Fall Asleep Faster, Stay Asleep Longer

Over 60 million Americans couldn’t sleep in 2007, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It’s more likely to occur in women than men and can occur for a number of reasons. Stress, anxiety, sleep disorders, biological issues, even jet-lag can cause insomnia. Insomnia is not defined by how little you sleep but by the quality of the sleep and how you feel after waking up in the morning. Here are 10 tips to get a better night’s sleep.

1. The most common suggestion to help people with chronic insomnia is medicine. But consumers need to be careful. There are three different classes of sleep medicines that you can get: sedatives, benzodiazepines and over-the-counter. Sedative drugs (Ambien, Lunesta) and benzodiazepines (Xanax, Valium) must be prescribed. Both kinds of drugs are highly addictive, cause tolerance (needing a higher and higher dose as time goes on) and puts a person to sleep in a way similar anesthesia. With these drugs you will be put in the light sleep stage rather than restorative. Some over-the-counter drugs including Advil PM, can cause organ damage after a long period of time.
2. Herbal remedies are the next most often suggested and include kava, passion flower and melatonin. There is plenty of anecdotal evidence that these work but nothing scientific. Even though these remedies are natural, it would still be a good idea to run your plans by your doctor. Certain herbs can react with other medications and can even be lethal at high doses.
3. Work out about 4 hours before bed. The exact time will be different for everyone, but 4 is a good starting point. Exercise raises stress hormones initially, but they eventually fall to a lower than original level. It also will help relieve physical tension that may keep you up at night.
4. This one is easy to say but hard to do-cut out all caffeine and nicotine. They are stimuli that keep your brain working overtime.
5. Along those lines, it is a good rule to NEVER use alcohol to fall asleep. Again, alcohol creates tolerance and causes bizarre dreams, inhibits deep sleep and causes most people who use it to wake often during the night.
6. That remedy your grandma told you really does work. Have a glass of warm milk before bed. It may work because it releases tryptophan, a chemical that eventually turns to serotonin, which promotes sleepiness and relaxation; or it may work because you were told it works. Either way, does it really matter?
7. Change might be good. Double check how comfortable your sleeping environment is. Make sure the noise-level, light, temperature and comfort of bed in the room is all to your liking. Change what you can, improvise with what you can’t. And unplug as many electronics as possible. Even if they are turned off they can still emit high pitched sound waves, and many have little lights that stay on that can interfere with you sleep.
8. A key to falling asleep is relation. Progressive muscle relaxation can help with that. All you have to do is squeeze tightly and release each individual muscle group in your body, starting with your toes and working your way up to your head. Repeat until your body has unwound.
9. Another way to relax is with visual imagery. Close your eyes and picture your favorite place in the world. As you picture it breathe in, counting to five; hold for 2; and breathe out for 5. Count to 5 slower and slower until you feel you can sleep.
10. If all else fails you can go back the old stand-by of counting. But instead of counting up, try counting down from a large number, such as 5,000. It causes the brain to think more, and it goes slower than counting up so your mind doesn’t race.

by Cassandra Senior

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