Tricks to Get Better Sleep
By Randi Morse
The average American simply doesn't get enough sleep every night. Not only are we busy furthering our careers and caring for our families, we also hate to go to sleep because we enjoy that short window of free relaxation time we get every evening. A big problem with this is that we create habits. If you've gotten into the bad habit of going to bed late every evening only to find yourself waking up tired, here are a few tricks and tips that can help you retrain your body so that you go to bed a bit earlier and sleep a bit better.
Go Back Slowly
If you are going to bed every night at midnight, you can't expect to be able to fall asleep two hours earlier. This is why it's a good idea to retrain your body by moving your bedtime back slowly. If you work on Monday through Friday schedule, plan to begin your sleep retraining on Sunday evening. If you normally go to bed at midnight, go to bed instead at 11:45 p.m.. Do this for the entire week. Then, the following Sunday, go to bed at 11:30 p.m.. Move your bedtime back by 15 minutes every week until you've gotten to the perfect bedtime.
Watch the Eating
One problem that I had when it came to getting enough sleep is snacking before bed. For some reason my body always craved something to eat right before I went to sleep, so I would take a little sweet treat to bed with me. Your stomach has to work to digest food, which means if you eat right before bed you are ensuring that your stomach has to do work while you are sleeping. This prevents you from getting solid, deep sleep. If you know that you've gotten into the habit of having a snack right before bed, start planning your snacking time instead. For example, if you go to bed at 10:30 every night, plan to have a small snack around 8 p.m.. This way you are giving your body plenty of time to digest the snack you've eaten while preventing that nighttime craving.
Getting to bed early, and getting enough sleep, is vitally important for both your physical health and your mental health. You'll be able to feel the difference when you wake up without feeling groggy.
To learn more about your health, wellness and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in St. George, Utah.