3) Avoid sweets, juices or chocolate, especially at night. Sugar upsets body chemistry and may cause one to toss and turn or to get up hungry in the middle of the night.
4) Avoid stimulants, particularly in the evening. Stimulants just whip your body. They always result in more tiredness eventually. These include coffee, tea, caffeinated soft drinks, chocolate and sugar in any form. More subtle stimulants include anger, hatred, resentment, worry and fearfulness. Remember this next time you listen to the news or watch a violent movie.
5) Reduce mental activity in the evening. If you have trouble sleeping, it is wise to forgo intense intellectual effort at night. Relax, do light reading or other activities that do not overstimulate the mind.
For example, decide that you must turn off the computer at 6 PM and will only read or watch programs that are relaxing or engage in social activities after 6 or 7 PM.
6) Avoid vigorous exercise in the evening. Better to exercise in the morning or during the day. In the evening , limit exercise to perhaps a gentle walk, an excellent way to end the day.
7) Be sure you are warm enough. This includes your feet. Wear socks if needed or heat your feet with a heater. A warm bath or sauna before bed is also excellent.
8) Make sure your bedroom is dark and quiet. Install black velour fabric behind curtains or use other methods so your sleeping area is dark.
9) Let go of physical tension in the body. One can use natural therapies such as massage, chiropractic, rolfing, jin shin jyutsu and other techniques to reduce tension. At home, one may rub the feet, breathe deeply and do other simple procedures before bed to release tensions.
10) Let go of fears and worry at bedtime. Do your best to leave all problems and concerns behind when you go to sleep. A simple affirmation can be helpful, particularly if repeated for a while so it becomes part of your lifestyle. It could be something like “This day is complete. I now release all worries and concerns to the holy spirit or the higher self and I rest peacefully. I release this day.”
11) Fresh air is helpful and even essential for excellent sleep. Be sure the room is not stuffy. Open a window so that fresh air can enter the room. Cool weather also assists sleep for many people.
12) The type of bed, mattress and pillow can matter a lot. Many mattresses are available to choose from and it is wise to experiment if sleep is a problem. Old sagging mattresses are often the worst. Some can be corrected with a bed board. Most cannot, however. Beware of all natural beds with latex. I bought one but it was too soft.
Newer types of mattresses offer many sleep options. I do not recommend water beds, although many people like them. I don’t think it is ideal to be sleeping on water.
Watch out for toxic mattresses like Tempur-pedic and the copies. These can outgas for months. They bother some people much more than others.
Silk or plain cotton sheets may be a little better than synthetic sheets. Use a Dacron pillow if you are allergic to feathers and foam rubber. Keep pillows clean, as they can accumulate dust mites, germs and more. Place in the washing machine or replace when dirty.
13)If traveling, many people sleep better by bringing their own pillow and even their own sheets or sleep pack if you are not sure how clean the sheets will be. Also bring earplugs, which are great all the time if you need them, and an eye covering device to make sure the room is dark enough.
14) The size and shape of pillows can make a difference. A pillow should not cause undue strain on the neck. Cervical pillows and other types are worth experimenting with.
15) Avoid becoming overtired. When one is overtired, the adrenal glands are overstimulated. One may need to unwind before going to bed in this case.
16) If possible, sleep in in the morning. This one may sound unusual. Here is the explanation. The adrenal glands become active about 5 AM. Many people awaken at this time and want to get going. However, this prevents the adrenals from resting more. It is best to go back to sleep if possible and get up after 7 AM, when the adrenals are less active. One may feel more tired at first, but it will help rest the adrenals.
17) Sleep away from wifi, cell phones, TV sets, computers and all other sources of EMF (electromagnetic fields). Keep these away from your sleep area at least 10-20 feet away.
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