Do you feel like you are tired all the time? Do you wake up and immediately head for your coffee in the morning because you are sleepy? Do you drink an energy beverage in the afternoon to keep you going? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, you are like most Americans suffering from lack of sleep!
Sleep is vital to our health and to virtually every aspect of our life. It’s imperative we get enough of it each night, yet most of us don’t.
It’s not surprising we don’t sleep well at night and we have trouble going to sleep since our minds are almost always “on”. We are working nearly 24 hours a day. We have phones that we never want to put down, we have television shows that fuel our interest in various topics, our jobs want us always reachable and ready to work and the list goes on. But here’s the catch. Our minds are amazing machines and similar to factory machines, they need a break.
We all need time to turn off and to recharge. Connections within our brains are made while we sleep. Additionally, not just our minds reset but also our bodies. When we sleep it allows our bodies time to realign and to prepare to start the next day.
While this all sounds great, what is the best way to shut down your mind and body and to try to get more sleep?
- Turn off all electronic machines and devices at least one hour prior to when you plan to go to bed. Your brain needs time to turn off and to slow down and electronic devices do the opposite of this.
- Another suggestion is to make sure you aren’t consuming caffeine or sugary foods/drinks in the hours leading to bedtime. These items have the opposite effect of helping our bodies slow down and turn-off therefore leaving us with more energy than if we had not consumed it.
- When you do go to bed, make sure you are sleeping in a room that isn’t too hot. People typically don’t sleep well when they are too hot.
- Turn off all lights in your room and try to have the environment as dark as possible. Include any darkening shades so that no light comes in your room.
- If you are the type of person that wakes up often and thinks about things to do, leave a notepad and pencil by your bed so that you can jot the idea down and not let it burden you, and then go back to bed.
- Lastly, try to do some deep breathing and imagine a peaceful place such as a beach or somewhere relaxing. With every deep breath in and out, feel yourself relaxing your body.
It is recommended to try to get approximately 8-9 hours of sleep each night. If you try to make sleep a priority and start by implementing these above ideas, you will be on the right path. Additionally, we are here to help if you have any questions about sleep. Please contact us today to discuss further.
At Carlos and Parnell, M.D., P.A. our professional and caring staff makes the difference with patient care. – See more at: http://www.dev.carlosparnellmd.com/thermometers-and-babies/#sthash.MFvVROkI.dpuf
