How to Get to Sleep and Feel Refreshed in the Morning
Get comfortable., Cut out stimulants., Turn off the electronics., Stop your racing mind., Keep snacks light before bed., Stay on schedule., Try melatonin., Try a sleep aid., Understand when to see a doctor.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Get comfortable.
Don't wear any clothes that are too tight or restricting or that will keep you too warm at night.
They can keep you from falling asleep because you aren't comfortable, as well as make you restless later.
One study even found that wearing tight clothing at night suppresses the release of melatonin, which is necessary for falling and staying asleep., Caffeine can interfere with your sleep even if it has been six hours since you last had any, so make sure to stop drinking it early.Another stimulant to avoid is nicotine; it's best to try to quit smoking and using all other nicotine containing products (vaporizing nicotine, chewing tobacco, patches, and gum) altogether if you are having trouble sleeping.Keep in mind that you may have a period of withdrawal as you are cutting out nicotine, and this may interfere with your sleep.Be sure to discuss any issues you are having with your doctor. , At least an hour before you want to sleep, turn off your computer, phone, and television.
The bright lights of the screen tell your brain to stay awake, so to get your mind ready for bed, they need to go.The blue light from screens is especially responsible for causing sleep disturbances., If you find you can't sleep because your brain keeps going, stop trying to sleep.
Go try another activity for a time, such as reading a book.
You'll begin to feel sleepy, and when you do, return to bed.
This practice helps you to associate your bed with one thing--sleep.Another way to slow down your mind is to try meditation, as it clears your mind of thoughts if you do it properly.
It also relaxes you, helps to regulate your sleep, go through more REM cycles, and sleep better overall.One simple meditation is to concentrate on your breaths.
Take deep breaths in and out, focusing solely on your breaths.Try counting to four each time you inhale, and then repeat four counts each time you exhale to help slow your breaths.
You can also use a guided meditation app to help you learn how to meditate.
Also, have a pen handy.
That way, if you think of something you must do tomorrow, you can write it down instead of worrying about it., Big meals can cause indigestion or make you full enough that it keeps you awake.
If you need a snack before bed, keep it light and have it at least 45 minutes before bed.Eating too much sugar, saturated fat, and not enough fiber can interfere with your sleep, so try to stick to a low sugar, low-saturated fat, and high fiber diet., Try going to sleep at the same time every night, as well as waking up at the same time every morning.
This trains your body to want to go to bed when it's time for you to go to bed, helping you get to sleep easier., Melatonin is a hormone that tells you to sleep.
Your body already produces it, but you can also take a supplement.
It is relatively safe, though it can cause headaches, dizziness, and irritability, as well as make you drowsy the next day.
Therefore, you should try it out on a weekend when you don't need to be anywhere in particular.
Orally, you can swallow a pill or buy lozenges that you leave to melt under your tongue.
You can also use a cream that you rub into your skin.Usually, you take
0.3 to
0.5 milligrams near bedtime to help you get to sleep.
The body generally produces
0.3 milligrams or less per day, so you can start with less than that (0.1 milligrams) and work your way up to a dose that helps you, up to 3 milligrams as an adult.However, keep in mind that more melatonin is not necessarily better.
You may want to try a time release melatonin supplement if you have trouble staying asleep.Melatonin can react with other medications, such as antidepressants, antipsychotics, and blood pressure medications.
Always check with your doctor first before starting a new supplement or over-the-counter medication., Over-the-counter medications can help you sleep.
Most are antihistamines that make you drowsy.
However, if you take them too often, they won't be effective anymore and may have long-term side-effects, such as dementia.Plus, they can make you groggy the next day.The two main categories are diphenhydramine, which is the main ingredient in Benadryl and Unisom SleepGels, and doxylamine succinate, the main ingredient in Unisom SleepTabs.
Both of these are antihistamines that can make you drowsy in the day, give you blurred vision, and dry out your mouth.Always check with your doctor first.
You shouldn't take these drugs if you have certain conditions, such as liver disease, asthma, glaucoma, or sleep apnea., If you're getting 7 to 8 hours of sleep a night, and still not feeling ok in the morning, you may need to see a doctor.
You could have a sleep disorder such as sleep apnea, narcolepsy, restless leg syndrome, or primary insomnia.Insomnia is a chronic condition where you can't go to sleep or you wake up often during the night.Sleep apnea keeps you from getting restful sleep because you stop breathing while you are sleeping.
Restless legs syndrome is a tingling feeling in your legs that can keep you awake.
Narcolepsy can cause you to fall asleep at almost any time against your control.Narcolepsy can also affect your sleep at night, such as by causing insomnia, leading to excessive daytime sleepiness, and bringing about a sudden need for sleep. -
Step 2: Cut out stimulants.
-
Step 3: Turn off the electronics.
