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Blessed sleep -- the holy grail of health. Lack of sleep can send your blood sugar levels skyrocketing, contribute to weight gain, lead to depression, put you at risk for diabetes, and cause brain damage.
Most adults need 8 hours of sleep a night, teens need more. Make sure they use their computers in a common room, otherwise they will be up chatting on MySpace until midnight and then refuse to get out of bed in the morning. Sony makes a nice little alarm clock/docking station for their Ipod...that is my alternative to shouting over the bedside in the morning in 2008.
Since we're all in agreement that a good night's sleep is one of the best things you can do for your health and mood, pick three of these tips to follow each night until you get the night's sleep you so desperately crave.
1. Create a transition routine. This is something you do every night before bed. It could be as simple as letting the cat out, turning out the lights, turning down the heat, washing your face, and brushing your teeth. Or it could be a series of yoga or meditation exercises. Regardless, it should be consistent to the point that you do it without even thinking about it. As you begin to move into your "nightly routine," your mind will get the signal that it's time to chill out and tune down, dialing down stress hormones and physiologically preparing you for sleep.
2. Figure out your body cycle. Ever find that you get really sleepy at 10 p.m., that the sleepiness passes, and that by the time the late news comes on, you're wide-awake? Some experts believe sleepiness comes in cycles. Push past a period of sleepiness and you likely won't be able to fall asleep very easily for a while. If you've noticed these kinds of rhythms in your own body clock, use them to your advantage. When sleepiness comes, get to bed. Otherwise, it might be a long time until you are ready to fall asleep again.
3. Sprinkle just-washed sheets and pillowcases with lavender water and iron them before making up your bed. The scent is scientifically proven to promote relaxation, and the repetition and mindlessness of ironing will soothe you. Or, instead of ironing your sheets, do the next best thing: Put lavender water in a perfume atomizer and spray above your bed just before climbing in.
4. Hide your clock under your bed or on the bottom shelf of your night stand, where its glow won't disturb you. That way, if you do wake in the middle of the night or have problems sleeping, you won't fret over how late it is and how much sleep you're missing.
5. Switch your pillow. If you're constantly pounding it, turning it over and upside down, the poor pillow deserves a break. Find a fresh new pillow from the linen closet, put a sweet-smelling case on it, and try again.
Since we're all in agreement that a good night's sleep is one of the best things you can do for your health and mood, pick three of these tips to follow each night until you get the night's sleep you so desperately crave.
1. Create a transition routine. This is something you do every night before bed. It could be as simple as letting the cat out, turning out the lights, turning down the heat, washing your face, and brushing your teeth. Or it could be a series of yoga or meditation exercises. Regardless, it should be consistent to the point that you do it without even thinking about it. As you begin to move into your "nightly routine," your mind will get the signal that it's time to chill out and tune down, dialing down stress hormones and physiologically preparing you for sleep.
2. Figure out your body cycle. Ever find that you get really sleepy at 10 p.m., that the sleepiness passes, and that by the time the late news comes on, you're wide-awake? Some experts believe sleepiness comes in cycles. Push past a period of sleepiness and you likely won't be able to fall asleep very easily for a while. If you've noticed these kinds of rhythms in your own body clock, use them to your advantage. When sleepiness comes, get to bed. Otherwise, it might be a long time until you are ready to fall asleep again.
3. Sprinkle just-washed sheets and pillowcases with lavender water and iron them before making up your bed. The scent is scientifically proven to promote relaxation, and the repetition and mindlessness of ironing will soothe you. Or, instead of ironing your sheets, do the next best thing: Put lavender water in a perfume atomizer and spray above your bed just before climbing in.
4. Hide your clock under your bed or on the bottom shelf of your night stand, where its glow won't disturb you. That way, if you do wake in the middle of the night or have problems sleeping, you won't fret over how late it is and how much sleep you're missing.
5. Switch your pillow. If you're constantly pounding it, turning it over and upside down, the poor pillow deserves a break. Find a fresh new pillow from the linen closet, put a sweet-smelling case on it, and try again.
6. Choose the right pillow. One Swedish study found that neck pillows, which resemble a rectangle with a depression in the middle, can actually enhance the quality of your sleep as well as reduce neck pain. The ideal neck pillow should be soft and not too high, should provide neck support, and should be allergy tested and washable, researchers found. A pillow with two supporting cores received the best rating from the 55 people who participated in the study. Another study found that water-filled pillows provided the best night's sleep when compared to participants' usual pillows or a roll pillow. Yet another study found that a pillow filled with a special "cool" material composed of sodium sulfate and ceramic fiber provided a much better night's sleep than one filled with polyester. The reason, the researchers suggest, is that the cooler pillow kept the subjects' head cooler during the night, improving their sleep. While you may not be able to find a sodium sulfate-filled pillow, you can buy a pillow made of natural fibers, which are better at releasing heat than polyester.
Other pillow tips: if you're subject to allergies or find you're often stuffed up when you awake in the morning, try a hypoallergenic pillow. And experiment with the pillow's thickness. While a thick, fluffy pillow might sound appealing, it might be too thick for you, leading to neck strain. Try a thin pillow.
7. Switch to heavier curtains over the windows, and use them. Even the barely noticeable ambient light from streetlights, a full moon, or your neighbor's house can interfere with the circadian rhythm changes you need to fall asleep.
8. Clean your bedroom and paint it a soothing sage green. Or some other soothing color. First, the more clutter in your bedroom, the more distractions in the way of a good night's sleep. The smooth, clean surfaces act as a balm to your brain, helping to smooth out your own worries and mental to-do lists. The soothing color provides a visual reminder of sleep, relaxing you as you lie in bed reading or preparing for sleep.
