In an attempt to view the glass half full rather than half empty, let’s talk about secrets to sound sleep. Much has been written about sleep disorders like insomnia and narcolepsy, but what about the millions of people out there who get relaxing, peaceful sleep every night. How do they do it?
Well, no surprise here, there isn’t just one secret. Rather, a pattern begins to emerge as you talk to more and more people about their sleep practices or “sleep hygiene.”
Take a look:
I set clear boundaries, like never working past 7 pm and I don’t bring work to bed with me.
I read to my kids and it helps me wind down.
I don’t have a television or computer in my room.
I don’t watch TV or work on the computer right before bedtime.
I drink a hot cup of chamomile tea about an hour before bedtime.
I practice some deep breathing once I tuck myself in.
I take a nice warm bath with my favorite lavender foaming bubble bath
I have the coziest bed in the world!
I do yoga stretches on the rug in my bedroom.
I make a cup of warm milk with honey or sometimes cocoa like my Dad used to do when I was a kid and I couldn’t sleep.
I have a really comfortable pillow so when I lay my head down it’s like I’m sleeping on a bed of feathers.
I don’t see midnight anymore. I’m pretty good about bedtimes.
I avoid coffee in the afternoons and switch to tea or diet pepsi if I need a lift.
I read a good mystery novel or other page turner to get me really sleepy.
I go to bed at the same time most every night.
It may sound silly but I make sure my bed is nicely made every morning so when I turn the covers down at night it’s like I’m in a hotel taking a mini vacation.
If we eat late, I make my husband do the dishes and clean the kitchen so I can relax.
Sex. We do it just before bed and I drift off quite easily.
Do you see the pattern?
They all practice good sleep hygiene – they have established sleep routines, things they do religiously each and every night before settling down to sleep. Each one of these tips is based on having a positive attitude toward sleep, even looking forward to it and not dreading it.
Think back to what you did when you were a kid. What did you do to get ready for bed? Did you have a special pair of PJ’s you loved? Maybe you had a favorite snack or drink your Mom made for you. How about trying one or two of those things and see how they work on your sleep pattern.
Do you have some sleep secrets of your own? Tell me about them. I’d love to hear from you.
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Monday, December 5, 2011
Best Sleep Masks in the Quest for Better Sleep
The secret is out!!! Bucky's great little Sleep Mask was recently rated #1 by Good Housekeeping. Bucky 40 Blinks sleep mask earned the highest score for its contoured shape (which let testers blink comfortably) and its adjustable velcro strap.
Blocking out light and noise is essential for a good night's sleep. Many uncontrollable elements like light and noise can keep you awake at night. So Good Housekeeping also rated flush to the face masks with soft padded lining as top of the line products that will get you to sleep in no time flat.
Sleep masks have by far been the most simportant discovery in my quest for better sleep. Now all I have to do is lay my head on the pillow, drown out any streeet or room noise with earplugs, slip my sleep mask over my head, and I'm asleep in no time flat.
Give these masks a try. You'll be very glad you did!!
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Sleep Tip #1
I'm a sucker for sleep tips. Because I am such a sleep obsessive, I'm always on the look out for concise lists telling me how I can get better sleep. Here's one I just found from the Mayo Clinic. It is a list of 7 things that you can do to improve the quality of your sleep, thereby improving the quality of your life.
The first sleep tip is particularly difficult for me though when I am able to do it -- stick to a sleep schedule even on weekends and holidays -- everything works out better. I'm more productive, in a better mood all day long, and generally just much happier. I have learned to do what this tip suggests, if I don't fall asleep fairly quickly (within 10 to 15 minutes of going to bed) I get up and do something else. Most of all I don't worry about it like I used to do. Like the article says, if you "agonize" over falling asleep (and what sleep obsessive worthy of the name hasn't don’t that), it will take much longer and more effort to do something that frankly should happen pretty naturally.
Writing in my journal is particularly effective, especially when I know there are things that I haven't "processed" during the day that are keeping me awake. Reading a fast paced, interesting novel is also really good because it makes me sleepy pretty fast.
What is your favorite thing to do when you can't sleep?
The first sleep tip is particularly difficult for me though when I am able to do it -- stick to a sleep schedule even on weekends and holidays -- everything works out better. I'm more productive, in a better mood all day long, and generally just much happier. I have learned to do what this tip suggests, if I don't fall asleep fairly quickly (within 10 to 15 minutes of going to bed) I get up and do something else. Most of all I don't worry about it like I used to do. Like the article says, if you "agonize" over falling asleep (and what sleep obsessive worthy of the name hasn't don’t that), it will take much longer and more effort to do something that frankly should happen pretty naturally.
Writing in my journal is particularly effective, especially when I know there are things that I haven't "processed" during the day that are keeping me awake. Reading a fast paced, interesting novel is also really good because it makes me sleepy pretty fast.
What is your favorite thing to do when you can't sleep?
Friday, May 20, 2011
Cure for a Stiff Neck
Lately I have been suffering from a very stiff neck. I don't know why, maybe I'm spending too much time hunched over my computer, or it's stress from thinking I have to carry the weight of the world on my shoulders, or maybe I need a better pillow or to do more yoga or . . . well who knows what it's caused by.
