Tips for Getting a Good Night's Rest

It's almost 4:00am, it's several hours before you have to get up and get ready for work. The sky is pitch black outside, no cars are out on the road, and nothing in your house is making a peep. Sounds peaceful right? Well, there is just one minor problem with this situation: you are wide awake. And you have been every single night at this time for the past week or so. Sound familiar? Insomnia is a very common problem in today's stress-filled, anxiety ridden society. With the pressures of work, family, the economy, not to mention the countless scares that face us everyday it's no wonder this is a growing problem. I myself have struggled with insomnia off and on for the past decade and here are a few things that I have found very useful in getting a good nights rest.

Are you a caffeine lover? I won't deny that I cannot make it thru the day with at least one (or more) cups of coffee or soda, but certainly cut back on your caffeine intake and DO NOT drink any caffeine after 5:00pm if you are suffering from insomnia. Drink lots and lots of water for the last half of the day to clean out your system and to wash out all toxins. This is the first step in helping your body wind down naturally. Eat a very light supper and try to drink a warm glass of milk or herbal tea right before you go to bed. This will help your body relax more.

Try to take a hot bath about an hour before your bedtime. Soaking in a hot tub is good for your muscles and will release all of your days' worth of stress in just a matter of minutes. I swear by hot baths, and I always use a light aromatherapy gel as I relax in the tub (Jasmine Vanilla from Bath and Body Works is really great to use) which smells heavenly and will really soothe your sinuses (not to mention well-being). Try to soak for at least half an hour.

As for watching TV right before bedtime, please do anything BUT that! If you get caught up in watching a movie or an interesting program, it will make all your senses become alert again, and thus you will have a harder time falling asleep. Curl up with a good book instead. I have found reading just a little right before bedtime is a fantastic way to wind down. Reading is a great way for your mind to escape into a personal fantasy land, where you can take a short trip away from your daily stresses. I personally enjoy reading romance novels or fantasy stories as those are nothing but pure escapism. Also, your eyes and mind will begin to tire out, and you will be ready to lay your head down on the pillow and do nothing else :)

Be sure that all the lights in your bedroom are off or dimmed. Any sort of light (especially a flickering light from a TV set) is very bad for your eyes, and will cause you trouble in getting totally relaxed. Also, I like to have a fan going when I am trying to sleep. The soft buzz is extremely relaxing and also it is better for your body to be cool when you are trying to fall asleep. Being too hot is likely to make you wake up in the middle of the night from a very bad dream (this is no joke) so it keep it nice and cool!

Last but not least, right before you doze off for good, take a little time to pray or meditate. Spend a little time with God or your higher power, and lay down all your burdens. Believe me, this helps like nothing else and I always wake up the next day with a clearer state of mind.

These are just a few of the things that I do every night before I go to sleep and have personally found them to be of tremendous help in getting a good nights rest. In our stressful world, it is very important to take just a few moments out of the day for a little 'you' time to refresh and recharge your batteries for the next day. So turn out the lights, and get a good nights sleep!

Sweet Dreams!