Insomnia, Sleep Disorder? – Sleep Aids & Tips How to Sleep Better

By Sean Harbison

You toss, you turn, but you just can’t get to sleep. Below are several sleep aids and tips to reduce insomnia and help you sleep better. Try to get in touch with your biorhythms by resetting your internal alarms. Get up at the same time in the morning by setting the alarm clock (and don’t hit the snooze button!), and go to bed at night at the same time. Your body clock will adjust itself to the new schedule after a while, which should alleviate the insomnia.

One great insomnia tip is to make your bedroom a quiet sanctuary that creates a tranquil atmosphere. How can you expect to sleep if you have loud music blaring, overhead lights glaring or family members wandering in staring and asking questions? Use your bedroom only for sleeping purposes and soon your mind will begin to understand the relation between bed and sleep. Don’t make it a practice to watch T.V. or read in bed. Also, try installing dark shades in the room. There are many window covering treatments that will help you darken the room so that light is not an issue when you want to sleep. The bedroom should be a place of peaceful solitude, not an entertainment center.

Rub your neck and shoulders with scented essential oils such as jasmine, patchouli or sandalwood. Just a little will do the job and the fragrant oil is a top sleeping aid as it lulls your mind into a blissful, relaxed state.

Keep active during the day and don’t take those “cat naps” in between work hours. Periodic, intermittent naps are not that restful and they are a top cause of sleeping problems. Many parents encourage their tots to play hard during the day, if they want them to sleep good that night. The same works for adults, too. The busier and more active you are during the day, the more tired you will be at night, increasing your chances of a good night’s sleep without any additional sleeping aid being needed.

Eliminate cigarettes, alcohol, caffeine, sodas and other stimulants if insomnia is a worry. You should avoid these products all during the day, but many people with sleeping problems find that they no longer need any extra assistance once they break the caffeine and stimulant habit.

For insomnia concerns a warm, non-caffeinated drink about 30-60 minutes before bedtime will be a wonderful and effective sleeping aid. You can try milk, green tea or another herbal beverage of your choice to cure your insomnia. The warmth of the beverage is a key factor and you need to drink it slowly to maximize the calming effect.

Many people like to try meditating just before bedtime to help them fall asleep This is another safe, effective and very natural sleep inducing technique that can be used as often as needed.

A gentle noise in the background can be just the soothing help that you need. You can find many electronic devices that provide sounds that are known as “white noise” which are powerful enough to distract your mind and let you beat your insomnia problem. The sounds could be those of the ocean, the rainforest or just the soothing sounds of an outdoor rain shower.

Bathing in comfortably warm, not hot, water can also be helpful in getting your mind and body ready for sleep. The warm water will relax your body and lull your mind into a tranquil state. Keep your bedroom cool and comfortable so that warm temperatures are not responsible for making you unable to get to sleep. Some people find that a fan or an open window is just the key step they need to battle insomnia.

Reading for about 30-45 minutes just before bedtime can be a great way to beat insomnia issues. When you are reading make sure that you are in a room other than your bedroom though, or you will just be defeating the relaxing purpose of this activity.

About the Author: Information provided by http://rockinhammocks.com. To learn more about hammocks and how they can help you relax or to order your Rope Hammock or Quilted Hammock visit our site http://rockinhammocks.com or call 1-800-652-4098.

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Sleep: 10 Ways to Get a Good Night's Sleep

Sleep – are you getting enough? For some people, enough is four to six hours. Other people just don’t feel right with less than eight hours. People need more or less sleep at different phases in their life. Women may need more or less sleep at different phases of the month.

The simplest way to tell if you’re getting enough is by noticing every morning – do you feel rested? Do you wake up without an alarm clock and feel ready to get right out of bed and start your day?

Not getting enough sleep is one of the most direct ways that we self-sabotage our success and well-being. When we are better rested we not only feel better, but are calmer, smarter, more rational, nicer to be around and we look better. Why wouldn’t we choose to have that every day??

1. Set the Stage – turn off the computer and television at least one hour before you’d like to fall asleep, and turn on some music that you find relaxing. Test what your stereo system will do when the recording is finished – does it SNAP! or does it “wrrrr” – this will make a difference as you’re drifting off. My CD player makes a very soft “wrrrr” noise (though I honestly can’t remember the last time I was still awake when the CD was over).

