Nighttime Relief

Preventing another sleepless night means adjusting what you do in the morning, afternoon and evening. That way, you’ll help ensure sleeplessness won’t prevent you from having the energy, positive attitude and mental focus to do what you want:

• Wake up and go to sleep at the same time every day — even on the weekends. That’s the start of developing good habits that aid sleep.
• Declare your bedroom a sleep-only zone — That helps tell your body that bed equals sleep.
• Practice stress management — Regular deep-breathing exercises and meditation will help relieve the stress you may not even realize is keeping you up at night.
• Exercise regularly — Get active with stretching, strength and cardiovascular exercise to help keep your body strong and healthy. Just make sure you don’t exercise too close to bedtime as it may keep you up at night.
• Avoid naps — especially in the evening.
• Do a bedroom check — Make sure your bedroom is primed for sleep. Black-out shades or curtains will help keep light and noise at a minimum. Also ensure your bedroom is kept at the right temperature — cool or warm, but comfortable.
• Avoid eating large meals before bedtime — Digesting a large meal while in bed could keep you up.
• Avoid caffeine — It’s wise to not have any caffeine (caffeinated tea or coffee, energy drinks, chocolate) after 3:00 pm.
• Limit your liquids before bedtime — That way, your sleep won’t be disturbed by the need to go to the bathroom.
• Avoid nicotine and alcohol — You may fall asleep easier after a drink or two but it’s likely that you’ll wake up in the middle of the night. Nicotine will increase your heart rate — exactly what you don’t want before going to bed.
• Establish a relaxing bedtime routine — Stick to a routine that will help you relax. Doing the same thing every night before going to bed will help put your body in sleep mode.

For those nights when you simply can’t fall asleep, try these tips for relief of your sleeplessness.