Please welcome back Heather Johnson as the guest blogger for Fighting Fatigue this week. You can read Heathers byline at the bottom of this post.
A good nights sleep doesnt sound like too much to ask for, but for many of us its something that eludes every night. Sleep problems then lead to problems for us during the day as we lose our ability to focus at our jobs and dont seem to have the energy our family demands. Its a vicious cycle. Imagine constantly being tired and lethargic. Its not a pretty picture, but its a reality for millions of Americans. Here are five tips to keep in mind if youre one of the inflicted:
1. Stay cool. There is research and common sense that suggests that a cooler room is better for sleeping than a hot one. Keep room temperatures below 75 degrees to avoid constant waking. On the flip side its important that your room not be too cool either. Try to achieve a happy medium of somewhere in the high 60s to the low 70s to reach optimum sleep conditions. If you dont have the money for air conditioning the position a fan in the best possible spot in your bedroom to keep the air circulating near you.
2. Stay away from the booze. The old adage of having one for the road isnt as comforting to your sleep habits as you may believe. Consuming alcohol right before bed will put you into a chemically induced sleep. Once the alcohol wears off youre going to start stirring. And once that happens youre going to be right where you should have started before you had that nightcap.
3. Develop a reliable internal clock. The easiest way to achieve this is by setting up a consistent bedtime and rising time. It will take a while to start going to sleep at an earlier hour if youre a night owl but once you do youll start feeling like a human being once again.
4. Get out of bed. If you stay in bed too long youll start developing pattern of light sleep which is unhealthy. It may feel good to lay in bed for a couple extra hours on the weekend but its unhealthy sleep that you are experiencing.
5. Resolve all heated issues before hitting the sack. Its never healthy to have shouting matches or anything else that raises your blood pressure right before you go to sleep. It will make it difficult to achieve that comfort level you need to reach before you can sleep soundly. Dont brush stuff off until the next morning, take care of all matters, within reason, before saying good night.
This article is contributed by Heather Johnson, who regularly writes on top nursing school. She invites your questions and writing job opportunities at her personal email address: heatherjohnson2323 at gmail dot com.
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