Sleep Tip #58: Meditate for Better Sleep

The stresses of the day can wreak havoc on your mind and body at night. Your mind may run wild, preventing you from sleeping even if you are exhausted. You may even toss and turn as you remember things that you may have forgotten to do or need to do the following day. A great way to prepare for bed is through a nice meditation session. If you haven't meditated before, it revolves around breathing exercises to help you relax mentally and physically. For a quick guide to meditating, refer here: http://www.howtomeditate.us/
The next time you can’t sleep, try meditating for a few minutes and release any stressful thoughts that may be keeping you awake. This will allow you to be at peace and get quality sleep!

Sleep Tip #57: Eat a Banana

It can be difficult to fall asleep when your tummy is rumbling, so a nighttime snack may be what you need to fall asleep! The problem is that many people will snack on foods that are high in sugar, fats and other ingredients that are both bad for your health and keep you awake. Next time you’re feeling hungry before bed, grab a banana. This fruit contains high amounts of the sleep inducing hormones melatonin and tryptophan. This quick little snack will help you snooze soundly!

Sleep Tip #56: Solve Problems in Your Sleep

Did you know that dreaming may be the answer to all of your problems? Researchers have found that people can actually solve problems in their sleep! Dreaming can help us figure out solutions to puzzles that we face during the day. Dreams give us an abstract viewpoint of different problems we may have to solve, and these "outside-the-box" thoughts may help to find the answer.

A study conducted had college students pick a specific problem to try to solve in their dreams. The students focused on the question every night before they fell asleep and by the end of the week, 50% had dreamed about the problem while 25% had solved the problem in their dreams. That's pretty amazing! So next time you need some help with problem-solving, try doing it while you sleep!

See this article from msnbc.com for more information.

Sleep Tip #55: How to Fix a Slightly Large Mattress Cover or Sheet

Is your mattress cover or bed sheet a tad bit too large for your bed? Bed sheets can become larger over time as the threads stretch from being used. If you’re not looking to whip out a sewing kit, simply place a blanket or comforter over your mattress before putting on the cover/sheet. This will increase the surface area that the sheet has to cover, creating a snugger fit. It will also add an extra layer of comfort to your mattress. Think of it as a homemade pillow top cover!

Sleep Tip #54: Soundproof Your Bedroom

Noises that come from inside and outside of the home may keep us awake at night or startle us out of our sleep. In order to make sure you get the soundest sleep possible, you can try to soundproof your bedroom. If it's the neighbors who live beneath you that are keeping you awake, it may be a good idea to add a layer of carpet to your bedroom floor. If it's outside noises that prevent you from dozing off, installing soundproof glass windows is a good solution. Soundproof windows work with your original window as a second layer of glass. The air cavity between the two windows is what helps to keep noise out. If neither of these methods work for you, invest in a white noise machine to get a good night's rest.

Sleep Tip #53: Get Up if You Wake Up

Have you ever woken up 10 minutes, 30 minutes, or even an hour before your alarm clock goes off and realized you're wide awake? Many times a person will fight this wakefulness and go back to bed until their alarm goes off. This however may cause you to feel drowsy and make getting out of bed harder. If you find yourself waking up before your alarm, embrace it! This is your natural circadian rhythm waking you up because it is morning. By getting up when your body naturally wakes you, you will feel more energized and have a much better start to your day!

Sleep Tip #52: Take Shifts When Your Children Can’t Sleep

When you are raising children with a partner, there is no need for both parents to get a bad night’s rest. In order to minimize the impacts of sleepless children, set up shifts for you and your partner. If you like to go to bed early and your partner stays up late, give them the late night shift and take the early morning one yourself. If you both tend to be night owls or early risers, split up the days of the week where one of you is on call for your children. This will allow both of you to equally get some quality sleep.

Sleep Tip #51: Keep Your Naps Short

Have you ever taken a nap only to wake up feeling groggy? If you’re trying to catch up on some sleep and you end up feeling even more tired, it means you took too long of a nap. Napping for more than 20-30 minutes will cause you to fall into a deeper sleep. Waking up during deep sleep makes it harder for people to shake sleepy feelings. If you do end up taking a long nap and feel worse when you wake up, you can try using some caffeine to get rid of grogginess. The best thing you can do is go outside and get some sunlight. Going for a short walk outside will help lift any sleepiness your nap may have caused you!

Sleep Tip #50: Don’t Go to Bed Angry

You should never go to sleep angry or if you have had a negative emotional response to an event. Research shows that sleep preserves or protects unpleasant emotional memories. While you sleep, your brain replays the day’s events and records bits of data including your emotional responses. When you are reminded of the event, your emotional response may be similar to your initial reaction. Typically, your mind will prevent you from falling asleep after such an event as a defense mechanism. The longer you are awake, the more information and thoughts will enter your mind and the less your brain will record from the traumatic experience.

Sleep Tip #49: Drink Cherry Juice for Longer Sleep

Many people drink a glass of warm milk to induce a sleepy feeling. While milk does contain small amounts of tryptophan, there may be a better nighttime beverage for you! Next time, try drinking a glass of cherry juice. Cherry juice contains melatonin, a hormone that induces sleep. According to a study, people who drink cherry juice regularly sleep more deeply and about 25 minutes longer than those who don't.