“The root of most sleep problems is stress,” says Dr Kamal Raj Thapa, MD at Bir Hospital, adding that with hectic work schedules and busy lives that people lead, stress has become a major part of every individual’s life. “If you go to bed thinking about things and worrying, you’re probably going to wake up in the middle of the night,” he adds.[break]
With a few simple changes in your routine and some minor adjustments, a peaceful night of slumber can be yours.
Change your definition of a good nights’ sleep
What works for some might not work as well for others. It’s important to find the sleep strategies that work best for you. The first step to improving the quality of your rest is finding out how much sleep you need.
While sleep requirements vary slightly from person to person, most healthy adults need at least eight hours of sleep each night to function at their best. But that might not be the case for everybody. For some, six to seven hours of sleep is enough while for some even as less as five can be sufficient.
“First, you’ve to find out how much sleep you need. Don’t try to force yourself to sleep for eight hours when you can do with less,” says Dr Thapa.
Get bed-ready
You have to condition yourself to get ready to sleep by stimulating your body with bedtime rituals. Switch off the TV, don’t check your emails, and make sure the room you’re sleeping in is dark. Establishing any ritual before bed will prepare your body so that the transition to sleep is easy.
The repetition conditions your brain and body for sleep over time as this triggers natural circadian rhythms that help prepare you for sleep.
“Clearing your head is the key to a good night’s sleep,” says Dr Thapa. “There’s evidence that slow and long abdominal breathing technique will reduce anxiety and help you sleep better,” he explains.
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Take 15 minutes to sit quietly, meditate or practices breathing exercises and that will have your mind to slow down enough to sleep through the night.
Practice some yoga
Lie on your back with knees bent at a 90-degree angle with your heels parallel and close to your buttocks. Lift your hips and arch up onto your shoulders. Hold the posture while taking 10 to 15 long, slow breaths. Relax and repeat. This yoga trick sufficiently relaxes the body and muscles and eases you to sleep.
If you wake up at night and find yourself unable to go back to bed, try a mantra. Silently repeat any word that’s soothing or pleasant to you and breathe. You can also simply think “inhale” as you inhale and “exhale” as you let it out. Thinking over a particular word over and over again will focus and relax you and eventually ease you back to sleep.
“If you still find yourself unable to sleep, lie flat on your back as you continue with the breathing exercises,” stresses Dr Thapa, mentioning that too many people get out of bed even in the middle of the night if they can’t fall asleep. “That will just disrupt your sleep pattern even more.”
Dr Thapa explains how for some people falling back to sleep isn’t easy, and only for extreme cases he recommends getting out of bed.
“Occupy yourself with something calming, like listening to soothing music, or even performing your pre-sleep ritual again. Don’t watch TV, read or listen to the radio. That will alert your brain cells even more. When you feel sufficiently drowsy, go back to bed.”
You have the permission to nap
A nap isn’t just for kids. It works wonders for adults as well. A recent study has shown that when people nap between two to four o’clock in the afternoon, they usually had no problems falling asleep at night. But the key is to nap early and make it short.
“After a nice restorative nap, you’ll be able to function much better. And over time, this will also help you sleep better at night,” says Dr Thapa.
Ideally, one should nap at least five hours before bedtime. Any later, and your circadian rhythms will kick in, possibly making you feel disoriented upon waking and further preventing you from dozing off at your regular bedtime.
Also, keep your power naps to less than an hour. Twenty to 30 minutes of nap time should be more than enough. For those of you who have to be in office during the daytime, even shutting your eyes for 10 minutes each after a couple of hours at work have a refreshing and soothing effect.
If you’ve tried these tips and still have trouble going to bed night after night, then think about consulting your doctor. If you tend to wake up not feeling refreshed, with a headache, or if you feel unusually tired during the day, then chances are that there might be something else preventing you from sleeping properly. Sleep disorders can be due to various other factors. Your physician will be able to tell you exactly why you are having sleep-related problems.
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