| Whatever it is, you might have occasional bouts of | | | | 4. Slow Sown |
| insomnia in some stage of your life and would not | | | | Take time to slow down as bedtime approaches. |
| feel refreshed in the morning. And your conditions will | | | | During the hour before bed, pursue quiet, relaxing |
| start to worsen if you have a history of some | | | | activities. |
| common types of pain such as back, neck, shoulders, | | | | 5. Avoid Caffeine |
| hips, and knee. Because everything else will start to | | | | If your sleep cycle is already upset, even small |
| go wrong and get much more irritable than before. It | | | | amounts of caffeine can interfere with restful |
| will also seem harder to cope with the pain. Here are | | | | slumber. While you may be tempted to energize |
| some tips that you can consider to improve your | | | | yourself with caffeine after a poor night's sleep, it is |
| current situation. | | | | best to avoid coffee, tea, cola, and other caffeinated |
| 1. Exercise Regularly | | | | beverages. If you feel you cannot give up caffeine |
| Olympic-level exertion is not required. Simply walking | | | | completely, limit yourself to one cup of coffee or tea |
| for 20 to 30 minutes will help improve the quality of | | | | in the morning. Try to avoid caffeine in the late |
| your sleep. Try not to exercise near bedtime, | | | | afternoon or evening, and be aware that chocolates |
| however. Evening exercise can leave you feeling too | | | | and various over-the-counter pain medications contain |
| "charged up" to fall asleep easily. | | | | caffeine. |
| 2. Do Not Lie Awake At Night | | | | 6. Do Not Overuse Sleeping Pills |
| The longer you worry about going back to sleep, the | | | | Prescription sleeping pills and sedatives can reduce |
| less sleepy you feel. After several nights of lying | | | | the time it takes to fall asleep. They should be limited |
| awake, your mind can begin to associate lying in bed | | | | to short-term use because they can be habit forming. |
| with worrying rather than with slumber. If you have | | | | In addition, regular use of sedatives and sleeping pills |
| been lying in bed trying to sleep for more than 20 | | | | can depress your mood, reduce your energy levels, |
| minutes, get up and go to another room where you | | | | and contribute to problems with memory and |
| can do something quiet and relaxing such as reading | | | | concentration. |
| or needlework. When you feel sleepy, go back to | | | | 7. Find Another Time For Worrying and Planning |
| bed. You may fear that by doing this, you will miss | | | | If you tend to lie awake worrying or solving |
| too much sleep. Actually, you will probably be more | | | | problems, you can improve your sleep by planning to |
| rested. | | | | do your thinking at a different time of day. For |
| 3. Avoid Alcohol | | | | example, you can regularly spend 10 to 15 minutes |
| The effect of alcoholic beverages on you sleep can | | | | each morning thinking through your concerns and |
| be deceiving. At first, alcohol may seem to help | | | | problems and making plans to resolve them. This |
| because it has a relaxing or sedative effect for the | | | | strategy not only helps you to get organized and |
| first few hours. But once the sedative effect wears | | | | improves your problem solving, but also enables you |
| off, you will feel more anxious and jittery. If you | | | | to put the problem out of your mind at bedtime. You |
| drink alcohol in the evening, you may find yourself | | | | might even want to keep a pencil and paper or a |
| waking in the middle of the night. Therefore, the | | | | tape recorder next to your bed. Then, if you should |
| regular use of alcohol can make sleep problems | | | | think of a new concern or new option for solving a |
| worse. If you are having trouble sleeping, it is best to | | | | problem, you can record it, and then fall asleep |
| avoid alcohol altogether. At the very least, never use | | | | without worrying that you will forget. |
| it as a sleep aid. | | | | |