If you have trouble falling asleep, can’t seem to stay asleep for long periods of time, or wake up feeling groggy and not refreshed, you’re not alone. Almost everyone experiences sleep issues at some point in their life. While some people do have sleep disorders that require 
medical intervention, the rest of us can usually reclaim our sleep by changing our habits. The first thing you must realize is that a good night’s sleep begins during the day. That’s right.
Your habits during the day can have a significant impact on how well you sleep. Many of us who have trouble sleeping crash during the afternoon, and nothing seems better than a good nap. Avoid naps, and you should see an improvement in your sleep. In addition, be sure to avoid caffeine past noon, and get at least 30 minutes of exercise per day. In addition to being great for you, people who get exercise tend to sleep better at night than those who don’t. The environment in which you sleep is very important to your quality of sleep.Be sure that you have enough room, have covers that ensure you are not too warm or too hot, and have a supportive mattress and pillow. Your mattress should be firm, and your pillow should promote the correct posture and alignment of your head and neck. Your room itself should be quiet and dark, with the right temperature and ventilation. Avoid having a television or anything else that overloads the senses in your room. Don’t eat in your bed or work on your laptop computer. You should associate your bed with nothing else but sleeping and sex. Take care that you keep a regular routine when it comes to bedtime. While it’s tempting to sleep in a little later on the weekends, this will wreak havoc with your internal clock, and will make it more difficult to fall asleep. Also, pay attention to what your body tells you in terms of when you want to go to bed.
When do you usually start to feel sleepy?
Go to bed then. Avoid going to bed before you are tired, otherwise you might toss and turn. Finally, if you continue to struggle with sleep make an appointment with our office. Using a combination of a sleep history and a physical exam, we can diagnose and treat sleep disorders that arise from a variety of conditions. Massage Therapy is a great alternative for those who are not sleeping well but who don’t wish to take drugs, and many clients report significantly improved sleep patterns after therapy.
