Chapter
4: IMPROVING SLEEP
Sleep renews and refreshes your mind and body. You can eliminate roadblocks that get in the
way
of sleep.
|
Problems with sleep area ·
Remove clutter
from your sleeping area. ·
Keep the room
cool, dark and quiet. ·
Use your
sleeping area only for sleep and intimacy. ·
Place a board
under the mattress if your bed is too soft. ·
Add soft
blankets or a mattress pad if your bed is too hard. |
|
·
Use comfortable
pillows, or something to cuddle with.
·
If someone in
your household is a loud snorer, encourage him/her to consult a doctor, or
sleep in another room.
·
Keep pets out of
the bedroom.
Uncomfortable Sleep Position
·
Experiment with
comfortable ways to sleep using pillows to prop up your chest and/or legs.
·
Be sure to keep
your back straight, head aligned with your body, and shoulders relaxed to
minimize body pain.
·
Move around until
you find a position where all the parts of your body are comfortable. It may take 20-30 minutes,
but in the right
position you will feel sleepy. Remember
this position!
Worry and Racing Thoughts
·
Write down your
concerns, before going to bed. Plan to
work on these concerns in the morning.
·
Listen to a tape
or CD of comforting sounds, e.g. the ocean, nature, quiet music, etc., to take
your focus away from
worry and racing
thoughts.
·
See your doctor
to find out whether worry and racing thoughts are caused by a treatable
illness, such as anxiety disorder
or bipolar disorder.
Medical Problems
·
Seek treatment
for medical problems that affect sleep, e.g. pain, soreness, itching, cramps,
spasms, headaches, and restless
leg
syndrome.
·
If medications
keep you up at night, ask your doctor if you can take them in the morning.
Diet
·
Finish dinner
three to four hours before bedtime. Have
a light meal if you eat dinner late.
·
Avoid caffeinated
drinks (check your coffee, tea, and soda), alcoholic drinks, tobacco, and
sugary snacks four to six hours
before bedtime.
·
Have a food that
contains tryptophan, an amino acid that promotes sleep. It is found in turkey, chicken, milk, cheese,
fish,
eggs, tofu, soy, sesame and pumpkin seeds, nuts, peanuts,
and peanut butter.
After all the above roadblocks are eliminated you are
ready to prepare for sleep:
·
Plan to wake up
about the same time every day, including weekends.
·
Do a quiet,
relaxing activity, for example: turn on
soothing music, take a warm bath or shower, or listen to spiritual readings.
·
Turn the lights
down and reduce the volume on your tv, radio, etc.,
about one hour before bedtime.
·
At bedtime, lie
down in a comfortable sleeping position and try to blank your mind of any
concerns.
·
Listen to your
breathing, but do not try to change it.
Focus on the gentle up and down movement of your chest or on your
heartbeat. Keep this focus until you fall asleep.
·
If you cannot
fall asleep within one hour or cannot stay asleep for at least 5 hours, for
several days in a row, consult a doctor.