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Women have a tendency to put everything first.  With all the responsibilities one of the first things we tend to put off is sleep.  We try to squeeze just one more thing in before we go to bed.  The problem is that we do not get enough sleep and then have troubles getting everything done the next day.  With a little planning and a few small changes in habits sleep can be back as a time to renew and refresh both body and mind.  These 12 small changes will help;

  • Get a little sunlight in the morning.  Your brain reacts to the sunlight and tells you it is time to be awake.  This helps to set your internal clock so it will be easier to get to sleep at night
  • Reduce your exposure to light at least 20 minutes before sleep.  Your brain needs the cue that says it is night time and time to go to sleep.
  • Avoid the use of electronics before bed.  They give off a lot more light than you realize and will stimulate your brain saying it is not dark out and not time to go to bed
  • If you do choose to nap in the afternoon make it short.  A nap for an adult should be no more than 20 minutes.  This allows your brain to reboot and for you to feel refreshed without keeping you awake at night.
  • Get some exercise during the day.  This will allow your body to expend energy that will allow you to sleep better at night
  • Listen to your body.  Everyone needs to get a certain amount of sleep most women it is 7-8 hours a night.  Listen to your body and then plan your bedtime to make sure you get that much sleep.
  • Change your pillows on a regular basis.  Many people do not think about changing their pillow but if you think about it they are used every night and eventually they will not support you the way they once did.  You should change them every 6 months to 1 year depending on the style.
  • If you have hot flashes try putting a cool damp washcloth on the back of your neck.  It will help to end the hot flash and allow you to go to sleep.
  • If you have leg cramps during the night especially if you are pregnant you might want to try compression stockings to help reduce the ache.  It appears that the pressure helps to reduce the signals the nerves give out helping to reduce the problem.
  • Talk to your doctor if you have sleep issues.  There are many health issues that can disrupt your sleep and are under diagnosed in women like acid reflux, incontinence, sleep apnea and teeth grinding.  These can be treated but only if you talk to your doctor about them.
Sleep is such an important part of your day and can improve your memory, health and well being.  Do not think that it is unproductive time but giving yourself what your body requires.

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Many people suffer from insomnia.  Whether it is a child or an adult, a stressful time or an ongoing problem, or you can’t fall asleep or stay asleep.  Insomnia affects everyone at some time or another.  The issue is that although there are medications that might help many people do not want to start with medication to solve this problem.  So what care some solutions to help?
  • Look at your sleep environment.  Clutter can creep up on you or your child and can cause you to feel uneasy.  Clean up the bedroom.  Make it a relaxing place.  If there is a work desk in there make sure it is cleared and should not remind you of work that needs to be done.  This is especially true of children during the school year.  Make sure the curtains block out light and reduce noise. You want a comfortable dark quiet environment.
  • Is your per sleeping with you?  Pets can be very disruptive during the night.  They may be loving and affectionate but this does not help you to sleep.  If you have a dog that is prone to dreaming and nightmares they can disturb your sleep as well. 
  • Add relaxation techniques to your bedtime routine.  There are many ways of adding relaxation techniques to your evening routine.  Progressive relaxation is one of the easiest to teach yourself of your child.  You basically go through your body one part at a time and systematically tighten and relax your muscles.  You can use a CD of guided imagery to help you to relax your mind.  You can even do a simple yoga routine to help stretch your body and center your mind.
  • If you have been in bed for 30 minutes and are wide awake get up.  Take time to do a quiet activity like reading.  Do not watch television or get on the computer as they will stimulate the region of your brain that tells you it is time to be awake. 
  • Get some exercise in the morning.  If you go out and take a walk in the morning it will not only stimulate your body to be awake but the light will stimulate your brain to be awake.  This will help you to be more awake and less fatigued during the day so you are able to sleep better at night.
  • Do not take a nap.  This does not apply to young children who need more sleep because they are growing and learning.  This applies to adults especially on the weekends.  Sleep during the day will decrease your drive to sleep during the night when you want to sleep. 
These are just some ideas on how to help improve your sleep and reduce your night time insomnia.  If you continue to have issues with insomnia then visit your doctor and discuss your symptoms with him.  Your insomnia may be caused from something that your doctor can help you with.  The most important part is to not allow yourself to be too tired during the day because that will cause other problems you do not want.

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Sleep may not seem productive because we believe we are not doing something we define as productive.  Unfortunately, this belief causes many people to put sleep at the bottom of their priority list.  Te long term effects of sleep deprivation will keep you from having a quality of life you have always wanted.  Sleep.  If you want to have energy and clear thought then you really need to consider your length and quality of sleep.

Sleeping is a personal need.  For most adults between 7 and 8 hours is the average amount needed.  This is an average and there are people who need a little more or a little less.  of course when we are children and even teenagers we need more sleep.  When we get older we may need less sleep, but contrary to popular opinion older people do need between 6 and 8 hours of sleep. 

Sleep time allows two important processes to happen.  It allows us to process our thoughts and move them from short term to long term memory, and it allows our body to heal itself.  These two processes are so important  especially as we grow older. 

How do we achieve a good night sleep.  You need to put it on your to do list.  If you make sleep a priority, set that absolute bedtime, make sure you are creating a routine to help, it will help to make life more energetic.  Creating the best sleep environment will help to get the most of this time of day. 

At the end of the day it is important for you to take advantage of this 7 hours a day of good healthy sleep to allow you to really enjoy the rest of the day.  Y   


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