Top 15 Sleeping Tips

[bobby231]

Follow the below 15 tips -

1. Wake up at the same time every morning.
2. Exercise regularly and be sure to complete your workout a few hours before bedtime.
3. Eat right and be sure to avoid large meals two to three hours before bedtime. If you get hungry, have a light snack before bed.
4. Avoid taking naps during the day, especially if you’re having trouble sleeping at night.
5. Avoid caffeine too close to bedtime as it tends to keep you awake.
6. Avoid alcohol and nicotine, which lead to poor, disruptive sleep.
7. Keep computers, televisions, phones and other work-related materials out of your bedroom.
8. Engage in a relaxing bedtime ritual to help you fall asleep. This might include aromatherapy, listening to music, meditation or soaking in a hot bath.
9. Go to sleep when you feel tired. If possible, go to sleep at the same time every night.
10. Make sure your mattress set and pillows are comfortable and supportive.
11. Make sure your bedroom is dark, quiet and at a comfortable temperature.
12. If you can’t fall asleep, get out of bed, go into another room and do something relaxing until you feel sleepy.
13. If you wake up during the night, avoid looking at the clock as it can cause anxiety and prevent you from sleeping well.
14. If you still have trouble sleeping, try keeping a sleep diary.
15. If you have further concerns, consult a doctor for advice.

[chunkyfrog]

Citation, please.

[LSAT]

Bobby thinks up all these things while he is trying to get to sleep.

[Goofproof]

Bobby thinks up all these things while he is trying to get to sleep.

He doesn't think, he just copy and paste the thoughts of others that get paid to write filler for crap papers.

Screwed up, #1 Don't have a Sleep Disorder!!!!! Jim

How big a hole is that we are trying to fill up with attention. Must be a Black Hole!

[TASmart]

#9 Go to sleep when you are tired, try to go to bed at the same time each night.

If I am not tired at bedtime should I follow the first part or the second part? I am so confused, and when I am confused I cannot sleep.

[robysue]

Bobby thinks up all these things while he is trying to get to sleep.

He doesn't think, he just copy and paste the thoughts of others that get paid to write filler for crap papers.

Screwed up, #1 Don't have a Sleep Disorder!!!!! Jim

Bingo!

And I'll add: #1 addendum: Whatever you do, don't have MULTIPLE sleep disorders at the same time!

[chunkyfrog]

Easier said than done!
Maybe they should be studying people who can sleep easily, rather than those who can't.

[robysue]

#9 Go to sleep when you are tired, try to go to bed at the same time each night.

If I am not tired at bedtime should I follow the first part or the second part? I am so confused, and when I am confused I cannot sleep.

I'm going to treat this one as a real question. Because "Go to bed at the same time each night" and "Go to sleep only when you are sleepy" are on many, many "good sleep hygiene lists out there all over the internet and on lists handed out by doctor's offices every day.

If you are NOT fighting severe insomnia problems AND your established bedtime is an appropriate bedtime, then quite frankly, you'll probably be sleepy around bedtime most nights. On the rare nights where you're not sleepy at bedtime, it doesn't much matter if you go to bed (as long as you don't get too frustrated if it takes longer than usual to fall asleep) or stay up. Either way, you'll probably get a decent night's sleep and your sleep pattern will return to normal quickly enough in the next few days.

But for folks with serious insomnia problems, this dilemma of whether to go to bed at "bedtime" even when you're not sleepy or stay up until you are sleepy is a HUGE issue. Back when I was doing serious CBT-Insomnia, the PA and I talked about these two "bedtime rules" at some length. This is what I was told to do, and it *did* have a very positive effect on helping tame my insomnia monster:

1. I had an established, "desired" bedtime of 1:30 AM. In my case I was not supposed to go to bed any earlier than 1:30 regardless of how sleepy I was. (Most of the time, this was not an issue since sleep onset isomnia was a huge issue for me.)
2. If I was NOT sleepy at 1:30, I was NOT supposed to go to bed until I was sleepy---regardless of how late I stayed up.
3. I was supposed to get up at my established, "desired" wake up time (of 7:30 AM) regardless of how much or how little sleep I got the night before. This was to encourage me to learn how to get sleepy around my desired bedtime. [This was ---and remains--- the most important rule for keeping my bedtimes more or less under control, although my desired wake up time is now more like 8:30-9:00 due to a late teaching schedule.]
4. If I had a horrible night on, say Monday, I was supposed to take an Ambien at 1:30 and go to bed on "on time" the next night (i.e. on Tuesday.)

[chunkyfrog]

Unfortunately, CBT takes lots of discipline.
I know I wouldn't have enough.

[robysue]

Unfortunately, CBT takes lots of discipline.
I know I wouldn't have enough.

At the time it was CBT-I, start taking a large dose of Ambien every night, or chuck the CPAP altogether.

I'm glad I did the CBT-I. But it does take a lot of discipline. And I feel like I used up an awful lot of my lifetime supply of discipline back then. Keeping the insomina-monster (mostly) under control is easier having done all the CBT-I. But, alas, it's still not easy to really crack down on some of the things I know I need to do when that monster starts rattling its cage.

[Captain_Midnight]

B231's post seems well-intentioned, and veteran posters might give him a break (and newer visitors might offer a thanks.)

Sometimes, sleep-time preps seem a bit over-prescribed to me, but that's just me. These might be quite helpful to some new or lurking visitors.

What do I do before conking-out? I get out my trusty ipad, check my emails, and then set to work on the latest online crossword. Works for me, and what works for you is fine w me.