How to Sleep Well

Are you turning into an insomniac? Or can you fall asleep only by popping pills? Taking recourse to sedatives, tranquilizers, and is not the answer to your sleeping problems. These medicines work — but only for a while.A better alternative to these is a psychological technique such as the Progressive Muscular Relaxation method, which not only helps to relieve the sleep problem, but will also reduce your overall anxiety level.

Research studies have shown that muscular relaxation reduces the time needed to fall asleep, the number of times one wakes up during the night, and the feeling of tiredness in the morning. Even yoga and meditation help tremendously.

Here are some tips to help you get a good night’s sleep:

• Prepare yourself for bed: with a slow winding-down process. For instance, have a warm bath, or drink a glass of milk, or even a walk will help.
• Don’t argue: just before going to bed.
• Go to sleep only when you are sleepy: do not lie in bed to think or read.
• Watch funny light-hearted movies: not disturbing news programmes or horror movies.
• Stop worrying: about what will happen if you don’t get enough sleep. Your body will take as much as it needs.
• Learn a technique: to help you switch off your mind. Sit up in bed and meditate for a few minutes first, and then lie down. Listen to relaxing music and use Aromatherapy oils in the bedroom.
• Avoid caffeine: too much alcohol or a heavy meal just before bed time.
• Set a routine sleeping time: go to bed at the same time each night and rise at the same time each day.
• Avoid napping during the day: if you try to cover up your sleep during the day you will find it difficult to sleep at night.

Sleep is a healer and adequate sleep is vital for health. It regenerates your body, clears emotional conflicts, helps us think and work efficiently and even rejuvenates our skin. It is another form of relaxation essential to good health and beauty. If these tips don’t make you sleep, you can start counting sheep to induce sleep. Doing this mental activity will have a soporific effect on your mind.

You could also try one of the following alternatives:

• Make a mental list: of the furniture in the house / or office. If you still are awake after this, continue to make an inventory of the furniture in your parent’s house or in your friend’s house.
• If this does not work then make a list of all the light fittings in your house, in office etc.These exercises require focused attention together with visualization of locations, and creates a very effective distraction from everyday worries.

Sleep over your problems:

When Thomas Edison was struggling to create the light bulb, he relegated questions to his subconscious mind each night before going to sleep. After a few nights the answers came to him. Albert Einstein is said to have used a similar technique to help him solve mathematical problems. The crux of the matter is that you should sleep over your problems.

• Use the following formula: ‘I now hand over my worries/this problem to my subconscious mind so it can work on a solution while 1 am asleep. 1 am now free to go to sleep.’
• Use this formula every night: You will notice a certain sense of relief that comes with abdicating the solution of problems to a deeper level of your mind during the night. It gives you a sense of lightness and freedom as you, unburden yourself in this way.
• To support this technique further: it can be useful to jot down before you go to bed all the things that need setting right. That way you have a concept and a plan for the next day.

And if you turn out to be a hardened insomniac, who just cannot get to sleep, here’s a surefire way of catching some shut eye. Get up, get dressed and do some work (this does not include watching television or listening to the radio). Clean out the cupboards or deal with some paperwork, write cheques, bills or do anything else that is useful. Only if you cannot keep your eyes open any more change back into your nightclothes and go back to bed. Repeat this procedure as often as necessary. Under no circumstances should you nap during the day while you are trying out this routine at night.