Many folks think that sleeping problems can only be mastered through medications. The real truth is that you don’t need to take expensive drugs ordered by your doctor or over the counter sleep medications in order to get a good night of sleep. Simply follow these tips and you will be sleeping soundly in no time at all.

1. Relax. Find good methods in order to relax before going to bed. If you go to bed with a lot of tension, you will not sleep well and you can lie awake for hours. Take about 20-30 minutes just before bedtime in order to do something that relaxes you, such as watching television, reading a quiet book, getting massaged, having a drink of warm milk or taking a nice warm bath. These things can relax you so that you can fall asleep more easily and remain asleep for a longer period of time.

2. The Busy Mind. If you find your mind racing before bed, then don’t read a book or watch television before sleeping as this can cause your mind to rev up even more. This is why some people can do these things before sleeping and others find it makes things worse. It can stimulate an active mind which can make sleep more difficult.

3. Exercise. Do some exercise before going to bed but do not do it within the hour of going to sleep. Exercise releases endorphins that can make you feel super-relaxed when it is time to go to sleep, if you exercise just before going to bed, you will feel hot and it will rev you up too much. Exercise also brings oxygen into your system, which helps you sleep more easily.

4. Patterns of Sleep. If you stay within the confines of a regular pattern of sleep, your body will be trained to get plenty of rest each night. If you wake up at the usual time and go to bed at a regular time, your body will become used to it and you will be sleepy when your scheduled sleep time is. Try not to deviate from your regular pattern or you may not be able to sleep.

Follow these basic tips in order to get a full night of restful sleep. While they may not completely cure your insomnia, you will see a difference in the amount of sleep you get and you will sleep better and better.

Think about the foods and drinks you consume at night when you begin to suffer from sleep disorders as they can be playing a role in how you sleep. A common culprit is coffee, which contains a great deal of caffeine, which can negatively impact sleep and can keep you aroused at night.

Contributing Factors

As coffee can be a factor, consider not having any caffeinated coffee after about three o’clock in the afternoon. Think about having decaffeinated teas afterward and into the night. Teas can contain substances that actually help you sleep, such as chamomile tea.

A glass of wine after your evening meal or before bedtime can actually impair sleep. It may make you tired but you do not get a solid, deep sleep and you may have to get up to go to the bathroom within a few hours of sleeping. Try not to drink anything 90 minutes or less before going to bed. This can greatly impact the peace of sleep you get at night and you will sleep deeper, not having to get up to go to the bathroom.

Foods to Avoid

You want to make sure not to have spicy or tomato-based foods before going to bed as spicy foods tend to warm up the body so that you can feel tired but you won’t sleep well. Tomato-based foods can cause heartburn at night, which can interfere with sleep. Spicy foods can also cause your digestive system to function overtime so that you can get gas and bloating with cramps at night. You will not sleep well. Don’t lie down within three hours of eating foods that can cause heart burn so that you can safely digest the food before sleeping.

Poor digestion can be the cause to your sleep problems. This means that you should eat at least three hours before sleeping so that you can safely digest your food before you rest at night. If your digestion tends to be slower than average, increase the time of eating before going to sleep.

After sleeping well, on the other hand, you feel energized, refreshed and ready for the day. Children, too, need to sleep well and parents need to consider sleep issues in their children so that the whole family can get a good night’s sleep.

Sleep Deprivation In Children

Insomnia and sleep disorders happen when we cannot fall asleep or when we get up too early or wake up often during the nighttime hours. It causes us to become tired and irritable. If this lasts more than just a few days, see your health care provider and try not to treat it yourself with things like alcohol or antihistamines as they may not help or may make the problem worse.

Sleep Terrors and Nightmares in Children

These can occur when a child is under stress or when he or she isn’t getting enough restful sleep. They can frighten a child so that sleep is even more impaired. Night terrors happen during the ages of 3-4 and nightmares occur between the ages of 3-6. Try not to take multivitamins in high doses before sleep as they can excite the brain and can trigger nightmares. You should avoid caffeine, alcohol and other stimulating foods and drugs before bed and try to exercise or relax before going to bed.

