And slip on some toe-toasting socks
Got cold feet? Wear warm sock to bed. Researchers at the Psychiatric University Clinic in Basel, Switzerland, found that when blood vessels in the feet dilate late in the evening, the body can effectively cool down and get ready for sleep. Putting on socks can help to make the blood vessels widen and radiate heat.
Scent your sheets with lavender Place a single drop of lavender essential oil on your pillow or spray your sheets with lavender water before you turn in. Studies at the University of Leicester and the Smell and Taste Research Center in Chicago found that this soothing botanical works as well as sleeping pills for quelling insomnia and tension.
Or infuse your bedroom with jasmine Other studies suggest that a faint jasmine aroma may work better than lavender to help you to drift off, and stay more alert the following day. Try a scented oil stick or place a few drops of jasmine essential oil in a cup of hot water by your bed.
Interview your partner Ask whether you stop breathing, jiggle your legs or wiggle your body while asleep. Millions of people have obstructive sleep apnoea, which causes brief intrerruptions in breathing through the night and which over time can raise the odds of getting high blood pressure and heart disease. Wiggly legs or night-time thrashing could also be signs of restless legs syndrome or another movement disorder. If your partner confirms a problem, talk to your GP. An evaluation and treatment could make all the difference to your sleep, and your health.
Kick out Fluffy and Fido A 2002 study found that one in five pet owners sleep with their pets - or more accurately, don't sleep, because their pets are on the bed or in the room. It could be sneeze-provoking cat dander or the patter of little Labradoodle feet, but the study found something more incriminating: 21 percent of the dogs and 7 percent of the cats snored.
To live a sleep-friendly lifestyle
Take a walk after lunch, then read the paper on the patio Exercise cuts stress, and getting exercise in the sun can help to keep your body's circadian rhythms calibrated. You need about 2 hours of daily exposure to bright sunlight to help your body to stay in tune. In the winter, or if you can't get outdoors, consider buying a light box - it radiates light that mimics the brightness and wavelengths of natural sunlight.
Or try tal chi on the lawn In China, people rise at dawn to perform this series of ancient, gentle, dance-like movements in local parks. The sleep bonus: tai chi beat a low-impact exercise class for improving sleep in a study of 118 women and men aged 60-92. People who did tai chi three times a week for six months fell alseep 18 minutes faster and slept for 48 minutes longer each night than other exercisers.
Schedule worry time during the day, in the kitchen We're not kidding. In your mind is accustomed to revving up sleep-robbing anxiety in bed, retrain your brain by moving your worry session to another place and time. Try midmorning at the kitchen table - pour a mug of soothing camomile tea with honey, grab a notebook and open and write out your worries. This will clear your mind and break the
Sleep in a pill
Sleep aids are among the most prescribed medications today, and for good reason - they are good short-term option for insomnia, particularly if it's linked to issues such as stress. But the remember - you primary remedies for chronic bad sleep are lifestyle changes and fixing the underlying causes. Vow never to rely on pills alone to solve your sleep problems.
If your doctor does recommend medication, it should be the lowest effective dose and should be taken only for a short period - tolerance to the drug's effects may develop after only a few days, which can reduce their effectiveness, and once you stop using them you may develop a 'rebound' bout of insomnia, with disturbed sleep and perhaps vivid creams fro some time before a normal pattern is re-established. Don't forget to ask your doctor whether the pill will make you drowsy the next day; several do.
If you think you need sleeping pills, it's a sign that you should see your doctor about your sleep problems. But don't be surprised if the prescription isn't for the pill but rather for cognitive behavioural therapy, a mind-over-body approach to the problem that's been proven to work better than prescription sleeping drugs in older people.
link between bed, night and worry. If thoughts keep popping up to stop you sleeping at night. Keep a
notebook by your bed and write them down so you can think about them during the day.
Make herbal tea or water your drink of choice after lunchtime Ditch coffee as well as other caffeine sources as chocolate, colas and other soft drinks, and black, green or white tea. Even small amounts of caffeine may keep you up late, and older people may be more sensitive to it. Caffeine blocks a brain chemical called adenosine that helps us feel drowsy and full asleep, and the effect may last longer in older people, whose livers don't filter caffeine as effectively. Instead, sip some chamomile tea, which contains ingredients proven to calm the nervous system and which can induce sleep.
Instead of an evening cocktail, have a glass of wine with an early supper Drinking before bed may help you to fall asleep, but as the alcohol wears off, you're likely to have light, easily broken sleep. If you enjoy a drink, have one with supper a few hours before bed.
