomnia is stress. By learning some
basic relaxation techniques you can reduce the stress and tension
in your body before you go to sleep. We’ve already mentioned
doing stretches and yoga as part of your routine before bedtime. Here
are two more easy relaxation techniques you can use once you get
into bed.
Relaxation Exercise #1
The goal of this exercise is to breath as slowly and deeply as
possible. If done correctly, you should feel your upper body –
shoulders, arms, and chest – relax, making it easier to fall
asleep.
Breathe in as deeply as you can through your nose for a slow
count of 4
Visualize the air moving down through your body all the way
to your stomach
Hold it there for another slow count of 4
Now, purse your lips and exhale through your mouth to a slow
count of 8
Visualize the stresses of the day leaving your body as you
exhale
Repeat this process six to ten times.
Relaxation Exercise #2
This next exercise is one of my personal favorites. Most nights
I fall asleep before I get all the way through it.
The goal here is to release the tension from all your muscles so
that they are relaxed and ready for sleep.
Lay on your back with your feet slightly apart, your hands
by your sides, and your palms turned upward.
Close your eyes and concentrate on every part of your body.
Begin at the top of your head and work your way down to your
toes.
Start by feeling your forehead tense, then your eyes, face,
and jaw.
Tense and release each muscle group, such as your shoulders
and neck.
Give attention to each area of your body from the top of
your head, down through the trunk of your body, down along your
legs, and ending at the tip of your toes.
Stay in this relaxed condition for a few minutes.
Concentrate on your breathing and let all worry and stress
dissipate from your mind and body. Make sure that your breathing
comes from deep in your stomach and flows slowly and evenly.
If you are still feeling tense, repeat the process working
upwards from your toes to the top of your head.
These are just two of the many relaxation techniques you can use
to help you relieve stress and fall asleep faster.
Natural Sleep Help #7 Avoid Napping During The Day
One of the side effects of insomnia is daytime drowsiness. This
often leads to the need for a nap during the day. In turn, this
sets up a vicious circle because napping during the day
contributes to poor sleep at night.
If you have a hard time falling asleep at night, you should avoid
napping during the day whenever possible. But if you really can’t
make it through the day without that extra sleep, you should try
to limit it to only thirty minutes or less.
There is another side to the issue of napping, and that is a
belief that short “power†naps are a good way to re-energize
yourself during the day. Again, the consensus is that unless you
are severely sleep deprived, your nap should not last any longer
than 30 minutes.
It is believed that anything more than thirty minutes will cause
you to fall into a deep sleep, and that will make it hard to wake
up and get moving again.
If you do decide you need to nap during the day, make sure you
nap consistently at the same time every day. (Are you seeing a
theme here?) Early in the afternoon is the best time for a nap,
as if you leave it too late then you will make it harder to fall
asleep at night.
Natural Sleep Help #8 Create a Restful Atmosphere To Sleep In
Your bedroom should be the most peaceful room in your home. It’s
no secret that the more calm and restful the energy is in your
bedroom, the better your sleep will be.
One of the first items to consider is the temperature of your
bedroom. Many sleep experts believe that the optimal temperature
for sleeping is between 60 and 70 degrees F. Room temperature
should be a personal choice, and the best way to find out your
optimum sleeping temperature is to experiment with different
thermostat settings until you find the one that suits you best.
Your bedroom also be well ventilated. Ideally you should sleep
with a window open to provide fresh air and circulation whenever
possible. If you can’t have the window open, fans are a good
alternative, also can also serve a secondary purpose as a white
noise maker. And that brings me to my next point…
Your room should be as quiet as possible. If you live in a city,
it’s pretty much impossible to shut out all the noises like
traffic and neighbors, especially if you like to sleep with the
windows open.
One solution to this problem is to use a fan or other white noise
maker to drown out the unwanted sounds. Ear plugs are also a good
solution for getting the silence you need for a good night’s
sleep.
Finally, your bedroom should be as dark as possible when you’re
sleeping. This allows you to get the full effect of the day/night
cycle. One way to accomplish this is to use heavy curtains or
blinds to keep any extra light out. Another way to keep the light
out when you sleep is to use an eye mask. This can come in handy
if you have a sleeping partner who is not as concerned about
their own sleep habits as you are about yours!
Conclusion
So there you have it… eight easy, natural ways you can use to
help you sleep better and end your insomnia. I have tried to
provide you with manageable steps you can take, but the next step is
up to you. Only you can take the actions which will help you to
get a better night’s sleep. And as always, make sure that you do
consult with your health care provider before making any changes,
especially if you are already undergoing treatment for a medical
condition.
The two important points to remember when putting any of these tips
into action are to be consistent, and to make choices which suit
your lifestyle and your schedule. Don’t be afraid to experiment
with the information presented here to create the perfect sleep
conditions for yourself and your family.
