Guest Post: What to Do to Improve Your Sleep
7:00:00 AM
Nicole is a lifestyle
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Did you know that sleep deprivation is marked as a form of torture, by Amnesty International? Even moderate lack of sleep can cause cognitive difficulties, troubles in eye-hand coordination, focus issues, mood swings and negative effect on our overall health. Sleeping pills will not get you anywhere, and it is surely not a long term solution. As someone who has already faced sleep deprivation, I can tell you that there are completely natural solutions, and as long as you are willing to make some changes, you will sleep like a baby.
Aromatherapy & Hot Bath
Aromatherapy affects both the mind and the body, depending on the way it is practiced and the oils being used. Aromatherapy can address problems such as digestion, stress, insomnia, headaches, etc. When you want to induce sleep faster, combine aromatherapy with a hot bath, by pouring several drops of essential oil (e.g. lavender) into the hot water.
Massage & Self-massage
By relieving stress, massage is also helping you sleep better and wake up rarer during the night. During a massage you can go to state of deep relaxation which can affect the body in a similar way sleep does, so you will also be more rested. A self-applied massage can have similar effects, if you learn the proper technique of massaging your fingers, ears and hands.Get Rid of the Bad Habits
Poor habits such as alcohol, cigars and caffeine can impact your health in many ways, but one of them surely is lack of sleep. Alcohol causes common interruptions in sleep patterns, so you will end up waking up tired anyway. Sugar and caffeine both impact your organism in a way that is releasing hormones which prevent you to sleep. Nicotine has a potential contribution on developing sleep apnea, insomnia and sleep fragmentation.
Welcome the Good Habits
First, you must know that you should not be eating heavy foods in the evenings, especially not after 8pm. Instead, improve your chances of getting a good night's sleep every night by consuming healthy fats (butter, avocado, coconut oil), high in antioxidants food (vegetables, nuts, herbal teas – with little or no caffeine) and quality proteins (turkey breast, tuna, chicken breast, egg whites).Spend Time in Nature
During my time in Living Valley Springs spiritual retreat I have learned that, besides making healthy diet choices, it is very important to spend some time in nature and engage in fun and physical activities. In fact, the combination of fresh air and exercising can be just what you need to fall asleep easier and sleep better. The activities that will challenge you physically, while relaxing you mentally performed in nature, are your tools for fighting the lack of sleep. So take a couple of days a week to walk with your friend, exercise outside, go cycling, play with your dog, dance or jog.
Yoga & Meditation
Famous stress relievers such as yoga and meditation are not famous for nothing. You would be surprised how some deep breathing and focusing on emptying your mind before you go to bed can be helpful to induce sleep. There is even a five-steps breathing exercise that should put you to sleep in no time. For long term effects, practice yoga several times a week to find inner balance which will prevent sleep issues from ever happening again.
Sleeping Habits
First of all, you must get yourself a comfortable supportive mattress and a pillow of the same quality. Second, the surroundings must be peaceful, with no digital interruptions (TV, computer, etc.). The right sleeping positions that do not cause stress on any of your body parts will make your sleep more quality. That means that you should not leave any empty spaces between your body and bed, that you should keep a pillow between your knees when lying on the side, preserve a neutral neck position by adjusting the pillow not to high and not to low, etc. In the end, mild lighting and a good book before sleeping will reduce the amount of stress which is keeping you from sleeping.
Have a good and restful night!
Twitter: Noel D Nicole
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