Suggestions On How To Obtain A More Restful Night's Sleep

An old favorite quote from a movie I loved growing up simply says, "If you don't sleep, you go crazy." As someone who has suffered from various sleep problems throughout my life, I can testify to the truth of that statement. Nothing drives me to the edge like having to face a long day after a poor night's sleep.

And the trouble is that the factors behind restful sleep are so complex. Further, it becomes a vicious cycle as we continually get inadequate sleep, creating more stress, which in turn causes the quality of each night to decline.

Having a restful, rejuvenating sleep doesn't have to elude you for another night. Here are a few things to consider and to try each night as you climb into bed.

Do you read every night before lights out? Well, take a look at what it is you are reading. If you are reading a mystery or a psychological thriller, chances are, your wheels are going to be spinning for awhile.

Actually, any book can keep you more wound up, even when you are reading to go to sleep. Try trading the novel for a magazine or newspaper and just read a few short stories.

Research shows that the ritual of reading can help signal to your brain that it's time for sleep, but keeping your reading intake to something simple and straightforward--like a magazine article--will also slow down your cognition so you aren't up all night itching to know who the murderer really is in the mystery-thriller you had to put down.

If the stress in your day-to-day life is keeping you awake at night, try keeping a journal. This will not only provide you with an additional ritual to signal to your body that you are nearing bedtime; it will also help to clear your head and release the stressfulness of that particular day.

Avoid keeping the television blaring all night. The light from the screen can actually disrupt your circadian rhythms--which are what help your body to know when to get up and when to go to sleep--and the noise can often keep your ears pricked and listening, even if you consciously think of it just as background noise.

If you really want background noise, go for soft white noise, like a fan or even a small fountain or try soft music. If you are worried about disturbing a partner, then use an mp3 player with headphones which are comfortable even while you are sleeping.

And the last thing you need to try is establishing a sleep pattern. Go to bed around the same time each night and arise at about the same time each morning. This will help to strengthen your body's signals to begin releasing hormones which induce sleep.