Healthy Lifestyle

Sleep is important but having enough of it is just as important. Sleep experts say that most people function adequately on 7.5 hours sleep or less. It is said that healthy adults typically fall asleep in about ten minutes. Studies have shown that about one-third adults report they normally sleep less than 6.5 hours during the week and make up for lost sleep on weekends.

Sleep is an essential biological process for good health, mental and emotional functioning and safety. Lack of sleep has been associated with accidents by drivers, poor performance and reduced productivity at school and work.

Sleep Helps

A United Press International survey of 71 sleep specialists has produced a number of suggestions that could help you into the land of sleeping. They include:

• Follow a routine of retiring and rising on a timeline that does not deviate by more than two hours each day, even on weekends.
• Avoid caffeine, nicotine and alcohol, which suppresses deep sleep, within three to six hours, and heavy meals within three hours, of bedtime.
• Use your bed for resting or sleeping, not for doing extra office work, watching television or playing video games (unless it helps you doze off).
• Exercise moderately for 30 minutes a day, but no later than three hours before lights out.
• Sip warm milk, herb tea or other non-caffeinated drinks before turning in for the night to raise body temperature and help transport you to dreamland.
• Nibble on bananas, turkey, peanut butter or other foods rich in tryptophan, a compound that produces a natural sedative effect.
• Refrain from naps when you get home from work or school because they can reduce “sleep pressure” and, hence, your subsequent ability to drift off for the night.
• Put your work aside two to three hours before you go to sleep.
• If sleep fails to claim you within 20 minutes, get out of bed and read for a while, selecting soothing rather than stimulating material.
• A massage, meditation, soothing music, yoga, positive imagery, biofeedback, a warm bath or other techniques may help the brain unwind.
• Write out a “worry list” of bothersome matters half an hour before bedtime and deal with it before your head hits the pillow.
• Keep the room quiet, dark and cool, and wear socks to sleep to keep toes warm.
• Consult a doctor before taking melatonin, which may produce insomnia if given at the wrong time, or other sleep aides, which may prove ineffective, unhealthy or habit forming.
• Dim the lights two or three hours before bedtime and get out in bright sunshine for five to 30 minutes as soon as you arise to help set your brain’s internal clock to your asleep- wake schedule.
• Visit a sleep specialist if slumber continues to elude you.