About 1 in 3 people in America has a sleeping problem. This in turn causes numerous sick days and a general feeling of fatigue and depression. Sleeping is one of our bodies way to re-energize and heal itself. It also connects us with our subconscious mind and provides us with insight not normally available during our conscious hours. The amount of sleep people require varies by age and health but most people need between 6 and 9 hours of sleep per 24 hour period.
The following tips are fairly specific, but proper sleep comes when the entire body and soul are in balance.
Go to bed only when sleepy. If you can't sleep, or if you wake up in the middle of the night, then get up for a half hour and write about whatever is keeping you up. You can throw away what is written later if you like but get it on paper. Often we don't even know what is bugging us until it blurts out on the page. It's easier to solve problems that become visible to our eyes, and get out of our sometimes muddled minds.
Use the bed for sleeping only. Don't watch TV or worry in bed because you need to learn to associate the bed with sleeping.
Set a regular time for waking. This helps sets the biological clock for the onset of getting sleepy. Avoid naps or keep them under 30 minutes. Sleep as much as needed to feel healthy but avoid excessively long periods in bed which usually means light, fragmented sleep.
Running a fan or air cleaner can mask noises that would normally awaken light sleepers.
Hunger, hot or cold temperatures, nicotine, coffee, and alcohol, all make sleeping more difficult. Regular exercise will deepen sleep, occasional exercise will not. Sleeping pills may help on occasion but regular use may intensify sleeping problems
Empty your bladder before going to bed so you don't have to get up to use the restroom in the middle of the night.
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