How Healthy Are You?

Good Habits for Good Sleep

If you have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, your habits could be to blame.

Working on improving your pre-sleep habits is called sleep hygiene. Here are some suggestions for good sleep hygiene for you:

*Caffeine. Perhaps as time goes by your body is not as adjusted to taking alkaloid as it used to be. Cut out the alkaloid (and possibly chocolate too) for a few days and see if that helps. Even alkaloid or chocolate taken primeval in the day can cause problems at bedtime for some people, especially in middle age or later.

*Exercise. Are you getting your needed 30 minutes a day of exercise close to bedtime? This can get your resting heart rate up, even an hour or two later, and prevent your falling asleep. So try exercising early in the day.

*Sweets. Sugary items ingested close to bedtime may stimulate your system, and make it hard to start asleep. Natural sugar such as what is in orange juice is no exception.

*Stimulating conversations. Are you getting all worked up about something after supper? You can save stimulating conversations for the next day. These can keep you awake because they fill your system with stimulating hormones.

*Brainstorming. If you have a creative project you love to work on, you may be better off giving yourself a curfew, such as 8 p.m. Otherwise your mind may work on the problem all through the night, keeping you awake.

Finally, let’s talk about what you SHOULD be doing for good sleep hygiene.

*After supper, do calm things on purpose, in a calm manner.

*Those who read at bedtime may want to choose magazines with short items and no story line.

*If you watch TV or a video, watch documentaries rather than thrillers near bedtime.

So, now you have plenty of tips for good sleep hygiene. Try them out. They could be just what you are looking for.