How to Naturally Get 7 Hours of Sound Sleep

As a nation we are sleep deprived. Sleep drugs are a common solution to help us fall asleep. They of course have side effects, inhibit our bodies natural ability to fall asleep and a proven cause of many morning commute car accidents as people are still in a stupor from the prescription or over the counter medications.

Sometimes late night eating can be to blame - or late night exercise. Anxiety, guilt or any other emotion or stress can keep us up. We need to develop a night time ritual that allows for falling asleep within 10 minutes of getting in bed, sleeping interrupted for 7 hours and then waking up feeling rested and energized. How great would that be??? When was the last time yo u woke up feeling energetic and that energy lasted all day.

There are some natural sleep aids you can use such as My Sleep which you can find at www.MyNutritionStore.com/PersonalTrainer, however I would much rather you come up with your own night time ritual to falling and staying asleep.


Here are some great tips from SleepNet.com

Tips for Healthy Sleep


Since 1995 - Everything you wanted to know about sleep but were too tired to ask
You should wake up refreshed in the morning without the use of an alarm clock and feel energetic all day. If not you may find some good tips below.

Sleep deprivation is a large proportion of the problem is due to the high paced lifestyle causing the lack of time to get the sleep we need. When we do not get the amount of sleep we need we accumulate a sleep debt. This sleep debt has to be paid back or sleepiness will continue to worsen. Many people try to pay back the debt on the weekends resulting in the disruption of their circadian rhythm.

Here are some Tips that may help.

Sleep is as important as food and air. Quantity and quality are very important. Most adults need between 7.5 to 8.5 hours of uninterrupted sleep. If you press the snooze button on the alarm in the morning you are not getting enough sleep. This could be due to not enough time in bed, external disturbances, or a sleep disorder.

Keep regular hours. Try to go to bed at the same time and get up at the same time every day. Getting up at the same time is most important. Getting bright light, like the sun, when you get up will also help. Try to go to bed only when you are sleepy. Bright light in the morning at a regular time should help you feel sleepy at the same time every night.

Stay away from stimulants like caffeine. This will help you get deep sleep which is most refreshing. If you take any caffeine, take it in the morning. Avoid all stimulants in the evening, including chocolate, caffeinated sodas, and caffeinated teas. They will delay sleep and increase arousals during the night.

Use the bed for sleeping. Avoid watching TV or using laptop computers. Know that reading in bed can be a problem if the material is very stimulation and you read with a bright light. If it helps to read before sleep make sure you use a very small wattage bulb to read. A 15 watt bulb should be enough. Bright light from these activities may inhibit sleep.

Avoid bright light around the house before bed. Using dimmer switches in living rooms and bathrooms before bed can be helpful. (Dimmer switches can be set to maximum brightness for morning routines.)

Don't stress if you feel you are not getting enough sleep. It will just make matters worse. Know you will sleep eventually.

Avoid exercise near bedtime. No exercise at least 3 hours before bed.

Avoid a heavy meal before bed.

Bedtime routines are helpful for good sleep. Keep routines on your normal schedule. A cup of herbal tea an hour before bed can begin a routine.

Avoid looking at the clock if you wake up in the middle of the night. It can cause anxiety. This is very difficult for most of us, so turn the clock away from your eyes so you would have to turn it to see the time. You may decide not to make the effort and go right back to sleep.

If you can't get to sleep for over 30 minutes, get out of bed and do something boring in dim light till you are sleepy.

Keep your bedroom at comfortable temperature. Not too warm and not too cold. Cooler is better than warmer.

If you have problems with noise in your environment you can use a white noise generator. A fan will work or you can buy noise machies from many sources.

Know that the "night cap" has a price. Alcohol may help you to get to sleep but it will cause you to wake up throughout the night. You may not notice it. (It is worse if you have sleep apnea because the alcohol makes the apnea worse.) Sometimes people snore only if they have had some alcohol or may snore worse if they already snore.)

If you have a sleeping partner, ask them if they notice any snoring, leg movements and/or pauses in breathing . Take this information and try the sleep test. You may have a sleep disorder or you may just need to increase your awareness about your own sleep need. If you have any concerns see your doctor.

End
Chamomile tea, lavender candles, a hot bath, dry brushing or a dry sauna before bed are also great tools. Start to dim the lights in the house and turn the TV / computer off at least an hour before bed. It's especially important when you are waking up at 4:50 for boot camp. Make sure your bedding is very comfortable and your room is cool - about 68 degrees. Trust me you'll not miss an hour of TV and you will love how you feel getting into bed sooner and sleeping through the night.

Kelli
http://www.kellicalabrese.com/
http://www.argylebootcamp.com/