snoozester, Author at The Sleep Blog

Sleep Problems: A Quick Fix Guide (Guest Post)

Do you find yourself groggy and irritable upon waking up in the morning? Then you are probably not getting enough rest. A majority of adults greatly underestimate the importance of getting a full eight hours sleep. With work pressures and the myriad distractions of internet and entertainment gadgets, settling down into bed for actual sleep is being pushed later and later.

And then, there are also some people who find themselves too wound-up to shut their brains off, ending up lying awake hour after hour. Unless your sleep problems are caused by a medical condition, you could improve the quality of your rest by including minor changes in your night time routine. Read below for some quick fixes for common sleep problems.

Be more active during the day. Leading a sedentary life does not allow you to feel physically tired enough to go to sleep at night. Exercise seems to improve not only sleep, but also mood and energy levels. If you are too busy to go to the gym, a simple walk around the parking lot or using the stairs will do just fine. Pack some athletic shoes along and get moving after your day’s work.
Get up earlier. Sleeping until noon messes up with your body’s circadian rhythm. If you observe that you tend to get sleepy only after midnight, then chances are, you are now getting up early enough. Even if you don’t have to be anywhere at nine o’clock, get into the habit of waking up at eight am at the latest. You will find your days becoming more productive too.
Impose a caffeine moratorium after three pm. If you need to be asleep by ten or eleven am, then you should consume your last frappe no later than 3pm. That way, your body will have more than enough time to clear the caffeine from your system by night time.
Make your bedroom conducive for rest and relaxation. A room that is too noisy, too messy, or too chaotic does not exactly invite slumber. Take out everything not necessary for sleeping, such as the TV. Install some mood lighting (like an inexpensive low-wattage lamp) and pipe in some soothing music. Aromatherapy can also work wonders: lavender and chamomile essential oils are said to promote better sleep.
Invest in a good comfy bed and pillows. If your living room couch is a lot more comfortable and inviting than your bed, then you shouldn’t be surprised if you find yourself staying more in the couch. A bed is an essential piece of furniture, and you really should get the best that you can afford. Get a mattress that provides adequate support for your neck and back when lying in various positions. Also, you will really find it worthwhile to splurge on good, fluffy pillows and a set of luxurious bed linens with a high thread count. Make your bed as inviting as possible, and you will soon find yourself actually looking forward to catching forty winks.

Author Bio- Sunny is a Global Brand Manager at Mattressnextday.co.uk – The UK’s no1 supplier for memory foam mattress. Mattressnextday sells well known names such as: Sealy mattress, Silentnight mattress, Sleepeezee, Dream Works, Serene, Sprungland just to name a few. For more information see their website: http://www.mattressnextday.co.uk/

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Important:
The Sleep Blog does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Instead, this website provides general information for educational purposes only. Always seek the advice of a qualified health care provider if you have questions or concerns regarding any medical condition or treatment.

How to Become a Morning Person (Guest Post)

How to Become a Morning Person

I am sure everyone has troubles getting up early once in a while, even those who are early birds. But do we ever think about what makes it hard for us to get up early? I didn’t. I used to be a terrible heavy sleeper, every morning was a torture for me and I was craving for weekend to come so I would be able to sleep in till noon. I thought early risers never had problems waking up early in the morning, so I always wanted to become one. But, to tell you the truth, it doesn’t matter if you are a night owl or an early bird, you can still have hard times waking up early in the morning. It’s all because there are some things that you should do and some that you shouldn’t to feel great getting up early!

So, here is the list of Dos to become a morning person:

Commit yourself to waking up at the same time every morning, even on weekend, even on holiday. Persistence is the key to building any habit.
Get out of bed as soon as your alarm clock goes off. Snooze button is your worst enemy. You are just a human, so you can be weak and tempted sometimes to push a snooze button. That’s why it is better to make sure your alarm clock hasn’t got one.
Open the curtains to get exposed to the sun or, if you have to wake up earlier than the sun rises, turn on the lights. This lets your body know that the day has begun and it is time to wake up. Same rule applies when you go to sleep, so make sure it is dark in your bedroom at night.
Take contrast shower to help your body wake up. This little trick not only will give you fresh feeling but also will speed up your blood circulation for an energy boost.
Get moving, jog outside or simply walk your dog out, it’s all good when it comes to exercising in the morning.

Things you should avoid doing to be an early riser:

Skipping breakfast. Healthy nutritious breakfast gives us energy for the whole day. Once you skip it, your productivity will hit its lows and you will feel tired and sleepy for the rest of the day.
Drinking coffee after noon. Coffee does give you an energy boost, but you should drink it in the morning. Otherwise you will have troubles falling asleep. And, keep in mind that it refers to other caffeine products too.
Watching TV or playing computer games before the bedtime. Probably, you have already heard that television and computer games have a great impact on your nervous system and bring you to arousal state; and it results in various sleep disorders and insomnia.
Consuming alcohol in the evening. Undoubtedly alcohol makes you sleepy and more relaxed, but you shouldn’t use it as an extra help falling asleep. It turns out that alcohol messes up the sleep patterns and prevents you from having a quality sleep you need. It is more likely it will harm you giving the morning hangover rather than do good helping fall asleep.
Having big meal for dinner. Eating heavy or spicy food at the dinner table is not a good idea. Your body should rest when you are sleeping too instead of digesting the food. Besides, it leads directly to weight gain and obesity. So, do yourself a favor and have a light dinner.

And, of course, the most important thing you need to wake up early is motivation! Find a reason to get up and you will see how easy it is to become a morning person. Good luck!

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This is a guest post by Amber Smith.

Amber is a time management expert and runs the site HowToGetUpEarly.com. The site is about helping people to get up early and be more productive by sharing original tips and innovative products.

Is Sleeping for Eight Hours Straight Really the Best Way?

We’ve posted before about alternative sleeping patterns and strategies for dividing your sleep into multiple chunks. These may sound like modern concepts designed to cope with today’s busy schedules; however, there is evidence that dividing up one’s sleep into shorter blocks is the historical norm. As Stephanie Hegarty writes in this BBC News article, “these [historical]references describe a first sleep which began about two hours after dusk, followed by waking period of one or two hours and then a second sleep.” and “During this waking period people were quite active. They often got up, went to the toilet or smoked tobacco and some even visited neighbours. Most people stayed in bed, read, wrote and often prayed”.