How to Sleep Better at Nights - Health - Wellness

How to Sleep Better at Nights   by issa

in Health / Wellness    (submitted 2010-03-20)

If you ever wake up in the morning feeling more tired than ever, you are not the only one. When statistics show that nearly 2 out of 3 Americans suffer sleep disorders like insomnia, sleep apnea, and many more - one can only make a wild guess. The fact is that people are getting poor sleep each night and it can really take a toll on one's daily life. So, you have seen a sleep doctor, watched out your diet, exercised, and skipped bad foods... and yet, nothing seems to work?

There are alternative, and mostly unheard of, solutions that will help you get that quality sleep back into your life, without having you resort and depend on sleeping pills. Did you know that even the material of your mattress and pillow can have a great effect on how you sleep at nights? Even the lighting and acoustics inside your room can have a great effect on the way you sleep. As a rule of the thumb, you need to sleep in a place free from the slightest distraction you can ever get.

How to Get Better Sleep at Nights?

These solutions may be something new for you, but which can help you achieve better sleeps for good:

1. Sound Therapy

There is a good reason why music can give you that feel-good factor. Studies show that music has an overwhelming effect on the brain, by harnessing the brain waves that help us feel much more relaxed. You can listen to any soothing music you love, or you may take one step closer to deep sleep and relaxation through the science of binaural music.

2. Acupressure

This ancient Chinese healing technique uses pressure on the key points of your body to stimulate natural healing. You can do the "Inner Gate" technique where you apply gentle pressure, using your right thumb, between the two tendons located on the inside of your left forearm. Hold it for five minutes as you breathe deeply. Repeat this on the other forearm.

3. Natural Sedative

Skip all those sleeping pills and go for Jujube seeds. The Chinese believes that when the heart is weak, the spirit become restless, which is the reason why you become sleepless. Jujube seed is believed to calm the spirit and help you achieve a good night's sleep. You can buy this in health food shops, or from acupuncturists or Chinese herbalists. Some of it are combined with other natural herbs, which come with a typical dosage of 500 mg a day. You can also try drinking Chamomile tea before you doze off to sleep.

4. Clearing Out Your Mind

There are some people who can't help ruminating over things that worries or angers them. They just try thinking of even the most trivial things, even when their bodies demand for rest and sleep. This negative emotion creates an energy that stays in the brain, causing a person to be sleepless. In the long run, it can turn into insomnia. You can try deep breathing exercises as you think of nothing else but sleep, or you may try a stress-release meditation CD to guide you into the blissfulness of sleep.

5. Sleep Restriction Therapy

This may be an unorthodox technique, but it can help you retrain your body and find its minimum sleep threshold. By depriving your body of a 24-hour sleep cycle, you will build all those sleep chemicals inside you that makes you desire sleep. This is like hitting the restart button of your PC. By minimizing your sleep, you help regulate your sleeping and waking cycle - until it normalizes to the way you want it to be.

Know that it is always best to talk to your doctor when considering any alternative ways for you to sleep better. Sometimes, you should resist the urge to nap since it can hurt your ability to sleep when needed. You'll just end up lying awake when it is already time to sleep. Having a healthy lifestyle and going for healthy choices will surely be your ally in getting a sound sleep. Get more zzz's into your life!