Drink more water during the day and less in the evening If you have diabetes, an enlarged prostate, incontinence or even standard 'tiny bladder syndrome' (the bladder shrinks with age), you may get up frequently to urinate, then have trouble falling back to sleep. Try drinking more water during the day so you don't feel thirsty in the hour or so before you turn in. That way, you may have fewer slumber interruptions without risking dehydration.
To soothe yourself before bed
Soften the mood Two hours before bedtime, switch on the answering machine, turn off the television or computer, pull on your softest PJs and turn on your favourite relaxing sounds. In one recent study of 52 women over the age of 70, those who listened to quiet music fell asleep faster and had fewer middle-of-the night awakenings than before they started scheduling listening time. The best music?
Whatever soothes you, whether it's Frank Sinatra, Amy Winehouse, jazz or Debussy.
Try progressive relaxation Sit in a comfortable chair with both feet on the floor or lie on your sofa or bed. Inhale and exhale naturally. After a few minutes, systematically tighten a muscle group as you inhale, then relax it completely as you exhale. Progressively loosen and tighten both feet, your lower legs, upper legs then work your way up to your back, arms, neck and shoulders and even your face. Then continue to breathe naturally, feeling any remaining tension ebb away.
Next, combine progressive relaxation with music When 60 women and men with sleep problems listened to soft, slow music while they performed a relaxation exercise, their heartbeats and breathing rates slowed - and they slept better and for longer.
Soak in a hot bath Immersing yourself in warm water an hour or two before bed helps the blood vessels to dilate so your body can release heat - part of the natural cooling down that precedes sleep.
Take a supplement with 500mg of calcium and 300mg of magnesium Magnesium is a natural sedative - even a slight shortfall can leave you lying in bed with your eyes wide open - while calcium helps to regulate muscle movements. Getting plenty of both minerals can also cut your risk of night-time leg cramps. Take a supplement right before bed.
Enjoy a bedtime snack Have some walnuts, a banana or a glass of milk - all rich sources of the sleep-inducing amino acid tryptophan. (Bananas are also packed with melatonin, the sleep hormone.) If incontinence or frequent bathroom visits aren't a problem, have a glass of water - but not juice. In one study, people who drank juice just before bedtime became extra-alert due to the high sugar content.
Take antacids right after dinner, not before bed Some antacids, contain aluminium, which appears to interfere with sleep.
Make your pre-sleep rituals soothing and joyful
Got cold feet? Wear warm sock to bed. Researchers at the Psychiatric University Clinic in Basel, Switzerland, found that when blood vessels in the feet dilate late in the evening, the body can effectively cool down and get ready for sleep. Putting on socks can help to make the blood vessels widen and radiate heat.
Scent your sheets with lavender Place a single drop of lavender essential oil on your pillow or spray your sheets with lavender water before you turn in. Studies at the University of Leicester and the Smell and Taste Research Center in Chicago found that this soothing botanical works as well as sleeping pills for quelling insomnia and tension.
Or infuse your bedroom with jasmine Other studies suggest that a faint jasmine aroma may work better than lavender to help you to drift off, and stay more alert the following day. Try a scented oil stick or place a few drops of jasmine essential oil in a cup of hot water by your bed.
Interview your partner Ask whether you stop breathing, jiggle your legs or wiggle your body while asleep. Millions of people have obstructive sleep apnoea, which causes brief intrerruptions in breathing through the night and which over time can raise the odds of getting high blood pressure and heart disease. Wiggly legs or night-time thrashing could also be signs of restless legs syndrome or another movement disorder. If your partner confirms a problem, talk to your GP. An evaluation and treatment could make all the difference to your sleep, and your health.
Kick out Fluffy and Fido A 2002 study found that one in five pet owners sleep with their pets - or more accurately, don't sleep, because their pets are on the bed or in the room. It could be sneeze-provoking cat dander or the patter of little Labradoodle feet, but the study found something more incriminating: 21 percent of the dogs and 7 percent of the cats snored.
To live a sleep-friendly lifestyle
Take a walk after lunch, then read the paper on the patio Exercise cuts stress, and getting exercise in the sun can help to keep your body's circadian rhythms calibrated. You need about 2 hours of daily exposure to bright sunlight to help your body to stay in tune. In the winter, or if you can't get outdoors, consider buying a light box - it radiates light that mimics the brightness and wavelengths of natural sunlight.
Or try tal chi on the lawn In China, people rise at dawn to perform this series of ancient, gentle, dance-like movements in local parks. The sleep bonus: tai chi beat a low-impact exercise class for improving sleep in a study of 118 women and men aged 60-92. People who did tai chi three times a week for six months fell alseep 18 minutes faster and slept for 48 minutes longer each night than other exercisers.
