More Tips for Getting a Good Night's Sleep

Last time we learned some hints for getting to sleep on those nights when you have trouble dropping off.

Let's review:

• Always sleep in a dark room
• Keep writing tools by your bed to write down those worrying thoughts, or plans for tomorrow or sudden brainstorms.
• Don't eat or drink anything 3 hours prior to bedtime, to eliminate heavy digestion and trips to the bathroom
• Try different relaxation techniques while lying in bed
• Exercise about 2 hours before bedtime
• Take a bath
• Trust in God.

Here are a few more.

7. Establish a regular bedtime, and be consistent.

Your body will eventually get used to when you expect to go to sleep. They say habits take 21 days to become established, so be sure to give it at least that long.

8. Get up at a regular time. Do not try to sleep in every day to make up for lost sleep. It just doesn't work.

But if you get up at your usual time, you will be that much more tired in the evening. You can make it through the day being tired, and it will help you go to sleep more easily later that night.

9. Try eating foods or taking a supplement temporarily containing Tryptophan. Tryptophan is an essential amino acid that must be present in the brain for sleep to occur. This may be because it is a precursor for Seratonin, which can be converted to Melatonin.

Good food sources of Tryptophan include:

Apricots
Bananas
Cucumbers
Celery
Onions
Sesame seeds (among the highest levels)
Walnuts
Almonds
Tomatoes
Kelp
Dried pumpkin seeds
Raw mushrooms

and there are others.

10. There are many herbal remedies and teas that you can try; some people find them effective, some don't. Try different ones and see what might work for you.

Melatonin supplements should only be taken for a short period of time, as there is concern that if taken for too long (over a month at a time), the body will stop producing it on its own, and you will be worse off than when you started.

11. Try rubbing a good quality lavender oil into your temples, or better yet ask your spouse to do it for you! This may not put you to sleep, but it certainly will relax you.

Daub some of the oil onto your pillow (be sure it won't stain, first) or a handkerchief that you put next to your pillow.

12. Instead of the old hot chocolate made with cow's milk, try this recipe:

Make some raw sesame seed and almond milk. After straining the nut milk, put the liquid back into the VitaMix blender.

Add raw carob powder, half a vanilla bean, a little cinnamon, and either a couple of pitted dates or a little stevia for sweetness.

Now blend on high until the mixture warms up. This is delicious and comforting, and may even help!

Well, I hope these tips have been helpful to you. I would love to hear from you if they have. And let me know if you have some of your own!

Sweet dreams!

Phyllis Towse