Tuesday, June 9, 2009

How to get good sleep

Sleep is vital to our health. Our body needs sleep to replenish mental and physical energy. Without proper sleep, our body is unable to fight off disease. Our immune system becomes weak.
Sleep deprivation leads to serious mental and physical impairment, and will not be able to deal with situations that require alertness and thinking. Brain does not function as well with a lack of sleep. It is a serious sleep deprivation effect. Solving problems and dealing with stress is much harder when deprived of sleep.
Sleep deprivation effects may cause other serious health related problems such as depression, hypertension, heart disease, tremors and stammers. It may also experience drastic weight changes.
The quality of sleep we get affects our hormone levels that affect our appetite. If we are not getting proper sleep, this could trigger a hormone deficiency, which may cause an individual to eat more and thus gain weight.
Many people suffer from sleep disorders due to the high-faced lifestyle they lead. Some people work so long and hard that their sleep patterns suffer. Old age may be another reason for sleep disorder. As we get older, the likelihood that we will experience some form of sleep disorder is quite high.
Many people don't know how to sleep. Don't laugh it is true and a serious problem for many. Follow some simple tips to get good sleep.
· Make sure you have a comfortable bed.
· Buy a decent mattress.
· If you feel too hot or cold, add or remove blankets until comfortable.
· Keep your room clean.
· Make your room soundproof.
· Adjust the lights in the room to your comfortable level. For optimal results, a pitch black room with no lights helps you sleep better through the night.
· Get yourself ready for sleep by relaxing a few hours before bedtime.
· Take a warm bath.
· Drink a glass of warm milk; add a teaspoon of honey, if you like.
· Brush your teeth.
· Get into a comfortable position, loosen any tight restrictive clothing.
· If you are uncomfortable with any way your body feels on the bed, correct it immediately.
· If you are having trouble in trying to get sleep, try a deep breathing exercise.
· Try chilling your pillow for two minutes in the fridge. Even on a cold day, it will relax your head and the rest of the body will follow.
· Get up and move, if you haven't gotten to sleep for the past 15-20 minutes. Read a book, or write something, or listen soft music and later get back in bed.
· More importantly, Be active during daytime. Activity stimulates all sorts of hormones and consumes physical energy. If you stay inactive, you do not deplete your physical energy. In turn, this may cause your body not to require sleep and prevent you from falling asleep.

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