2. Music without words – words can provoke and direct your thoughts more than instrumental music or pure vocal sounds.

3. Music with natural “breaths” – music where the soloist takes natural pauses to breathe can help you to slow down your own breath – try flute, other wind instruments or voice (either with no words or words in a language you don’t understand).

4. A good book – For bedtime reading, try to stay away from material that gets you thinking about things you deal with during the day. Magazines or stories that distract you from your own life may help you to drift into sleep.

5. Imagery – If you find that your mind is racing when you are trying to sleep, picture a viewpoint where you’re traveling down a road. See your thoughts as signposts that you’re passing. Concentrate on letting them pass right by.

6. Progressive muscle relxation – Imagine that a ball of light is traveling along your body, beginning at the top of your head, going down to the tips of your toes, and then coming up again. As it passes your muscles, they fill with light and relax.

7. Take a nap – If your sleep has been interrupted or there’ve been unavoidable late nights, an afternoon nap can help you catch up. Experts advise that naps should be taken earlier in the afternoon, rather than later, and that we should keep them to 30 minutes or less. This will avoid disrupting your sleep at night.

8. Lavender Bath – Take a hot bath and add a couple of drops of lavender oil. Lavender has naturally occurring relaxing properties.

9. Chamomile Tea – Calms the nervous system and helps to promote restful sleep.

10. Take 500 mg Calcium with 250 mg Magnesium at bedtime – The calcium has a calming effect, and the magnesium works along with it.

The advice and information in this article is not meant to replace medical advice. If you suspect you have a serious sleeping problem such as sleep apnea, or if you experience insomnia or extreme fatigue, please consult a healthcare professional.

(c) Copyright 2005, Genuine Coaching Services.

Linda Dessau, the Self-Care Coach, is the author of “The Everyday Self-Care Workbook”. To receive one of her free monthly newsletters, subscribe at http://www.genuinecoaching.com/newsletter.html

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Let’s Talk About Sleep – with Dr. James O’Brien M.D.

Title: Let’s Talk About Sleep – with Dr. James O’Brien M.D.
Location: Whole Person Health – 294 Pleasant Street Suite 201 Stoughton
Description: Dr. O’Brien is a medical physician who has been in private practice 27 years and first became involved in sleep medicine over 20 years ago when he began to notice that many of his patients, who were not responding to standard medical treatments, actually harbored an undiagnosed sleep disorder. Not surprisingly, many of these patients, when tested and treated for their sleep disorder, improved dramatically and experienced a greater than anticipated clinical result. These early and dramatic patient experiences shifted his medical focus towards sleep disorders and achieving healthy sleep.

Now he joins us to share his knowledge of sleep, its importance in health and disease prevention, and how to improve your sleep patterns.

Dr. O’Brien received his medical degree from New York Medical College , in New York City in 1975 and completed both his internal medicine, pulmonary and sleep medicine training in the Boston area. He is currently board certified in Internal Medicine, Pulmonary Medicine and Sleep Medicine.
Start Time: 7:00 pm
Date: 2011-05-13
End Time: 8:00 pm

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Our Spirits and Good Health with Terry Porter

Title: Our Spirits and Good Health with Terry Porter
Location: Whole Person Health – 294 Pleasant Street Suite 201 Stoughton
Description: How do they connect?
How can we do more for ourselves?
Where do I start?
How does it all help us?
Let’s answer these questions and more……
Start Time: 6:00 pm
Date: 2011-05-20
End Time: 8:00 pm

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Self Care Workshop with Patrick Dumont

Title: Self Care Workshop with Patrick Dumont
Location: Whole Person Health – 294 Pleasant Street Suite 201 Stoughton
Description: WHAT YOU’LL LEARN:
ABC’s of Acupuncture
— How does acupuncture work?
— What’s Qi? Yin? Yang?
— Why do you look at my tongue? Take my pulse? Palpate my abdomen?
— What do you mean I’m out of balance?

Self-treatment with trigger-point massage
— Bring a friend or family member & we’ll teach them to treat you!!!

Register in advance at the office or by calling 781-344-0270. Space is limited.
Start Time: 07:00 pm
Date: 2011-05-24
End Time: 08:00 pm

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