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 #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 #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 #47 - Sleep Your Way to a Great Morning

We’ve all woken up on the wrong side of the bed, stubbed our toe as we drag ourselves out of bed and sluggishly begin to get ready for the day. We’ve all missed breakfast and forgotten our cellphone on our night stand. At some point, everyone has had a bad start to their morning. The key to having a great morning is by getting the proper amount and quality of sleep. By getting great sleep you will wake up refreshed, energized and your mind will be operational. Not getting proper sleep can lead to confusion in the morning, fatigue and minimal energy. So if you can’t seem to catch a break in the morning, it’s time to figure out why you aren’t sleeping well!

Sleep Tip #34: Wake Up During the Night? Don’t Turn on the Light!

It is part of nature that we sometimes wake up in the middle of the night with the need for the restroom. Fighting it will cause pain and not let you sleep, so most of us give in to the urge. One mistake many people make is by turning on their room light or bedside lamp. Turning on such a bright light will abruptly force your eyes to begin adjusting to the intense brightness, often times tricking your brain into believing it is time to wake up. When this happens it may be increasingly harder to fall back asleep, as your body prepares to begin daily activities. It is recommended to use a nightlight or flashlight when you wake up at night so you do not trigger your brain into believing it is morning. This will make much easier to doze off again once back in bed.

Sleep Tip #32: How to Keep Your Partner From Rolling and Snoring

One of the most common causes of snoring is when a person rolls onto their back while sleeping. This can cause a person to snore loudly and disrupt sleep for everyone in the room. A home remedy to help stop this person from rolling over is to use a pillow or rolled up towel. Place the pillow or towel by their back to create a wedge. When the person has the urge to roll over, this wedge will make it harder to move onto their back and may prevent them from doing so all together. Over time, this person may unknowingly train themselves to stop rolling on their back.

Sleep Tip #29: Clean Your Room

Have you ever entered your room when it’s a mess and you start to stress about cleaning it? Many people do not enter their bedroom until after work or in the evening when preparing for bed. Having to clean your room before bedtime can stimulate your mind and prevent you from falling asleep. If you decide to clean your room the following day, you may unknowingly stimulate the brain as you try to fit cleaning the room into your hectic schedule. By keeping your room tidy, you can avoid the stress that comes along with organizing and cleaning.

Sleep Tip #27: Power Nap

We have all been there. The day is dragging on, and lunchtime can’t come soon enough. If the coffee isn’t cutting it and you are exhausted, a power nap might be just what you need. Work can be hard and exhausting, so if you feel as if you are slowing down, lay down for a quick 15 to 20 minute nap. This will help energize you, allow you to focus and be more productive than when you’re falling asleep. Do not make this a daily routine as it may cut into your nighttime sleep, but a quick nap every now and then will boost your morale.

Sleep Tip #24: Sleep With Your Mouth Closed

If you find yourself waking up thirsty and with a dry mouth, it may be caused by a sleep disorder. Often times when people breathe through their nose and the body senses it is not getting enough oxygen, a person may unconsciously open their mouth to breathe. This can lead to you waking up throughout the night, or perhaps lessening the quality of your sleep. Try to use nose strips to expand your nasal airway to ensure you are getting enough oxygen. If this does not help, you may want to consult your doctor.

Sleep Tip #19: Sleeping Pills are a Last Resort

If you haven’t taken a sleeping pill, congratulations, and do not start! Sleeping pills should be a last resort when all else fails. Not only can you become dependent on them in order to sleep, they can have side effects that hinder long term health. One of the most common side effects of sleeping pills is your morning mood. Even when you get the recommended amount of sleep, you most likely will wake up groggy and moody. This is due to the sleeping pill still influencing your body even as you wake up. It can take sometimes an entire day for the effects of the sleeping pills to wear off.

Sleep Tip #18: Aromatherapy

Anyone you ask can attribute stress to the reasoning that they sometimes cannot sleep. The mind is a powerful tool, and when it is overworked, it has a hard time relaxing. Smell is a very powerful sense. Using aromatherapy candles and oils in your bedroom will help to ease the stress or tension while relaxing your mind and body in bed. Another great idea is to use these candles and oils during a warm bath. Allowing peace and quiet in a relaxing environment will help the mind wind down, and make it easier to forget the days stressors and fall asleep.

Sleep Tip #17: Wear Something Comfortable

As easy as it may sound, there are countless times where people are just so tired that they go to sleep in the clothes they wore that day. Wearing jeans or long pants may be fine at first, but as you sleep your body will begin to sweat. If your uncomfortable in your sleep, you will most likely toss and turn. While tossing and turning you can accidentally shift your clothing into an uncomfortable position which will force you awake, and probably cause you to change. This disrupts your sleep, when it could have been avoided in the first place.

Sleep Tip #6: Comfortable Mattress and Pillow

The key to a well night's rest is your mattress and pillow. It is very difficult to sleep if you are uncomfortable. Make sure you enjoy laying on your mattress and your pillow. Each mattress or pillow is subjective to the individual, you may like one that someone else does not. The pillow also plays an important role in your sleep. Nobody likes waking up with a stiff neck, so make sure your pillow isn't too soft or too hard. If you do not sleep alone, make sure there is enough room on the mattress for both of you. 

To find out more about how your pillow affects your sleep visit our "Your Pillow And You; How Your Sleep May Be Affected" article.