Stimulating control of the sleep 1.- Go to bed only when you feel sleepy. Not because you are bored, or you thing it's time for bed or it's getting late or in order to try to get to sleep: it's nearly impossible to get sleepy while you are in bed. (I wait till the first yawn). 2.- If you can't get to sleep or keep it after 15 minutes get up, and go back to bed only when you feel sleepy again. Repeat this as many times as you need it during the night. ( Hard task but absolutely necessary and useful). 3.- Keep regular the time to get up in the morning. ( Do set the alarm clock). 4.- Use bed only for sleep or sexual relations; do not watch TV or listen radio or eat or read in the bed. 5.- Do not have a siesta during the day. Some extra tips: 1.- The fear of can't get to sleep keeps awake. So, don't worry if you can't get to sleep. Try not to think, just relax, feel the comfort and pleasure of being in bed, and abandon yourself. 2.- About diet: a.- Light supper; at least two hours before going to bed. b.- Do avoid coffee, tea, chocolate and caffeine drinks after noon. c-. Consume enough proteins: about 1 mg. per kg of weight per day, distributed in different meals. Especially food rich in Tryptophan, an essential amino acid precursor for serotonin and melatonin, that is involved in the get to sleep. Food rich in Tryptophan: eggs, turkey, chicken, blue fish, milk (famous glass of warm milk before going to bed), oats, wheat, chikpeas, peas, soya, potatoes, cabbage, bananas, pumkin, nuts and dried fruit, sesame, etc. d.- Relaxings infusions as valerian, lime tea, etc. may help too. 3-. Do not stay up very late irregularly. Take care on weekends. It's important to normalize the biorhythms. 4.- Make moderate exercise in the evening. Evening exercise is more effective in order to get to sleep than the morning one. In any case it should never be exhausting, excessive tiredness disturbs the sleep. 5.- Not to make tasks that requires much activation or concentration during the hour before sleep . 6.- Avoid situations that activate or involve emotions. 7.- To wash one's feet in warm water. ( It's quite relaxing). 8.- To air the bedroom during the day. Sleep is quite paradoxical, like will-o'-the-wisp: if you pursue it, it will run away, if you flee from it, it will pursue you.
Thanks for layin it all out like that. I think I can use a lot of that information right now, I'm dealin with some sort of weird insomnia-esque thing and have been laying in bed for 3-4 hours every night without sleep. So, thanks.
Anxiety is a major cause of sleeplessness too. It is mainly produced by irrational thoughts, thoughts that we say ourselves without considering if they are rational or not. We must be aware of these thoughts and to fight against them through discussing and arguing them, and swap them for sensibles thoughts. This is the object of the cognitive psychology and therapy. Anxiety and stress are dealed too through relaxation techniques. Relaxation is incompatible with stress, it is impossible to feel your body relaxed and that your mind be stressed.
Those weren't the greatest sleep tips. The number one tip is try and get into a rythem or routine when sleeping meaning go to sleep at the same time every night. And even if you can't sleep at that time just sit there for a half hour and you will eventually fall asleep.