Signs of Poor Sleep

• Falling asleep while driving, watching television or reading
• Slow reaction times and slow thinking
• Making mistakes at work or school
• Having problems understanding directions people give you
• Unable to retain information
• Poor mood or outright depression
• Being impatient or frequently angry
• Having heavy eyelids or having problems focusing your eyes

Help children Sleep

Expect sleep problems during times of extra trauma or stress in a child’s life. Expect that it may take him or her a few weeks to get back on schedule. If sleep issues persist, then see your child’s health care provider in order to get some help. Some counseling might be necessary. Let’s look at sleep problems in the various age groups:

For every child:

• It’s possible your child is too anxious to sleep. Find out what is bothering him or her and see if you can talk through them several hours before sleeping so that it isn’t in the forefront of your child’s mind at the time of sleep.
• Keep a solid schedule for sleep and wakefulness to reduce insomnia.
• Don’t drink or eat caffeine-containing foods before bedtime and keep the child away from the news just before they go to bed.

Younger Children and Those in Middle School

• If you have a child that cannot sleep alone, stay near your child as he falls asleep and then check on them periodically. Make him feel like you will be there for them even if you won’t be sleeping with them.
• Have a low light on nearby but not in the same room as the child. Use music as a soothing way to help him or her fall asleep. Having a pet in the room, even if it is just a fish or gerbil, can calm a child and make him or her feel like they are not alone.
• If you have a child with nightmares, don’t discuss them during the night. Just help them get back to sleep and talk about the dream in the morning.
• Do deep breathing techniques, soothing tapes or music if your child is really anxious when going to bed. They may or may not be helpful.

Teens:

Your teen may suffer from insomnia due to a reaction to surrounding stressors. They understand things better than smaller kids and can be greatly affected by them. They may worry more than even adults do.
• Give teens the same love and support around sleeping as you do younger kids.
• Your teen may get hung up on watching TV, talking with friends on the phone or being on the computer so they may go to bed later than adults or other kids. Parents need to discourage this as it can reduce the number of solid hours of sleep they get and can contribute to insomnia.

1. Avoid caffeine

Caffeine is found in soft drinks, chocolate and coffee. Some pain relievers also contain caffeine. Give up caffeine after about 3 pm in the afternoon and you’ll sleep better at night.

2. Unwind your Mind

When your brain is in hyper-drive, you won’t be able to sleep. Your brain will keep you from sleeping if you have issues on your mind. Work through your issues long before trying to go to bed.

3. Don’t eat late night snacks

If you eat too late at night, you can sleep poorly. Your body cannot digest food well when you are sleeping so you can get cramping, bloating and gas that can interfere with sleeping. Let the food digest well before going to bed.

4. Get a routine

The body responds well to routines we set for ourselves. If you sleep and wake up at sporadic hours, you will confuse your body and you will not sleep well. Go to bed and get up at the same time every day so that you can get the best possible sleep.

5. Relaxing Baths

You will relax more before sleeping if you have taken a warm, soothing bath.

6. Stop worrying about sleep

Try not to panic around not sleeping. Instead, think of something that is relaxing to you or listen to relaxing tapes or listen to noise machines so that you aren’t fretting about not being able to sleep. Fretting will only make things worse.

7. Lower the lights

Use curtains to block out excessive light and turn off the lights in the room. Your body responds well to darkness so you sleep better.

8. Keep it Cooler

You won’t sleep well if you are hot. Turn on the air conditioner or have a fan blowing on you to keep you cool so that you can get a good night’s sleep.

9. Breathe

By beginning to take long, slow breaths, as if you were sleeping, you will become more tired and will fall asleep more easily. A few yawns will also help train the body to sleep.

If you cannot sleep well, try the above things to see if you can sleep better. Try to go to bed and get up at the same time of the day, even on the weekends. Your body will learn more easily how to turn off itself at nighttimes so that you can sleep peacefully all the time. It can take a while to get your body on a good schedule so don’t be alarmed if it takes several weeks.