Everyone needs sleep, in fact they say a person can die from lack of sleep after about 10 days. So what do you do when you need to sleep but cant? Here are some helpful tips to help you get back into the sleeping groove.
1. Take a bath: Relax in the bathtub. This soothes both body and mind. Try adding some sleep inducing scents into the tub like lavender oil.
2. Drink some warm milk: You thought this was just an old wives’ tale, but it actually works! Warm milk has a tranquilizing effect on the body that can calm you down and prepare you for sleep.
3. Read a book: Try reading a book or watch something on TV. Then once your eyes get droopy get into bed.
4. Write down your task: It seems everytime you lay your head down, all these thoughts invade your mind about what you have to do tomorrow. So instead of laying in bed worrying that you may forget or that you wont get done what you need to get done, get out of bed and make a list of your chores for the next day. Once you have done this, get back in bed and leave those thoughts on that piece of paper.
5. Add some noise: Adding some white noise to the background, such as a fan or natural sounds of nature on a cd, can actually help you sleep. These steady, quiet sounds will block out other, more disturbing noises that might keep you awake.
6. Lower the thermostat: Too hot or too cold and you will keep waking up all night long. Various research has found that temperatures around 62 F (16 C) are very good for restful sleep.
7. The bed makes a difference: Obviously, the type of bed that you have can make a huge difference in the quality of sleep that you get. Changing an uncomfortable mattress to a comfortable one has been found to have many positive sleep benefits, including sleep of a higher quality and a reduction of restlessness at night.
8. Eat a litte midnight snack: Eating something before you go to bed does help some get to sleep, but in most cases the opposite is true; eating rises your metabolic rate, which raises your body temperature and gives you energy.
9. Get a message: Have your spouse give you a massage just before going to sleep. Have them make the massage strokes slow, gentle, yet firm, to work the tension out of your muscles and soothe you to sleep.
10. Get your exercise: Try making sure that you get some physical exercise into your daily routine. Even 15 minutes a day of exercise will give your body the activity and oxygen it needs to help you relax more and sleep better.