Get a Good Night's Sleep

Sleep Control

Eat Right
Sleep Like A Baby

DO YOU TOSS AND TURN DURING THE NIGHT INSTEAD OF SLEEPING SOUNDLY? IF SO YOUR BATTLE WITH INSOMNIA MAY BEGIN AT THE DINNING ROOM TABLE NOT IN THE BEDROOM

DOZE CONTROL
A cup of coffee, tea or a glass of cola are quick pick-me-ups that might undermine your sleep. Even a small amount of caffeine (like the amount in a chocolate donut) can effect your sleep, especially if you are sensitive to caffeine. Try eliminating all caffeine containing beverages and food for two weeks. If you feel better and sleep better after two weeks of being caffeine free, then avoid caffeine permanently. You can try adding back one or two cups after the two week trial, but cut back if sleep reappears. If you do not want to try this-then only use caffeine laced beverage until 1 p.m.
For some a gradual cut back works best but the bottom line is that caffeine effect sleep. As for alcohol, a nightcap might make you sleepy at first, but in the end you'll sleep less soundly and wake up more tired. Alcohol and other despressants suppress a phase of sleep called REM (rapid eye movement) during which most of your dreaming occurs. Less REM is associated with more night awakenings and restless sleep. One glass of wine with dinner probably won't hurt, but avoid drinking any alcohol within two hours of bedtime. And NEVER mix alcohol with sleeping pills.

SLEEP-FRIENDLY TABLE TACTICS
Big dinners make you temporarily drowsy but prolong the digestive process which interferes with a good night sleep. It's best to eat your biggest meal before midafternoon and have a light evening meal of 500 calories or less. Include some chichen, extra-lean meat or fish at dinner to help curb middle-of-the-night snack attacks. Spicy foods contribute to sleep problems. Dishes seasoned with garlic, chilies, cayeene or other hot spices can cause nagging heartburn or indigestion. Avoid spicy foods at dinner time. Gas-forming foods and hurried eating also cause abdominal discomfort, which in turn interferes with sound sleep. Limit your intake of gas-forming foods to the morning hours and thoroughly chew food to avoid gulping air.

BEDTIME SNACKS

Bedtime snacks can be a great alternative to sleeping pills. A high-carbohydrate snack such as crackers and fruit or toast and jam triggers the release of a brain chemical called serotonin, which aids sleep. (if you are dieting remember to take into account
these calories) And while the traditional glass of warm milk, a protein rich beverage, probably does not affect serotonin levels, the warm
liquid soothes and relaxes you and makes you feel ful, which
might facilitate sleep.


CURBING MIDNIGHT SNACK ATTACK
Do you awaken in the middle of the night, unable to fall back to
sleep unless you eat something? These midnight snack cravings may be triggered by hunger or they may just be habit. In either case, your best bet is to break the cycle. Try eating more during the day, and stop rewarding your stomach by feeding it every time it wakes you up. Instead read a book, drink a glass of water or ignore the craving. It takes up to two weeks to break the cycle of a midnight snack attack.

EXERCISING TO RELIEVE STRESS

Stress is a common cause of insomnia. Often relieving the stress, tensions and anxieties eliminates sleep problems. One tension
reliever is exercise. Recent studies have shown that healthy adults who exercise 80-90 (over a 2 or 3 30-45 minutes a days) minutes a
week sleep problems fall asleep faster and slept about 45 minutes longer than those who do not exercise. Physical activity also helps you cope with daily stress and tires the body so it is ready to sleep at night. Vigerous exercise should be done no closer to bedtime than 6 hours, mild exercise no closer than 4 hours. Exercise can be tailored to fit age and physical condition. For example you can get some exercise by sitting in a chair and doing leg lifts or using a chair for mini push ups. In short sleeping pills are a temporary fix for restless niights, but a few simple dietary and lifestyle changes could do wonders for your long-term snooze control.