Do You Having Trouble Sleeping?

Ah, sleep the cherished prize at the end of a hard day of work and play. This mentally and physically restful state refreshes our minds and rejuvenates our bodies to begin anew. The importance of this seemingly innocent endeavor is paramount when we discuss its affects on health and well-being. Some of us tend to have no problem falling asleep at the end of the day while others of us struggle night after night, which can lead to some serious health conditions like obesity, depression, heart disease, and diabetes to name a few.

The National Sleep Foundation (NSF) reports while insomnia is linked to health, mood, cognitive performance, and memory problems, sleeplessness is under-recognized and therefore not often discussed by physicians and patients alike. This is not cool as there are more than 40 million people suffering with chronic sleep disorders as well as 30 million more with occasional sleep problems in the United States according to NSF.

Why is this a concern? Well, the NSF reports sleeplessness costs us around 16 billion dollars a year in medical expenses and billions more in driving accidents, work problems, and social activities. The NSF conducted a 2005 poll of American adult drivers finding 168 million people drove while feeling drowsy in the last year with 103 million reporting they actually feel asleep. Pretty scary when the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports, “drowsy driving causes more than 100,000 crashes a year, resulting in 40,000 injuries and 1,550 deaths.” The NHTSA believes the numbers are much higher as driving drowsy is frequently underreported. So what can those of us with insomnia and other sleeping disorders do?

Take action by first consulting with a Sleeping Disorder Physician as there are a few severe sleeping disorders like sleep apnea which may need medical intervention. Several treatment approaches to managing sleep disorders are available which include some life style modifications. A few changes, tweaks, and adjustments to your daily life can aid tremendously in your sleep state. The following suggestions are ways you can help your body, mind, and spirit get the rest it needs to live your best life.

·         Establish a routine daily exercise program, which ends no later than 2-3 hours before bedtime.

·         Eat a wide variety of fresh whole foods including fruits, veggies, fiber, dairy, and meat. Make sure to finish eating approximately 3 hours and drinking liquids 2 hours before bedtime.

·         Reduce/avoid caffeine and alcohol especially close to bedtime. For some individuals, caffeine stays in the body for up to 12 hours.

·         Stop smoking especially close to bedtime as nicotine is a stimulant.

·         Maintain a bedtime and awake time routine as your body’s internal clock functions better.

·         Create a cozy bedroom favorable to sleep which is comfortable, cool, noiseless, and dark. I find a fan blowing in the background helps with periodic noises from outside.

·         Association Technique: If you awake easily during the night or have trouble falling asleep, try getting out of bed and sitting in the other room doing nothing until you become drowse. Also, avoid using your bedroom for watching television, reading, and eating so your mind associates your bedroom with sleep.

·         Progressive Muscle Relaxation Technique: This works well for me and is simply lying in bed, focusing on your breathing, progressively tightening and releasing each muscle group starting with your feet ending with your scalp, and repeating until you drift to sleep. You can also focus on each muscle group going loose and limp as you relax the muscle group.

·         Aromatherapy: Use essential oils as part of your bedtime routine like rubbing on lavender to assist with relaxing.

·         Hydrotherapy: Soaking in hot water an hour or two before bedtime can also help with sleep as hot water can raise the body’s temperature increasing circulation. Taking a hot bath too close to bedtime can actually keep you awake, so make sure to fit in this relaxing activity early in the evening. Check out the new 2008 HydrOasis Hot Tub with 103 Jets available to you from Mybath.biz!

Many of the above suggestions can be found on the NSF’s website by clicking here. Hopefully, these techniques can aid you in getting the sleep your body needs. Thank you for reading the MyBath.biz blog and please send in your questions and comments on this article or topics you would like more information on.

Comments

[Stewart]

I'm an asthma sufferer and these breathing treatments really works. I also found out that I'm not alone when their are alot of people that fall asleep with a fan on. I think personally that the steady hums are put me to sleep.