16 Tips For Getting Good Sleep

Sixteen tips for getting good sleep.

There's a lot of advice out there about getting good sleep -- it's VERY important. We quickly adjust to being sleep-deprived, and don't notice that we aren't functioning at a normal level, but lack of sleep really affects us. If you're feeling blue or listless, try going to sleep thirty minutes earlier for a week. It can really help.

Here are tips that have helped me get good sleep:

Good habits for good sleep:

1. Exercise most days, even if it's just to take a walk.

2. No caffeine after 7:00 p.m.

3. An hour before bedtime, avoid doing any kind of work that takes alert thinking. Addressing envelopes--okay. Analyzing an article--nope.

4. Adjust your bedroom temperature to be slightly chilly.

5. Keep your bedroom dark. Studies show that even the tiny light from a digital alarm clock can disrupt a sleep cycle. We have about six devices in our room that glow bright green; it's like sleeping in a mad scientist's lab. The Big Man has a new pet, a Roomba (yes, he loves his robot vacuum) that gives out so much light that I have to cover it with a pillow before bed.

6. Keep the bedroom as tidy as possible. It's not restful to fight through chaos into bed.

If sleep won't come:

7. Breathe deeply and slowly until you can't stand it anymore.

8. If your mind is racing (you're planning a trip, a move; you're worried about a medical diagnosis), write down what's on your mind. This technique really works for me.

9. Slather yourself with body lotion. This feels good and also, if you're having trouble sleeping because you're hot, it cools you down.

10. If your feet are cold, put on socks.

11. Stretch your whole body.

12. Have a warm drink. Supposedly warm milk contains melatonin and trytophan and so helps induce sleep, but in fact, a glass of milk doesn't contain enough to have any effect. But it's still a soothing drink. My nighttime favorite: 1/3 mug of milk, add boiling water, one packet of Equal, and a dash of vanilla. A real nursery treat.

13. Yawn.

14. Stretch your toes up and down several times.

15. Tell yourself, "I have to get up now." Imagine that you just hit the snooze alarm and in a minute, you're going to be marching through the morning routine. Often this is an exhausting enough prospect to make me fall asleep.

16. If you still can't sleep, re-frame: re-frame your sleeplessness as a welcome opportunity to snatch some extra time out of your day. I get up and tackle mundane chores, like paying bills, organizing books, or tidying up. Then I start the day with a wonderful feeling of having accomplished something even before 6:45 am.

What am I missing? Are there some more great sleep-inducing strategies out there?

If you'd like to read more about happiness, check out Gretchen's daily blog, The Happiness Project.

Comments

[czarlos]

One good tip is to try a heating pad.

Since I sometimes have lower back pain, I use a heating pad as I'm in bed reading and it really helps me relax and to start to get drowsy. Just remember you have to TURN IT OFF before you actually sleep, as it could be a fire hazard.

[CitizenMother]

Try ear plugs.

I live on a street where trucks sometimes rumble below my window--or the occasional car alarm goes off--ear plugs have changed my life. Get a box of them and keep them near your bed. Carry them when you travel, too--they muffle the sounds of whirring fans, heating and cooling systems turning off and on all night long, subways rumbling below buildings in Manhattan, and, most importantly, street traffic near bedroom windows.

Orgasms + ear plugs = good night's sleep . . .

[fortyniner]

Previous hints I've read about:

1- Starting with your toes, going upward, send relaxing messages to body parts.
2.- Eat crackers and a dab of peanut butter, with milk
3- Potassium is recommended. A good source is a banana.

I have my own method. I choose a relaxing or boring topic. I use A-Z. I name them starting with A. There are innumeral subjects to try out. Here's some I've used:
small town cities I'd visit if it was possible.
cities around the world I'd love to visit.
names in the Old Testament.
black and white movies
sports names

It works for me. I'm usually asleep before I can complete the list.
.

[lthuedk 1]

How to get a better nights' sleep: Lose the dictatorship.

[boyd]

Thank you!
Good NIGHT!

[dawlishgal]

I have to sleep with a nighlight because if I don't, I might get up and trip over something and rebreak a little toe that I have repeatedly clobbered over 35 years of clumsiness.

So a dark room is out of the question for me.

Anyhow, I read about the health problems caused by sleeping in lighted rooms, and decided a couple of weeks ago to buy a BIG (but lightweight) black SILK sleepmask.

I found one on ebay for less than 10 bucks , and it is a miracle. It slips off easily if I have to get up, and its silky softness feels good on my face. VERY calming..

The best thing is that putting the mask on comes to trigger a conditioned sleepiness response. It took less than a week for that to happen, I LOVE it.

My husband, who is an insomniac who considers almost everything a gimmick, tried it and asked me to order one for him. He woke up this morning saying that for the first time in years he had slept through the night.

Don't get the tiny ones in travel kits or distributed on overnight flights....those are too stiff , too tight, AND way too small. and the synthetic fabrics are hot and uncomfortable ....THINK "silk" and "blindfold" (only not as tight...it has loose elastic on the back and once it is on, there is no sensation of something heavy over the eyes).

[longnow]

take a hot &cold shower before bed. sounds counterintuitive but when you
wake up you feel like you're floating and refreshed.

[MissAngela]

Have sex...or just get off in general. Releases tension...makes you sleepy. How could you forget that one?

[PatA]

*****5. Keep your bedroom dark. Studies show that even the tiny light from a digital alarm clock can disrupt a sleep cycle. We have about six devices in our room that glow bright green; it's like sleeping in a mad scientist's lab. The Big Man has a new pet, a Roomba (yes, he loves his robot vacuum) that gives out so much light that I have to cover it with a pillow before bed.*****
The guilt that I would feel about leaving six devices plugged in, pulling electric power and increasing your carbon footprint, would affect my sleep......
Your other hints are fine.

[THINKB4USPEAK]

Maybe i'm old school, but a twelve pack of Heineken always works for me.

[dawlishgal]

LOL..I'll bet you don't even remember the 8 times you had to get up during the night.

[sisterdebmac]

A nice relaxing cocktail of Excedrin PM, Melatonin, beer & weed usually does the trick for me. Wouldn't recommend it for everyone though. LOL!

[MajorKong]

I fly freight at night. I don't get much sleep. Such is the life of a "freight dog" as we're called in the airline business.

[dawlishgal]

If you have trouble sleeping during the day, try the black silk mask I described above.

[BatedBreath]

The best trick for getting to sleep is to relax your tongue. Seriously...try it the next time you cant get to sleep.

[marymansour]

Get your doc to prescribe Ambien. It works every time.

[derik]

In general, I go to bed when I get sleepy and wake up when I have had enough of sleep. So, basically my 9-11pm window to go to bed and my 4-6am window to wake up works fine. Usually, doing stuff (and finishing it) early morning does make me feel good and rested. I guess my biological sleep patterns give me the rest I need. I believe when I try to control my biological clock I usually do not feel rested.

[wm1066]

What works for me is to fantasize myself into a dream. I do a non sexual fantasy. My dad used to remember his paper route, trying to remember each house. I used to fantasize about ancient greece.
It put me to sleep pretty quick. And may I say yawning really helps.