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Sound Sleep Strategies
Soft Sleep, PowerNap, and Sleep On Demand are examples of a "focusing tools". They are designed to help you fall asleep by re-directing your conscious awareness or attention away from thoughts about not sleeping and toward a composition of soothing sounds and relaxing verbal instruction. We recommend that you listen to the CD when you're having difficulty falling asleep either at the beginning of the night or in the middle of the night if you wake up and can't fall back to sleep easily.
Below are excerpts from Somna's Sleep Strategies Manual. A free guide to helping you fall asleep and rest better found in every Somna product.
1. Keep a regular sleep-wake schedule.
Keeping a regular sleep schedule helps keep your internal sleep-wake rhythm synchronized with the day-night cycle. First, decide on a bedtime and morning wake up time that will allow you to get seven or eight hours of sleep at night and still meet any morning commitments you might have such as work or school. Stick with it seven nights a week for a few weeks until it locks into place.
2. Reserve the bedroom for sleep only.
When you have trouble sleeping at night, activities such as watching TV, working, eating, and reading, should be done outside of the bedroom. Spending a lot of time awake in bed sends strengthens the learned connection between bed and wakefulness. When you can't sleep, either at the beginning or middle of the night, get out of bed for a while, do something relaxing like reading, and then return to bed only when you feel sleepy again.
3. Try to avoid napping during the day.
Sleeping during the day does not necessarily make up for lost sleep, but instead can take away from the sleep you would have gotten later that night. If you have insomnia at night, avoid napping, but if you must do so, keep it to thirty minutes or less. Otherwise, you may have less deep sleep available to you later that night.
4. Get some daily physical exercise.
Regular physical exercise can promote deeper sleep but make sure you finish at least three hours before bedtime otherwise you may be too physically activated to fall asleep.
5. Limit the use of stimulants such nicotine and caffeine, especially late in the day.
Nicotine and caffeine are stimulants and can have an alerting effect on the brain making it hard to fall asleep. People have different degrees of sensitivity to the effects of caffeine so the best general rule is to avoid it entirely. If that's not possible try to avoid it after noontime. Remember this includes some sodas, tea and chocolate!
6. Avoid alcohol before bedtime.
Even though alcohol can help you to fall asleep faster, it causes sleep to be lighter and more disturbed, especially later in the night. Chronic alcohol use significantly reduces deep sleep.
7. Don't eat a heavy meal too close to bedtime. But don't go to bed hungry either!
A heavy meal before bed can cause indigestion and heartburn, which may disturb sleep. A light snack or warm beverage before bed can prevent you from feeling hungry during the night.
8. Give yourself some time to "wind down" before bed.
Falling asleep is easier if your mind and body have a chance to relax and wind down before bedtime. Do something relaxing before getting into bed such as reading, watching TV, listening to soft music, taking a warm bath, meditation, or perhaps some light stretching exercises.
9. Create a good sleep environment.
Good sleep starts with the environment you sleep in. So, don't overlook the obvious! Make sure your bedroom is the way you like it. This means making sure your mattress and pillows are comfortable. If noise is a problem, try using a white noise machine in your bedroom such as an electric fan, which can mask external sounds. If light is a problem, use heavy dark curtains on the windows or sleep with an eye mask. And if you get too hot or cold, sleep with layers of blankets that you can add or remove as needed.
10. Avoid watching the clock when you can't sleep.
When you can't sleep at night it's a good idea not to lie in bed watching the clock. This only serves to remind you of how long you've been awake and how little time you have left until morning. This can increase the pressure to fall asleep, which makes the task even harder. It is recommended that when you get into bed, set the alarm if you need to, and then turn the clock face away or put it under your bed.
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