Health Tip
It’s normal to take between 10 and 20 minutes to fall asleep. Ifyou’re having trouble and this is not a chronic case, here are some commonnatural sleep remedies that may work better than counting sheep!
· Go to bedand get up at the same time each day. Humans crave structure andrhythm. Help your body find its natural rhythm.
· Sleep in adark, quiet room that isn’t too hot or cold for you. Many readers suggestthat a slightly cooler room is helpful for sleeping at night. A few readers addthat the feet can’t be too cold, and it helps to warm them in a bath or withsocks before bedtime.
· Work outearly. Exercise is a good way to get rid of insomnia. However, exercising2 to 3 hours right before going to bed will only keep you awake. Soplan accordingly.
· Windyourself down. In the 30 minutes before bedtime, wind down by doingsomething relaxing, such as listening to music. Don’t do bills or work rightbefore you go to sleep! Turn off electronic devices, too.
· Skip theafternoon nap. Try to not take naps during the day because this can takeaway your ability to be able to have a deep sleep. If you do nap, don’t naplater than 3 P.M.
· Avoidcaffeine, nicotine, beer, wine, and liquor in the 4to 6 hours before bedtime.
· Don’t eatlarge meals within 2 hours of bedtime.
· Milk andturkey can help. Though large meals are not advised, try having aglass of milk an hour before going to sleep. If milk upsets your stomach, eathalf of a turkey sandwich. The chemical tryptophan in both milk and turkeycauses drowsiness.
· Your sleepposition can also be important and affect your health. Check out this article to see how your positionmight be affecting your sleep.