Sleep Like a Baby

Easier said than done for some folks.  I'm an occasional insomniac and I find it quite stressful when for no explainable reason I'm lying awake when I should be sleeping.  I know that sleep is as important to health as a healthy diet or regular exercise so I decided to revisit this topic and try and understand how I can identify some simple lifestyle habits that I can change.  But first let's look at what we're missing out on by not getting the recommended 8 hours of sleep.

1. Attentiveness. It's a fact that coherent thought is impossible after three days of sleeplessness.  While missing out on a night's sleep gives off a lesser version of this, the body will become sluggish and easily tired during the day.
2. Lessened ability for learning and memory. While we sleep the brain undergoes a process called "memory consolidation." This is when the brain commits new information to memory, this is pretty important!
3. Proper metabolism. Sleep deprivation may affect how the body processes and stores carbohydrates, and messes up hormones that affect our appetite.
4. Repair work. The body repairs itself during sleep. The immune system releases some antibodies only during sleep, so keeping up with sleep helps the immune system work a lot more efficient.
5. Dreams! I love dreams! Dreams allow you to be anyone or anything and I strongly believe they guide us to what is happening in our lives and throw up significant flags about how to prepare yourself or how to handle a situation.

Ok, all good points to make us want to get our 8 hours (not to mention the sheer frustration at lying awake at night!) There are a few definitions of insomnia, including trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking up feeling groggy. Insomnia is very prevalent in our society and there are many misconceptions about it.  The biggest probably is that people don't realize it's a medical problem, and they don't seek help.  Number one on the "do" list below is, you guessed it - get evaluated:

Do:

Get evaluated. Insomnia may result from conditions such as hyperthyroidism, heart rhythm disturbances, indigestion, etc. Seeing a health care professional can identify and treat these underlying conditions.  Before allowing him to write you a prescription for sleep however ask him for recommendations on someone that specializes in behavioral techniques such as relaxation therapy, restricted sleep (sounds weird I know but a means to an end) and reconditioning technique.  Here's a link that goes into more detail about the three "R's"

Follow a schedule. Think about how you would sleep train a toddler. Establish and adhere to consistenties for waking up, eating, exercising, winding down, and sleeping.

Maintain bedroom rules: Reserve your bedroom for sleep and sex.

Create your own cave: Your sleep can suffer if the room is too warm or noise and light surround you. Create a cave-like room that's cool, dark, and quiet. A fan or a white-noise machine can neutralize ambient sounds.

Work out. Exercise regularly, but no later than three to five hours before bedtime. A nighttime workout can leave you too wired to fall asleep easily. A work-out is just that, a "work-out." In other words you should feel like you have challenged yourself and "worked" hard.

Relax.  Wind down with relaxation methods such as yoga, meditation, a warm bath, or calming music.

Don't:


Keep a television in the bedroom: The bright glow of a television doesn't help create a dark, quiet place to lay your head.

Use alcohol as a sleeping aid: Alcohol makes you more likely to fall asleep, but less likely to stay asleep.

Underestimate your caffeine intake. Some people are more sensitive to caffeine than others. If  you're enjoying caffeine products after 11am think about the possibility that you may be more sensitive than someone who can enjoy caffeine after dinner and still sleep like a baby.

Eat a large meal right before bed. While you don't want to load up on heavy foods around bedtime a light protein-rich snack such as a slice of turkey or cereal and milk may help because they contain tryptophan, an amino acid that promotes sleep. Think Thanksgiving dinner.

Stay in bed if you can't fall asleep.  Get up and read or pursue another relaxing activity until you feel sleepy again, then return to bed.

This is a good list to keep handy so that on the nights you can't sleep you can check these do's and don'ts  to see if there was anything you did or didn't do that inhibits a good night's sleep.