Schedule worry time during the day, in the kitchen We're not kidding. In your mind is accustomed to revving up sleep-robbing anxiety in bed, retrain your brain by moving your worry session to another place and time. Try midmorning at the kitchen table - pour a mug of soothing camomile tea with honey, grab a notebook and open and write out your worries. This will clear your mind and break the
Sleep in a pill
Sleep aids are among the most prescribed medications today, and for good reason - they are good short-term option for insomnia, particularly if it's linked to issues such as stress. But the remember - you primary remedies for chronic bad sleep are lifestyle changes and fixing the underlying causes. Vow never to rely on pills alone to solve your sleep problems.
If your doctor does recommend medication, it should be the lowest effective dose and should be taken only for a short period - tolerance to the drug's effects may develop after only a few days, which can reduce their effectiveness, and once you stop using them you may develop a 'rebound' bout of insomnia, with disturbed sleep and perhaps vivid creams fro some time before a normal pattern is re-established. Don't forget to ask your doctor whether the pill will make you drowsy the next day; several do.
If you think you need sleeping pills, it's a sign that you should see your doctor about your sleep problems. But don't be surprised if the prescription isn't for the pill but rather for cognitive behavioural therapy, a mind-over-body approach to the problem that's been proven to work better than prescription sleeping drugs in older people.
link between bed, night and worry. If thoughts keep popping up to stop you sleeping at night. Keep a
notebook by your bed and write them down so you can think about them during the day.
Make herbal tea or water your drink of choice after lunchtime Ditch coffee as well as other caffeine sources as chocolate, colas and other soft drinks, and black, green or white tea. Even small amounts of caffeine may keep you up late, and older people may be more sensitive to it. Caffeine blocks a brain chemical called adenosine that helps us feel drowsy and full asleep, and the effect may last longer in older people, whose livers don't filter caffeine as effectively. Instead, sip some chamomile tea, which contains ingredients proven to calm the nervous system and which can induce sleep.
Instead of an evening cocktail, have a glass of wine with an early supper Drinking before bed may help you to fall asleep, but as the alcohol wears off, you're likely to have light, easily broken sleep. If you enjoy a drink, have one with supper a few hours before bed.
Drink more water during the day and less in the evening If you have diabetes, an enlarged prostate, incontinence or even standard 'tiny bladder syndrome' (the bladder shrinks with age), you may get up frequently to urinate, then have trouble falling back to sleep. Try drinking more water during the day so you don't feel thirsty in the hour or so before you turn in. That way, you may have fewer slumber interruptions without risking dehydration.
To soothe yourself before bed
Soften the mood Two hours before bedtime, switch on the answering machine, turn off the television or computer, pull on your softest PJs and turn on your favourite relaxing sounds. In one recent study of 52 women over the age of 70, those who listened to quiet music fell asleep faster and had fewer middle-of-the night awakenings than before they started scheduling listening time. The best music?
Whatever soothes you, whether it's Frank Sinatra, Amy Winehouse, jazz or Debussy.
Try progressive relaxation Sit in a comfortable chair with both feet on the floor or lie on your sofa or bed. Inhale and exhale naturally. After a few minutes, systematically tighten a muscle group as you inhale, then relax it completely as you exhale. Progressively loosen and tighten both feet, your lower legs, upper legs then work your way up to your back, arms, neck and shoulders and even your face. Then continue to breathe naturally, feeling any remaining tension ebb away.
Next, combine progressive relaxation with music When 60 women and men with sleep problems listened to soft, slow music while they performed a relaxation exercise, their heartbeats and breathing rates slowed - and they slept better and for longer.
Soak in a hot bath Immersing yourself in warm water an hour or two before bed helps the blood vessels to dilate so your body can release heat - part of the natural cooling down that precedes sleep.
Take a supplement with 500mg of calcium and 300mg of magnesium Magnesium is a natural sedative - even a slight shortfall can leave you lying in bed with your eyes wide open - while calcium helps to regulate muscle movements. Getting plenty of both minerals can also cut your risk of night-time leg cramps. Take a supplement right before bed.
Enjoy a bedtime snack Have some walnuts, a banana or a glass of milk - all rich sources of the sleep-inducing amino acid tryptophan. (Bananas are also packed with melatonin, the sleep hormone.) If incontinence or frequent bathroom visits aren't a problem, have a glass of water - but not juice. In one study, people who drank juice just before bedtime became extra-alert due to the high sugar content.
Take antacids right after dinner, not before bed Some antacids, contain aluminium, which appears to interfere with sleep.
Make your pre-sleep rituals soothing and joyful
No comments:
Post a Comment