Best ways to fall asleep

March 2, 2010

Ways to fall asleep

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Ways to Fall Asleep

How many nights have you spent waiting for the Sandman to bring you a dream? For many people, sleep is elusive at best and ways to fall asleep becomes a constant research project. They will speak with their friends, family members, and doctors to find a solution to their sleepless nights. These insomniacs will try every off-the-wall suggestion to find the one that actually works for them.  Unfortunately, most of this advice doesn’t work. Still tossing and turning throughout the night, these people spend their days in a haze to complete exhaustion. Does this sound familiar? If so, you’ll find the following ways to fall asleep very helpful!

White Noise Can Bring Sweet Slumber

If you have a television in your bedroom, it’s time to turn it off. While you may think you simply cannot sleep in a room that’s completely quiet, most experts agree that a television is one of the most common causes for sleepless nights. You might doze off and on, but your brain is consistently picking up on the dialogue, music, and even the light variations in front of your closed eyelids. If you find you simply cannot fall asleep without some sort of noise, then place your television on a channel without a signal. Cover the screen with a towel and allow only the white noise to soothe you to sleep. A radio in between stations may work well, too. When it comes to recommended ways to fall asleep, this one tops the list.

Turn the Heat Down

Most people sleep best in a room that is somewhat cool. When you can wrap yourself up in a comfortable bed in a cool room, you will find you fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer. However, did you know that if your feet are cold, it will usually take longer for you to fall asleep? One of the best ways to fall asleep fast is to ensure your feet are warm, but the room is cool. It’s time to put on a pair of socks and climb into bed! Fair warning though – your spouse may object!

Meditation Calms and Relaxes

While you might scoff at the idea of sitting cross-legged on the floor, with your hands on your knees, and humming “Ohm,” a few minutes to clear your mind of the day’s troubles is also one of the best ways to fall asleep. Go ahead and think about the good, the bad, and the ugly from your day and then let it go. You’ll find that even just five minutes of this type of relaxation exercise will help you fall asleep much easier.

A Final Thought or Two

Everyone has experienced difficulty falling asleep at some point. The key is to recognize the causes of this problem and locate a solution that works for you. Some people believe a cup or two of chamomile tea or warm milk before bed are the only ways to fall asleep. For others, only a cool room and complete darkness will help. Pay attention to what seems to trigger your sleepless nights.  You may find the answer is right in front of your eyes!

10 ways to fall asleep

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Stress is the #1 reason why people cannot find ways to fall asleep at night. We have compiled a list of things that will help you get that desperately needed sleep. Depending on your body and your day to day activities you could need anywhere from 6-12 hours of sleep a day. Lets face it there is nothing in the world worst than knowing you have to work in the morning and not having a way to fall asleep. Then you have to face the day extremely exhausted and irritable. Here are the top ten tips to help you sleep better at night for good.

#1 Try to stop smoking at least 2-3 hours before bed. Although it may seem that the last smoke before bed will “calm your nerves” it has a total opposite
effect on your body. When you smoke it releases a stimulant in your body that acts the same as caffeine.

#2 Make your old snoring beagle Dolce (insert your pets name here) sleep in another room. We know mans best friend is well….”mans best friend” but sleep is your real
best friend.

#3 Although you are tired from the sleepless night before DO NOT take a nap. It will give your body energy that may carry into the early hours. If you insist on napping keep it short. We all love our power naps but they aren’t naps if they last 3-4 hours.

#4 Train your body to know when its time to sleep and when its time for other activities. You should only use your bed for two things sleep and sex. Which posses a problem for us single folk. So in our case we will just say sleep.When you are watching TV,doing homework, or even eating in your bed you are sending sub-conscious messages to your brain. The brain then gets conditioned to think “oh im in bed where is the cheesecake?”. This is a great thing to avoid when finding ways to fall asleep.

#5 Stay away from the delicious soda pop we all love. I recommend not drinking it at all. Caffeine can stay in your system for up to 10 hours. If you are an avid connoisseur of the cola stay away from it for at least 2 hours before bed.

#6 Don’t consume alcohol just so you can sleep. This is very important. Stress along with sleeping problems is a recipe for disaster and possible future dependency on the “booz”. So it is best to stay away from it as medicating device.

#7 This may be the most important thing to avoid when finding ways to fall asleep. Watch what you eat.. And that doesn’t mean watch it go into your mouth. A healthy diet will promote overall better health and better sleeping habits.

#8 Get out and exercise. If you use all your energy working out you will have less energy when it comes time to sleep. Plus you will get a better body for attracting the opposite gender.

#9 Keep your room dark and quite. There is an exception to this however. If you are prone to waking up at the slightest noise I recommend getting a fan. The repetitive noise is soothing and can drown out a lot of noise that may have otherwise woke you from your beauty sleep, although none of us need it.

#10 Release the stress of the day before you get into bed. There is nothing you can do at this point. Worrying will not fix anything. I would highly suggest hypnosis as a way to put your mind at ease.

Hopefully these quick tips will help you find ways to fall asleep.

See also Sleep Therapy

Sleep therapy

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Sleep Therapy

For millions of people, nighttime is simply a part of the day. They can’t fall asleep and many have tried a ton of remedies that don’t provide the results they are searching for. Sleep therapy encompasses many different types of treatments for insomnia. Some are tried and true methods and others are based upon new research. Your doctor may suggest different types of treatments, depending on your specific situation. What may be very effective for one individual may not work at all for another. However, you’ll want to enter into your sleep therapy program with a positive attitude!

Sleep Studies Help in Preparing a Sleep Therapy Treatment Program

If your doctor will oversee your sleep therapy, one of the first things they may order is a sleep study, which is also called a Polysomnogram (PSG). You will spend a night at the hospital and all that’s required of you is to sleep!  Some of the things that will be monitored are how long it takes you to fall asleep, how long you sleep, and your brain, eye, and muscle activity while sleeping.  There are several electrodes and other devices that will be hooked up to you that will record your eye and muscle movements, as well as your brain activity. All of these readings and recordings will be examined by a sleep doctor. It will help the doctor determine what the best course of action will be.

The Right Therapy Program

Your doctor may suggest medications, relaxation exercises, or even something as simple as a new bed. It’s important to follow the sleep therapy program. Otherwise, you may not get the results you need – a good night’s sleep. You may be asked to keep a sleep diary to record your activities from a few hours before bedtime to when you should awake to begin your day. This is very helpful in determining what is causing your sleep difficulties. Your doctor may find that a certain medication is taken too late in the day or that your last cigarette of the day will keep you awake for an hour or more. While these factors may seem somewhat insignificant, one change in your behavior may be all it takes for you to finally get some quality rest!

Don’t Give Up!

You may think that you are simply destined to lie in bed and wait hours for sleep to come. However, make sure you give sleep therapy a fighting chance to work for you. There are many years of research put into these types of treatments. Most do not work on the first night and you may have to completely retrain the way your mind and body reacts when trying to sleep.

A Few Final Thoughts

Sleep therapy has come a long way in the past few years. Doctors understand more of the factors that cause insomnia and the treatment options are expanding each year. With new research conducted everyday, there are new programs available that can help you get the good night’s sleep you need to wake feeling refreshed.  Sleep doesn’t have to be elusive – there is hope!

See also 10 Ways To Fall Asleep

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