10 Natural Ways to Sleep Better

by Melba Newsome

Get the Sleep You Need

According to the Centers for Disease Control, more than one-third of US adults routinely sleep fewer than seven hours a night. The benefits of adequate sleep range frombetter heart health and less stress to better memory and weight loss. Stop loading up on caffeine or sneaking naps and use our top tips to help get the shut-eye you need to manage your health.

10. Develop a Sleep Routine

It might seem tempting, but sleeping until noon on Saturday will only disrupt your biological clock and cause more sleep problems. Going to bed at the same time every night–even on weekends–helps set your internal sleep-wake clock and reduces the amount of tossing and turning required to fall asleep.

9. Move It!

Researchers in Northwestern University’s Department of Neurobiology and Physiology reported that sedentary adults who got aerobic exercise four times a week improved their sleep quality from poor to good. These former couch potatoes also reported fewer depressive symptoms, more vitality, and less sleepiness in the daytime. Be sure to wrap up your workout several hours before bedtime so that you’re not too revved-up to get a good night’s sleep.

8. Change Your Diet

Cut out the food and drinks that contain caffeine--coffee, tea, soft drinks, and chocolate–by late afternoon. Make dinner your lightest meal and finish it a few hours before bedtime. Skip the spicy or heavy foods that can keep you awake with heartburn or indigestion.

7. Don't Smoke

A study found that smokers are four times more likely not to feel as well-rested after a night’s sleep than nonsmokers. Researchers at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine attribute this to the stimulative effect of nicotine and the nighttime withdrawal from it. Smoking also exacerbates sleep apnea and other breathing disorders which make it difficult to get restful sleep.

6. Say "No" to a Nightcap

Alcohol disrupts the pattern of sleep and brain waves that leaves you feeling refreshed in the morning. So, although a martini may help you doze off, research shows that once it wears off, you are likely to wake up and have a hard time getting back to sleep.

5. Become a Luddite an Hour Before Bedtime

A National Science Foundation survey found that nearly everyone uses some type of electronics like a television, computer, video game or cell phone within the hour before bed. That’s a bad idea. The light stimulates the brain, making it harder to wind down for sleep. Putting them away an hour before bedtime will help you fall asleep quicker and sleep more soundly.

4. Become a Bed Miser

One study found that 53 percent of pet owners who sleep with their pets experience sleep disruption every night. More than 80 percent of adults who sleep with children have trouble getting a good night’s sleep. Well, duhhh. Kids and dogs are the biggest bed hogs and worst sleepers imaginable. Both deserve their own sleeping space. Kick them out for their sake and yours.

3. Temperate Trumps Tropical

Eighty degrees may be great for the beach, but it’s lousy for the bedroom. A temperate room is more conducive to sleeping than a tropical one. The NSF recommends a temperature between 54 and 75. It will reduce your core body temperature and help you drift off to sleep. Strike a balance between the thermostat, the bed covers, and your sleeping attire.

2. Go For a Black-Out

Light tells your brain that it’s time to wake up, so make your room as dark as possible for sleep. A recent study from The Ohio State University in Columbus found that even a small amount of ambient light from your cell phone or computer can disrupt the production of melatonin and disrupt sleep.

1. Make Your Bed a Restricted Area

Your bed should be associated with sleep and sex--not working, eating, or TV watching. If you wake up during the night, get up and do something soothing like meditating or reading until you feel sleepy again. No TV or computer.

Credit to : http://www.healthline.com