Humans spend one third of their lives sleeping, and recent research suggests that we’re sleeping one to two hours less per night on average.
I watched a British documentary on sleep this week and found it interesting. As I get older, I find I have more trouble sleeping, and I’m not alone. Sleep problems are common among all ages. Instead of sleeping, we watch television, play with our phones, computers and other gadgets.
Too little sleep can be dangerous. Your mind isn’t quite as sharp. There is a risk of falling asleep while driving or operating machinery. When we’re tired we often crave sugar so lack of sleep can lead to obesity and diabetes.
So what are some tips and tricks to aid sleep?
1. Make your bedroom a place to sleep. Remove the TV and the gadgets. You don’t want the blue light from gadgets interrupting your sleep or a text message waking you.
2. Are your bed and mattress comfortable? This can make all the difference to your sleep quality.
3. Have a warm bath or shower before going to bed. This will help you relax.
4. Don’t have naps in the afternoon. Try and hold out until it is bed time.
5. Try and stick to a schedule when it comes to your sleep. Go to bed at the same time each night and wake up at the same time.
6. Get out in the sunshine in the morning and avoid bright light in the afternoon to get your body clock in rhythm.
7. Wind down during the hour before sleep. Listen to music or read a book. Reading a book is my favorite way to unwind.
8. Stay away from alcohol, heavy meals and cigarettes for two to three hours before sleeping. Caffeine can stop your body from relaxing. Alcohol can affect your ability to sleep.
9. Temperatures can affect sleep. Around 20C/70F is about right but experiment what works for you. I sleep much better when it is cooler.
10. Daily exercise can help regular sleep patterns, but don’t try to exercise just before bed time.
How is your sleep? Do you have trouble getting a good night of sleep?
The medicine I take at night makes me really tired so I don’t have a hard time getting to sleep anymore.
That’s interesting about your medicine and a good side effect. One thing they mentioned in the TV show was that the demand for sleeping tablets had rocketed. People manage to get their hands on extras by visiting more than one doctor. They also said that sleeping tablets don’t work as well for those who use them on a regular basis.