The January poll seemed to be a pretty even split between sleep quality and weight loss as the areas people wanted to see the biggest improvements in. This is not surprising since each of these are multi-million dollar industries. Whether it is getting a few extra minutes of sleep or trimming the waistline, everyone is looking for something better.
Let's talk about sleep. There are a few things that you can do to improve your sleep. It's important to remember that there is a huge difference between duration of our rest and the quality of that rest. It is recommended to get about 7 hours of sleep a night. However, if you toss and turn, or wake up frequently, then a period of 7 hours is not enough. Often, people don't know that they wake up during the night before going back to sleep, but wake in the morning feeling unrested.
So what can we do? Sleeping pills will knock you out for up to 8 hours but this is not a long term solution plus is no guarantee that you will have restful sleep. So avoid the pills unless your doctor prescribed them to you for other health related issues. This goes for alcohol as well, passing out is not the same as falling asleep.
Poor sleep quality can lead to several possible health issues including weight gain. Serious sleep issues like sleep apnea for example can lead to brain damage and is the leading cause of injury/death resulting from falling asleep while driving. Sleep disorders need to be diagnosed and treated by your physician.
For the rest of us there are a few things that we can do at home to improve the sleep that we do get.
1. Sleep hygiene - this means having a set schedule to go to bed. This also means that when you go to bed don't lay around watching TV, you are there to sleep. Once on a set schedule your body will begin to expect to be sleeping at a certain time.
2. hit the showers - taking a hot shower before going to bed can help you relax and unwind helping you fall asleep easier.
3. don't try to hold it - it might sound a little silly, but go to the bathroom before getting into bed. No matter how comfortably you might be sleeping, getting up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom will reduce the quality of your rest.
4. make your sleep space comfortable - the color on your walls can influence your sense of comfort inside your bedroom. If you unable to get comfortable then you will have continued poor quality of sleep. this also included light and noise influences. Your room should be dark or at least dark enough so as not to interrupt your rest. The same for noise in your sleep space. Turn off the television. If environmental noise is normally present try ear plugs or even white noise generators.
5. check the sheets - an uncomfortable bed can cause you to toss and turn leading to interrupted sleep. If you have a standard bed spring type mattress, try to flip it over to reduce sagging. For water beds, consider a motionless style mattress or keep the mattress filled so it is firm. Consider upgrading your mattress to a Select Comfort Sleep Number Bed.
6. feel the burn - try to include regular exercise in your day. Whether this is hitting the gym each day or simply taking a walk after dinner, your body will be more receptive to a deeper sleep.
7. make time - give yourself enough time each night that will allow for 7-8 hours of sleep. This means not staying up all night until you crash from exhaustion. Determine the time that you need to get up in the morning and make sure that you set an alarm. Then count backwards 8 hours from that time and plan to be in bed 15 minutes before that to begin your relaxation in preparation for sleep.
These are just a few ideas that you can do by yourself at home for no cost. Other then buying s new mattress of course. There are sleep aids that you can buy like ultraviolet alarm clocks, white noise generators, and even melatonin.
13 years ago
