In order to improve sleep, your mental state upon going to bed is probably the most important factor of all in creating a normal night's sleep. One of the major problems regarding sleep involves human nature itself; that is, most people have nightly dreams in which they are defending themselves against a physical or psychological threat. In other words, we continue to worry about protecting ourselves during the night, even though we are usually far removed from these situations. So to insure a more useful night's sleep, it is essential to reduce our stresses as much as possible.
First, one should establish a pattern of daydreaming that can carry over into the night. We all daydream constantly when our minds are not consume by work, parenting, etc. As in sleep, our daydreams frequently involve controversy, and often violence; we probably create these controversies and conflicts during our daydreams, as though this process is necessary to prepare us for real future battles. Instead of constant hostilities, try to make your daydreams more positive. That is, spend more time stressing goals and aspirations. Make your fantasies more pleasant. Such conditioning during the day will usually carry through the night. Also, when you spend more time constructing positive events in your daydreams, your will be less likely to be as concerned with negative events that are occurring around you that formerly occupied much of your attention.
Secondly, it has been shown that a simple relaxation program at bedtime is as effective for the overwhelming majority of people as the most successful sleeping pills usually lose their effectiveness within several weeks. Also, when you have tow or three minutes of free time in mid-day, following the relaxation method may further relax you and reduce your daytime stresses.
Proceed as follows:
Begin with making yourself very comfortable in bed. Make sure the temperature seems right for you, and if you have cold feet at night wear socks. Close your eyes and begin to concentrate on your entire body becoming slightly heavy and sinking into the mattress.
Start with concentrating on relaxing your scalp. To yourself, say, "Forehead......relax." Then move to your temples, cheeks, chin, tongue, neck, etc., until you relax your way all the way down to your toes.
Then, begin again to relax your scalp, and so forth. After performing this process slowly several times, you will likely fall asleep somewhere in the middle of your progressive relaxation.
Finally, anxiety and stress have their roots in unresolved conflicts (problems not solved to our satisfaction). When we encounter a problem that cannot be resolved at the time it occurs, our brain is not able to truly 'forget' the problem, despite our efforts to do so. Unresolved internal conflicts of any kind is perceived as a threat to our physical existence, even if it is only a simple disagreement with a spouse. The solution is often very simple. Try not to 'over opinionate' regarding life's events. If you aren't directly involved in circumstances, avoid creating and defending opinions that you don't have a direct and significant impact on your life. When you get the urge to be overly opinionated, daydream something pleasant instead.
Sleep Improvement Recommendations
Maintain a proper attitude about sleep. It's OK to loose a night or two of sleep on occasion. Don't be an angry person upon going to bed.
Don't try to sleep (it's impossible) - try only to relax.
Wind down before bedtime. Read a book, watch TV (non-stimulating).
Maintain a regular daytime schedule of eating and exercising.
Avoid coffee and tobacco - especially after 6 p.m.
One alcoholic drink at bedtime is acceptable - three will cause rebound insomnia.
Use bed only for sleep and sexual activity.
If unable to relax in 10 minutes, get out of bed. Read or watch TV, but not a stimulating program, until sleepy.
Wake up the same time every morning, even when not working. Don't extend waking time or bedtime by more than 1 - 2 hours beyond usual waking/bedtime for work or school.
. Do not exercise after 6 p.m.
Avoid napping.
. Keep bedroom temperature at or below 75 degrees.
Remove clocks from bedroom or turn them so they cannot be easily seen.
Avoid hot baths at bedtime.
Keep bedroom darkened and quiet.
If hungry at bedtime, eat a light snack.
. Sleep as much as you need to feel good. Do not feel guilty about going to bed earlier if that is what you need.
Remember, every person requires a different amount of sleep. You may be a short sleeper (less than 6 hours), a long sleeper (greater than 8 hours), or an average sleeper (7 1/2 hours). The only way to calculate how many hours of sleep you require is to sleep as long as possible every night for one week and determine the average number of hours you need to feel rested. After all, Albert Einstein physically required 10 hours of sleep a day.
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