Good Health Means More than Diet and Exercise

Prioritize Your Sleep

Sleep deserves a position right up there with the most important things you do each day. We all know we need sleep (about 8 hours) to repair and regenerate our tissues, to rejuvenate our bodies for the new day to come. If sleep eludes you, especially now as the seasons change, take stock of what you might be doing to prevent it.

I'll start with the usual suspects, behaviors often associated with keeping us awake. Eating or drinking too much before bedtime is definitely a culprit. Exercising, napping or consuming caffeinated products (chocolate, coffee, even tea) too late in the day may also cause sleeplessness.

Establishing a regular pattern of bedtime and waking up is a good place to start. As a matter of fact, there's something to "early to bed, early to rise" after all. The Optimal Wellness Center's Dr. Mercola writes that a recent study of university students found that those who routinely stayed up late and got up late had lower grade point averages.

I've come across some interesting tips in my reading. Some are new, others are tried and true:

Create an environment that promotes sleep.
Make sure your bedroom is peaceful, cool and comfortable. Remove your clock from view; sleep in complete darkness.

Soothe your body.
Hot showers, baths or saunas are good ways. Meditate or practice relaxation techniques. Another good way is to take five slow, deep breaths when first lying down.

Dim the lights before bedtime.
This helps you wind down.

Turn off the TV.
It's too stimulating (someone obviously hasn't see this fall's line-up).

Exercise.
But not within three hours of bedtime.

Eliminate late-evening snacks like grains and sugars.
They might put off sleep by raising blood sugar levels. (But a snack that's high in protein may be beneficial because it's a source of L-tryptophan.)

Journal.
Write down an attainable "to do" list for tomorrow and any thoughts that might trouble you tonight.

Make your bedside reading something spiritual.
For a sense of calm and well being.

Keep your feet warm.
Your feet get cold first and cold feet could wake you up. (Wearing socks should help, but some of my associates think that socks sound very uncomfortable and confining.)

Problems getting to sleep or sleeping through the night should definitely be discussed with your physician and maybe even a sleep therapist. Sleep well; I hope you find the tips helpful or at least interesting.