9. Move your bed away from any outside walls. This will help cut down on noise, which a Spanish study found could be a significant factor in insomnia. If the noise is still bothering you, try a white noise machine, or just turn on a floor fan.
10. Tuck a hot-water bottle between your feet or wear a pair of ski socks to bed. The science is a little complicated, but warm feet help your body's internal temperature get to the optimal level for sleep. Essentially, you sleep best when your core temperature drops. By warming your feet, you make sure blood flows well through your legs, allowing your trunk to cool.
Other pillow tips: if you're subject to allergies or find you're often stuffed up when you awake in the morning, try a hypoallergenic pillow. And experiment with the pillow's thickness. While a thick, fluffy pillow might sound appealing, it might be too thick for you, leading to neck strain. Try a thin pillow.
7. Switch to heavier curtains over the windows, and use them. Even the barely noticeable ambient light from streetlights, a full moon, or your neighbor's house can interfere with the circadian rhythm changes you need to fall asleep.
8. Clean your bedroom and paint it a soothing sage green. Or some other soothing color. First, the more clutter in your bedroom, the more distractions in the way of a good night's sleep. The smooth, clean surfaces act as a balm to your brain, helping to smooth out your own worries and mental to-do lists. The soothing color provides a visual reminder of sleep, relaxing you as you lie in bed reading or preparing for sleep.
9. Move your bed away from any outside walls. This will help cut down on noise, which a Spanish study found could be a significant factor in insomnia. If the noise is still bothering you, try a white noise machine, or just turn on a floor fan.
10. Tuck a hot-water bottle between your feet or wear a pair of ski socks to bed. The science is a little complicated, but warm feet help your body's internal temperature get to the optimal level for sleep. Essentially, you sleep best when your core temperature drops. By warming your feet, you make sure blood flows well through your legs, allowing your trunk to cool.
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Comments
is that you in foetal position? is it dav? come on you can tell us!
Hmmm… I remember reading some book about why we miss sleep.. or some seminar.. or something.
Oh that’s right… I remember! Oh wait I forget :)
Aaah…Sleep… Where would we be with out you?
Can never get enough of it
today, my eyelids did not want to stay open. it pissed me off.
Hee, somone is curious about sleep?
Oh god I need more sleep. I’m getting about 15 hours total Monday-Friday. And Saturday and Sunday I get about 12 together. So not good but ugh, I love sleep!
ahh so beautiful so amazing in a sea of pillows blankets and your dog at your feet. It can lead to the most amazing dreams
Oh yes, the simple things in life. I envy people who can just sleep where they fall, bastards!!:-)
My bed is just the only place for me.
why can’t I remember my dreams!? I’m getting to much R.E.M. sleep.
yeah i only get about 6 or 7 hours of sleep a night. it sucks waking up at 430 AM everyday. i need like 10 to 12 hours of sleep.
especially next to someone you love o_O
i can sleep 4 24 hours its wierd wen u go to sleep on the 1st of a month and wake up on the 3rd
MMMM Sleep
sleep good
mmm…sleep
i culd sleep 4 48 hrs if i wanted to
i could make u sleep 4eva!!
I haven`t had sound sleep for at last 4 days !! And I really heat these days when I spent almost a whole day before the PC! All I want now,actually,is a good sleep!
A word of advice: If you love sleep, do NOT have kids. My wife and I had a baby seven months ago, and I haven’t had an uninterrupted night of sleep since!
sleep is awesome…no sleep..no life…yer man!
mmmm~ sleep… xD
Waking up earlier than you are supposed to and then falling back in to sleep is sweeter than the sweetest secks.
oh yeah you can comment my ‘best thing’ that i made.
http://www.thebeststuffintheworld.com/stuff/waking-up-knowing-you-have-a-few-more-hours-of-sleep-left
sleep.. yes. the best. but with my wife…
But thats not really sleeping now is it? :D
yes, we can buy it.
ever heard of benadryl?
who is that guy with a red a hair he looks familiar..
And here I thought it was a chick.
He’s Daisuke Andou from Dir en grey ^^
ah sleep…i need you..hahah
you know how “they” (textbooks, popular myths, etc) tell us that 8 hours of sleep per night is normal? well they’re wrong. they are lying. 8 hours is an average. biologically what we really need is 9 hours, maybe 10. i’m gonna go to bed now…
9? 10? jeez…i’m fucked up… i sleep 5, 6 hours! :s
i love sleep but i never seem to get enough, life is just 2 busy these days!
Personally, I think it’s 3 busy.
ahahhaaahahha… i don’t get it??
that’s quite all right. it was bad, anyway.
Ooooooh, i just got… wait… yup just got it. pure genius!
Amazing.
Apparantely 4-7 hours is the optimum amount of sleep. People who get more die younger. Hmmm.
I dispute that it’s optimum – what’s the point in living longer if you just feel crappy every day?
Frankly I could sleep at least half my life away!
i totally agree
Who comes up with these figures? They seem completely arbitrary to me. Only I can decide how much sleep I need.
Damn.
Straight.
sleep to dream, sleep to forget pain….....sleep i cant get enough…...
It makes you perfectly fit!
Damn right i’m good in bed…I can sleep for days! :)
foetal position is when you roll up into a bal isn’t it??
Indeed it is. Bringing your knees up to your chest, back curved, head bowed. It’s instinctual in humans for safety, as it protects the brain and vital organs as much as possible, and saves body heat.
Comfy too.
I should be doing it right now!! Good Night!
How I wish I can do this whenever I want.