Sleep, something we need but for the most part do not get enough of! While we sleep our minds resent and hopefully we wake feeling reasonably replenished.
But actually we don’t. Many people feel tired all the time, and this effects our lives. If we don’t sleep enough we lack motivation, humour and enthusiasm. We don’t perform as well as we could and our relationships at home and work become more strained.
So, what can we do about it? It depends. Some people suffer from insomnia, that is to say that they can’t sleep at all, sleep very little, or can’t maintain a normal sleep pattern. For people who have been suffering from insomnia for any length of time a visit to the doctor is a must. CBT and medication can both be used to treat insomnia, although people should be extremely cautious about the long term use of benzodiazepines such as Valium. Any good doctor will think long and hard before prescribing this type of drug for insomnia.
If your sleep disturbance isn’t severe enough to merit the label insomnia then you can probably improve the quality of your sleep with a few self-help techniques.
Why not try some of the following:
- Play relaxing music
- Have a long bath
- Avoid Caffeine
- Avoid sugary foods and drinks
- Avoid alcohol
- Learn a meditation technique
- Write down your worried and angers before you turn-in
- Do some gentle yoga
- Experiment with herbal teas, such as Chamomile
- Keep to a regular rhythm of getting up every day
In fact, the last one is said to be the most important. Make yourself get up a bit earlier however tired you feel, and often, it is claimed, you will achieve a much healthier sleeping pattern in just a matter of days.
A recent article by the BBC said that repeating the word "the" over and over managed to stop a racing mind! I don’t know if that is true, but I will certainly try it!
I think power naps and siestas are also good, as is regular exercise and a healthy diet!
