Tips to improve your sleep from Stress - including Debt Stress
Our current economy, soaring gas prices, debt stress and other challenges we face in 2008 made the reading of the Time article on How Much Sleep Do you Need? very timely.
Stress will affect your ability to sleep well at night: if you are stressed over the course of the day, chances are, you will carry your stress to your sleep.
I have discussed the significance of sleep regulation in other newsletters available in our Executive Health & Wealth site and also introduced sleep as one of the Pillars of Biological Health in Leading under Pressure. In Quantum Wellbeing, I offer additional resources to help relax and find better sleep at night. The following are additional tips that will hopefully enhance your sleep and help you de-stress.
1) If you are drinking more coffee - or energy drinks - during the day to increase your stamina, you may experience problems to fall asleep. Drink up to two caffeinated drinks a day. If you take supplements to enhance your workout, make sure they don’t contain stimulants.
2) If you are taking hypnotics - or alcohol - to fall asleep at night, realize these will affect a normal sleep pattern and will make it more difficult for you to sleep on your own. There are a few medications that replicate a normal sleep pattern and these are not the commonly prescribed benzodiazepines or over-the-counter drugs.
3) Wind down over the course of the evening, avoid over stimulation: avoid watching the news or intense television programs, keep it light and easy. Help your transition to go to sleep.
4) Exercise earlier in the day, if possible, exercising in the evening activates many people and makes it difficult for them to fall asleep later.
5) Make sure you use your bedroom for sleep and sex only: no eating, watching television, or other activities allowed.
6) Create a healthy routine to go to sleep at the same time every night and wake up at the same time every day. If you are a road warrior, make sure you value and prioritize a healthy sleep habit as you globe-trot across meridians.
7) Educate yourself about normal sleep patterns. For instance, it is normal to take 15-40 minutes to fall asleep while you are lying in bed, it is best if you sleep between 6-8 hours at night (no less, no more) and you will need less sleep as you age.
