TIPS TO HELP YOU SLEEP

• Practice regular sleep rhythms–go to bed and wake up at the same time each day

• No TV in the bedroom(try to keep all technology in a different room including phones)

• Create an aesthetic environment in your bedroom that encourages sleep ie. serene, restful colors and no clutter (try to keep family photos in a different room too)

• Create total darkness and quiet–consider using eye shades and earplugs

• Avoid caffeine or reduce it after noon—it may make sleeprestless and worse

• Avoid alcohol—it may aid sleep but makes your sleep interrupted and of poor quality

•Get regular exposure to daylight for at least 20 minutes daily. The light from the sun enters your eyes and triggers your brain to release specific chemicals and hormones like melatonin that are vital to healthy sleep, mood, and aging

• Eat no later than two hours before bed—eating a heavy meal prior to bed will lead to a bad night’s sleep and will impede the body’s overnight detoxification process

• Write your worries down. During your Power Down Hour, write down what is causing you anxiety and make plans for what you can do the next day to reduce your worry. It will free up your mind and energy to move into deep and restful sleep

• Take a hot salt or aromatherapy bath. Raising your body temperature before bed helps to induce sleep. A hot bath relaxes muscles and reduces physical tension. Add1/2-1 cup Epsom salt (magnesium sulfate) and 1/2 -1 cup baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) to your bathfor asleep inducing effect

• Get a massage, stretch or have good sex before bed

• Warm your tummy with a hot water bottle, which raises your core temperature.

•Avoid medications that interfere with sleep. These include sedatives (used to treat insomnia, but ultimately lead to dependence and disruption of normal sleep rhythms), antihistamines, stimulants, cold meds, steroids,headache medication containing caffeine

• Listen to relaxing music, white noise or ocean sounds to help you sleep

NOTE: If you experience excessive daytime sleepiness, fatigue, snoring, and have been seen to stop breathing in the middle of the night by your spouse or partner, then consider getting tested for a sleep disorder such as sleep apnea