SLEEP HYGIENE-- for those having sleeping problems

Your behaviours during the day, and especially before bedtime, can have a major impact on your sleep. They can promote healthy sleep or contribute to sleeplessness. The term sleep hygiene refers to a series of healthy sleep habits that can improve your ability to fall asleep and stay asleep. These habits are a cornerstone of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, the most effective long-term treatment for people with chronic insomnia. Just to let you know these tips are not going to improve your sleep from one day to another one. According to research, you need 6 weeks performing these habits to change your sleeping patterns. So be patient :) :)

Select a standard rising time
In order to develop a stable sleep pattern, it is important that you choose a standard rising time and stick to it every day regardless of how much sleep you actually get on any given night. You can create the type of sleep problem that occurs in jet lag by varying your wake-up time from day to day. If you set your alarm for a standard wake-up time, you will soon notice that you usually will become sleepy at about the right time each evening to allow you to get the sleep you need.

Get out of bed when you cant sleep
If after 20 minutes of trying to fall asleep you find yourself still awake, get out of bed. Long periods of being awake in bed usually lead to tossing and turning, becoming frustrated, or worrying about not sleeping-making it more difficult to fall asleep. If you lie in bed awake for long periods, you are training yourself to be awake in bed. Instead, get up, go to another room, and only return to bed when you feel sleepy enough to fall asleep quickly.

Use the bed only for sleeping
While in bed, you should avoid doing things that you do when you are awake. Do not read, watch TV, eat, study, use the phone, or do other things that require you to be awake while you are in bed. If you avoid these activities while in bed, your bed will eventually become a place where it is easy to go to sleep and stay asleep. Sexual activity is the only exception to this rule.

Dont worry, plan, or problem solve in bed
Do not worry, mull over your problems, plan future events, or do other thinking while in bed. These activities are bad mental habits. If your mind seems to be racing or you cant seem to shut off your thoughts, get up and go to another room until you can return to bed without this thinking interrupting your sleep. If this disruptive thinking occurs frequently, you may find it helpful to routinely set aside a time early each evening to do the thinking, problem solving, and planning you need to do.

Avoid daytime nappingAvoid daytime napping
You should avoid all daytime napping. Sleeping during the day partially satisfies your sleep needs and, thus, will weaken your sleep drive at night.

Avoid excessive time in bed
In general, you should go to bed when you feel sleepy. However, you should not go to bed so early that you find yourself spending far more time in bed each night than you need for If you spend too much time in bed, you may actually make your sleep problem worse.

Limit caffeine & alcohol
Caffeine is a stimulant that may make it harder for you to sleep well at night. You should also know that caffeine stays in your system for several hours after you consume it. Limit your caffeine to the equivalent of no more than three cups of coffee per day and do not consume caffeine in the late afternoon or evening hours. Alcoholic beverages may make you drowsy and fall asleep more easily. However, alcohol usually causes sleep to be much more broken and far less refreshing than normal. Try to avoid drinking alcohol in the evening or using it as a sleep aid.

Exercise regularly
Try some regular moderate exercise such as walking, swimming, or bike riding. Improving your fitness level will likely improve the quality of your sleep. Try to exercise at least 6 hours before going to sleep, since doing exercise just before you are going to sleep is not good as your body temperature, heart rate and adrenaline levels increase. Give yourself a few hours between your workout time and bed time to allow your body temperature to cool down to 98.60, your heart rate to return to its resting pace, and your adrenaline levels to lower.

Try a light bedtime snack such as milk, peanut butter, or cheese
These foods contain chemicals that your body uses to produce sleep. As a result, this type of bedtime snack may actually bring on drowsiness.

Keep your bedroom quiet and dark
Noise and even dim light may interrupt or shorten your sleep. You can block out unwanted noise by wearing earplugs, running a fan, or using a so-called white noise machine that is specifically designed to screen sleep-disruptive sounds. If possible, eliminate the use of night-lights and consider using dark shades in your bedroom so that unwanted light does not awaken you too early in the morning. The darker the room, the better since your body will start to release melatonin.

Keep your bedroom cool
Make sure the temperature in your bedroom is comfortable. Generally speaking, temperatures much above 75 degrees Fahrenheit cause unwanted wake-ups from sleep. During hot weather, use an air conditioner to control the temperature in your bedroom.