-
Step 4: Stop your racing mind.
-
Step 5: Keep snacks light before bed.
-
Step 6: Stay on schedule.
-
Step 7: Try melatonin.
-
Step 8: Try a sleep aid.
-
Step 9: Understand when to see a doctor.
Detailed Guide
Don't wear any clothes that are too tight or restricting or that will keep you too warm at night.
They can keep you from falling asleep because you aren't comfortable, as well as make you restless later.
One study even found that wearing tight clothing at night suppresses the release of melatonin, which is necessary for falling and staying asleep., Caffeine can interfere with your sleep even if it has been six hours since you last had any, so make sure to stop drinking it early.Another stimulant to avoid is nicotine; it's best to try to quit smoking and using all other nicotine containing products (vaporizing nicotine, chewing tobacco, patches, and gum) altogether if you are having trouble sleeping.Keep in mind that you may have a period of withdrawal as you are cutting out nicotine, and this may interfere with your sleep.Be sure to discuss any issues you are having with your doctor. , At least an hour before you want to sleep, turn off your computer, phone, and television.
The bright lights of the screen tell your brain to stay awake, so to get your mind ready for bed, they need to go.The blue light from screens is especially responsible for causing sleep disturbances., If you find you can't sleep because your brain keeps going, stop trying to sleep.
Go try another activity for a time, such as reading a book.
You'll begin to feel sleepy, and when you do, return to bed.
This practice helps you to associate your bed with one thing--sleep.Another way to slow down your mind is to try meditation, as it clears your mind of thoughts if you do it properly.
It also relaxes you, helps to regulate your sleep, go through more REM cycles, and sleep better overall.One simple meditation is to concentrate on your breaths.
Take deep breaths in and out, focusing solely on your breaths.Try counting to four each time you inhale, and then repeat four counts each time you exhale to help slow your breaths.
You can also use a guided meditation app to help you learn how to meditate.
Also, have a pen handy.
That way, if you think of something you must do tomorrow, you can write it down instead of worrying about it., Big meals can cause indigestion or make you full enough that it keeps you awake.
If you need a snack before bed, keep it light and have it at least 45 minutes before bed.Eating too much sugar, saturated fat, and not enough fiber can interfere with your sleep, so try to stick to a low sugar, low-saturated fat, and high fiber diet., Try going to sleep at the same time every night, as well as waking up at the same time every morning.
This trains your body to want to go to bed when it's time for you to go to bed, helping you get to sleep easier., Melatonin is a hormone that tells you to sleep.
Your body already produces it, but you can also take a supplement.
It is relatively safe, though it can cause headaches, dizziness, and irritability, as well as make you drowsy the next day.
Therefore, you should try it out on a weekend when you don't need to be anywhere in particular.
Orally, you can swallow a pill or buy lozenges that you leave to melt under your tongue.
You can also use a cream that you rub into your skin.Usually, you take
0.3 to
0.5 milligrams near bedtime to help you get to sleep.
The body generally produces
0.3 milligrams or less per day, so you can start with less than that (0.1 milligrams) and work your way up to a dose that helps you, up to 3 milligrams as an adult.However, keep in mind that more melatonin is not necessarily better.
You may want to try a time release melatonin supplement if you have trouble staying asleep.Melatonin can react with other medications, such as antidepressants, antipsychotics, and blood pressure medications.
Always check with your doctor first before starting a new supplement or over-the-counter medication., Over-the-counter medications can help you sleep.
Most are antihistamines that make you drowsy.
However, if you take them too often, they won't be effective anymore and may have long-term side-effects, such as dementia.Plus, they can make you groggy the next day.The two main categories are diphenhydramine, which is the main ingredient in Benadryl and Unisom SleepGels, and doxylamine succinate, the main ingredient in Unisom SleepTabs.
Both of these are antihistamines that can make you drowsy in the day, give you blurred vision, and dry out your mouth.Always check with your doctor first.
You shouldn't take these drugs if you have certain conditions, such as liver disease, asthma, glaucoma, or sleep apnea., If you're getting 7 to 8 hours of sleep a night, and still not feeling ok in the morning, you may need to see a doctor.
You could have a sleep disorder such as sleep apnea, narcolepsy, restless leg syndrome, or primary insomnia.Insomnia is a chronic condition where you can't go to sleep or you wake up often during the night.Sleep apnea keeps you from getting restful sleep because you stop breathing while you are sleeping.
Restless legs syndrome is a tingling feeling in your legs that can keep you awake.
Narcolepsy can cause you to fall asleep at almost any time against your control.Narcolepsy can also affect your sleep at night, such as by causing insomnia, leading to excessive daytime sleepiness, and bringing about a sudden need for sleep.
About the Author
Rebecca Alvarez
Professional writer focused on creating easy-to-follow DIY projects tutorials.
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