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The Pinecone
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May 2016 • 5 •
SLEEP
How To Get
Bet ter
Sleep tips: 7 steps to better sleep
Your mood tends to suffer when you don’t get enough shut-eye,
causing you to become disoriented on the job, fatigued behind
the wheel of a car, or irritated at home. But more importantly,
these mood swings can affect your relationships with others,
and even lead to depression.
But the good news is that, starting tonight, you can improve the
quality and quantity of your sleep. Here are 7 ways to get back
on track. You’ll be sleeping like a baby in no time!
1. Create the right environment.
Get your body and mind in the habit of using your bedroom for
sleeping. If you frequently sit in bed to pay your bills, do your
homework, watch television, eat, talk on the phone, etc., your
mind will expect that the bedroom is for daytime activities. In-
stead, create an environment that is suitable for sleeping. Equip
your room with soft lighting, comfortable bedding, and relax-
ing music. Other tricks include turning the temperature down
a few notches, and turning the clock away from your view. Re-
cent studies reveal that watching your sleep time vanish into the
morning hours only makes you more anxious and less able to
fall asleep.
2. Get yourself into a routine.
This is especially hard for people with wavering, active sched-
ules, like students and parents. On busy days, it is difficult but
crucial to be firm with a routine. If you normally don’t fall
asleep until the wee hours of the morning, or if you don’t have a
sleep schedule at all, try going to bed a half an hour earlier each
week, or set a time to get in bed and stick with it. Eventually
your body will get used to going to sleep at that time and it will
begin to come naturally.
3. Limit food and beverage intake before bed.
As you lie down to sleep, acids in the stomach level out, making
heartburn and indigestion more likely to occur. Also, your me-
tabolism increases slightly to digest food, which can also raise
your energy level. Stop eating at least three hours before your
scheduled bedtime. If you must snack on something, keep it
small, and avoid high-fat foods, which take longer to digest. In-
stead, have a granola bar, some toast, or a small bowl of cereal,
but keep your portion small. Say no to stimulants like caffeine
and nicotine, which can raise blood pressure and energy levels.
Alcohol may be a depressant, but after its sedative effects wear
off, your sleep patterns will suffer.
4. Consider a natural approach.
Certain herbal teas can help you relax and fall asleep. Chamo-
mile is a popular herb that slows the nervous system and pro-
motes relaxation, for example. As always, consult your health
care provider, use herbs and other supplements only as directed,
and make sure to read labels. Some herbs may react with cer-
tain types of medication or cause adverse effects in individuals
with liver disease, Parkinson’s disease, and pregnant or nursing
women. Other liquids, such as a small glass of warm milk, may
also help.
5. Know when and how to nap.
When energy levels drop around 3-5 p.m., most of us desire
a little shut-eye. Napping is okay, as long as you do it wisely.
Most sleep counselors recommend napping for no longer than
20 minutes. Exceeding 20 minutes could leave you feeling
groggier and make it harder for you to fall asleep at bedtime.
If you know you have to stay up late, or if you have an erratic
sleep schedule (especially new moms), take a nap during the
day. You’ll be more productive and in a better mood.
6. Take control of your worries.
Let’s face it most of us lead very stressful lives. Stress, surpris-
es, and changes can take a toll on your sleep habits. Schedule
some downtime each day for meditative activities like stretch-
ing or a hot bath. Try to decrease your brain activity before bed
by writing down your thoughts in a journal and closing the book
on the day. If thinking keeps you up at night, get out of bed and
try to be productive. Deal with those thoughts (pay the bill that
you are worried about forgetting, make a to-do list, etc.) in a
positive way, and come back to bed when you’re ready to sleep.
7. Get a check-up.
If you toss and turn most nights, it may be time to see a physi-
cian. You could be suffering from one or more sleep disorders,
including insomnia and sleep apnea. The sooner you find out
what’s wrong, the sooner you can fix it. Sleep disorders are dan-
gerous to your health, so if you suspect something is wrong,
tend to it immediately.