Sleep Tip #39: Lift Your Bed Head When You Have a Cold

When you're feeling under the weather, getting a good night's rest could almost be impossible. Fortunately, there are ways to help relieve your cold symptoms for bedtime! Some people say that raising your head will help to drain your sinuses, but it is not wise to use pillows to accomplish that. Too many pillows will cause your neck to become strained and breathing may become difficult. Instead, try raising the head of your bed by putting large books under the legs of your headboard. This will help to create a more natural angle for you to rest on.

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 #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 #21: Try Another Position

It is very common that a person will fall into a pattern during sleep. The position we sleep in is typically decided by which feels most comfortable. This however may be doing you more harm than good. If you still cannot sleep, try changing the angle or position in which you sleep. This could help open your throat for better air flow, could angle your head and neck for better support, and it may even help relax the body more. It is always a good idea to surprise your mind and body occasionally.

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 #12: Light Snack to Help Promote Sleep

It is not advised to eat before going to bed, but if you do have trouble sleeping, snack on foods rich in magnesium, melatonin and or serotonin. Bananas contain small amounts of melatonin and serotonin, but also contain magnesium which stimulates muscle relaxation. Oatmeal helps to stimulate the production of melatonin in the body at night. Foods that contain tryptophan, an amino acid that has a sedative effect, are also good. Almond Nuts and turkey meat are good sources of tryptophan.