Five ways to get a good night's sleep

Eisha Sarkar

Posted on Hello Wellness on August 23, 2010

Sleep has been one of the biggest casualties of our fast-paced lifestyles. Search the word 'insomnia' on Google, you will find over 98 million sites that tell you about the problem and how to deal with it. With an increasing number of people seeking bottled pills to sleep-inducing pillows, sleep has transformed from a state of rest to an industry in itself. But should sleep come with a price-tag attached?

Restless sleep

If you have difficulty sleeping, it is essential to determine the disease or condition causing the problem. Sometimes insomnia is caused by pain, digestive problems or a sleep disorder. It may also signal depression or anxiety. Medication for colds, allergies, birth control, thyroid disease, high blood pressure, asthma, heart disease and depression can also lead to insomnia. Symptoms for insomnia include:

·         difficulty falling asleep

·         waking up frequently during the night

·         difficulty returning to sleep

·         waking up too early in the morning

·         daytime sleepiness

·         difficulty concentrating

·         irritability 

Tips to help you sleep better

In his book Restful Sleep, physician Dr Deepak Chopra suggests, "If you really want to sleep, don't try to sleep." You should be able to sleep effortlessly and if you don't, alcohol or pills are not going to help you in the long run. Here are five steps to help you get a good night's sleep:

1.       Log off: Facebook may be more important to you than toothbrush, but it doesn't help if you go to bed thinking about the eye-catching status message you'll put up next. Besides, the unnecessary light exposure can mess with your melatonin (the hormone that regulates your sleep and waking cycles) levels. Set a fixed computer shutdown time, say 9.30 pm, a good hour before you hit the sack. Ditto for the television! TV is inherently exciting to the nervous system and stimulates sight, hearing and all mental function. Switch it off and indulge in some light reading instead.

2.       Avoid caffeine and alcohol: Too much caffeine late in the day can keep you up for hours. Have your last cup of coffee before noon and stick to herbal tea after that. Drinking alcohol too close to bedtime can interfere with sleep, so if you crave a glass of wine, have it with dinner.

3.       Don't lose your sleep over time: If you worry too much about falling asleep, most likely it's the worry that's keeping you awake. So if you think you are unable to sleep till 3 am every night, try keeping yourself awake till 3 am. Inevitably, you'll sleep earlier than that.

4.       Have a light, early dinner: A rich, hearty dinner, topped off with a big slice of chocolate cake may seem like the perfect way to end the day, but it’s wise to avoid eating a large meal within two hours of bed. Digestion involves increased metabolic activity, which works against settling down for sleep. Eat your dinner around 7 pm to allow for your stomach to settle before you go to bed.

5.       Exercise during the day: Besides its many other wonderful mental and physical health benefits, regular exercise can also make it easier to fall asleep. However, schedule your exercise in the morning or early afternoon. Exercising too late in the day actually stimulates the body, raising its temperature and may delay your sleep.

How much do you need to sleep?

The amount of sleep each person needs depends on many factors, including age. Infants generally require about 16 hours a day, while teenagers need about nine hours on average. For most adults, seven to eight hours a night appears to be the best amount of sleep, although some people may need as few as five hours or as many as 10 hours of sleep each day. Women in the first three months of pregnancy often need several more hours of sleep than usual. The amount of sleep a person needs also increases if he or she has been deprived of sleep in previous days.