Originally published December 18 2005
Sleep experts offer advice on how to prepare your body for rest
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
South Florida's Sun-Sentinel consulted with sleep behavior specialists to come up this list of practical tips that will help you avoid sleeplessness.
Limit your time awake in bed.
"After 20 minutes, people get frustrated, and that gets connected with their beds and perpetuates the problem," says Saul Rothenberg, a behavioral sleep medicine specialist at Long Island Jewish Medical Center in New Hyde Park.
Instead, if you haven't fallen asleep in 20 minutes, get up, read a boring book, listen to quiet music or participate in some other non-stimulating activity in dim light.
Don't try to overcompensate for a night of poor sleep.
Instead, just stick to your regular schedule, going to sleep at the same time and waking up at the same time.
"Bouncing between too little and too much sleep perpetuates sleep problems," Rothenberg says.
# Avoid alcohol for at least three to four hours before bedtime.
"Alcohol promotes your ability to fall asleep, but it can lead to much more disruptive sleep later at night," says Dr. Michael Weinstein, director of Winthrop University Hospital's Sleep Disorders Center in Mineola.
"When you exercise, your body temperature rises," explains Weinstein.
It's easier to fall asleep as your temperature lowers and the body cools off.
# Practice relaxation techniques such as meditation, yoga and deep breathing.
"If you focus on a relaxation exercise, you can prevent yourself from thinking and worrying about things that keep you awake at night," Rothenberg says.
# Don't spend time before bed in front of fluorescent lights or a bright computer screen.
Light suppresses the body's production of melatonin, a hormone released by the pineal gland that promotes sleep.
# Avoid napping, especially after 3 p.m.
If you must, keep naps to less than an hour.
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