One of the best remedies I've tried is the neck wrap by Bucky that you heat in the microwave. It's filled with buckwheat hulls and the warmth of the wrap immediately penetrates and soothes my tired, stiff neck. It's nothing short of heavenly.
One of the best remedies I've tried is the neck wrap by Bucky that you heat in the microwave. It's filled with buckwheat hulls and the warmth of the wrap immediately penetrates and soothes my tired, stiff neck. It's nothing short of heavenly.
Monday, May 9, 2011
Sleep Poems
Thought it would be fun to look for poems by famous poets on the topic of sleep. Here's one I especially liked.
A long, long sleep, a famous sleep
That makes no show for morn
By stretch of limb or stir of lid,
An independent one.
Was ever idleness like this?
Upon a bank of stone
To bask the centuries away
Nor once look up for noon?
Emily Dickinson
A long, long sleep, a famous sleep
That makes no show for morn
By stretch of limb or stir of lid,
An independent one.
Was ever idleness like this?
Upon a bank of stone
To bask the centuries away
Nor once look up for noon?
Emily Dickinson
Monday, August 23, 2010
When Light Keeps You Awake (aka "When it's Better to be Kept in the Dark!")
Light is often a bigger problem than people realize when they're trying to fall asleep. Even the dim green or red light from your alarm clock on your bedside table can keep you awake.
So, what should you do? "Limiting your light exposure in the evening tends to transition you into sleep," says Helene Emsellem, M.D., Associate Clinical Professor of Neurology at Georgetown University and Director of the Center for Sleep and Wake Disorders in Chevy Chase, MD. And surrounding yourself in darkness all night helps you stay asleep.
Here are some more tips to keep you in the dark (a good thing when you're trying to sleep!!):
Cover your eyes with an eye mask big enough to cover your eyes completely. Contoured foam masks like Bucky's 40 blinks are ultra lightweight and very comfortable. If you need to block light completely, soft padded masks work best but cost a little more.
Use a low power light instead of a bright bedside lamp if you read in bed before sleeping. Low power lighting encourages your brain's shift to sleep. Clip on lights work particularly well (maybe that's why you feel so tired after flying at night with the little light button on).
Seal off your windows, especially important if your bedroom gets early morning light or if you have a streetlight right outside your window (like I do), with blackout shades or drapes. Heavy wooden plantation style shutters work well too, but cost a bit more.
Up next: Why what you wear to bed matters for how well you sleep
So, what should you do? "Limiting your light exposure in the evening tends to transition you into sleep," says Helene Emsellem, M.D., Associate Clinical Professor of Neurology at Georgetown University and Director of the Center for Sleep and Wake Disorders in Chevy Chase, MD. And surrounding yourself in darkness all night helps you stay asleep.
Here are some more tips to keep you in the dark (a good thing when you're trying to sleep!!):
Cover your eyes with an eye mask big enough to cover your eyes completely. Contoured foam masks like Bucky's 40 blinks are ultra lightweight and very comfortable. If you need to block light completely, soft padded masks work best but cost a little more.
Use a low power light instead of a bright bedside lamp if you read in bed before sleeping. Low power lighting encourages your brain's shift to sleep. Clip on lights work particularly well (maybe that's why you feel so tired after flying at night with the little light button on).
Seal off your windows, especially important if your bedroom gets early morning light or if you have a streetlight right outside your window (like I do), with blackout shades or drapes. Heavy wooden plantation style shutters work well too, but cost a bit more.
Up next: Why what you wear to bed matters for how well you sleep
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Lack of Sleep may Make you Fat!!
According to Anahed O'Connor in her recent blog article in the New York Times, lack of sleep is associated with weight gain. In a study published this year in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, a small group of men who slept only 4 hours took in more than 500 extra calories (that's 22%) than those who got 8 hours of shut eye.
A 2009 University of Chicago study had similar findings for both men and women. Subjects in this study took in significantly more calories from snacks and carbs after 5 1/2 hours than after 8 1/2 hours of sleep. I don't know about you, but I definitely crave carbohydrate rich foods when I don't sleep well.
O'Connor goes on to say that some studies blame hormones, aruging that decreased sleep creates increased ghrelin, a hormone that stimulates appetite and a decrease in leptin, which signals fullness. However, more study is needed.
The Bottom Line: Don't skimp on sleep and avoid carbs and snacks at bedtime if you don't want to gain weight (and you'll also probably be happier too!!)
A 2009 University of Chicago study had similar findings for both men and women. Subjects in this study took in significantly more calories from snacks and carbs after 5 1/2 hours than after 8 1/2 hours of sleep. I don't know about you, but I definitely crave carbohydrate rich foods when I don't sleep well.
O'Connor goes on to say that some studies blame hormones, aruging that decreased sleep creates increased ghrelin, a hormone that stimulates appetite and a decrease in leptin, which signals fullness. However, more study is needed.
The Bottom Line: Don't skimp on sleep and avoid carbs and snacks at bedtime if you don't want to gain weight (and you'll also probably be happier too!!)
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