The insomnia monster has been scratching at my door lately. Most of us have experienced a night of where we just couldn’t get to sleep, or kept waking up in the middle of the night. While one night of not sleeping can be annoying, persistent insomnia can have negative consequences on our work, personal relationships, and health. If you just haven’t been able to get a good night’s sleep, here are some tips and tricks you can use to catch some zzzzz’s.

To get proper sleep at night, you should watch what you eat. (And I should learn to listen to my own advice and not east kielbasas in the evening like I did tonight….) Here are some eating tips for you to sleep on.

• Avoid caffeine and other stimulants. Did you know that these stimulants can stay in our bodies for up to 6 hours? I did not know they were so long lasting until recently.
• Don’t drink alcohol. This may put you to sleep right away, but you’re much more likely to wake up in the night and have a much less restful sleep, upset stomach, and all those other types of problems.
• Try some tryptophan. This is the chemical in turkey that makes you sleepy. It’s also found with most protein. Try eating a little protein with some complex carbohydrates at night. Or just make it Thanksgiving every day! LOL I’m kidding, I’m kidding….
• Avoid a big dinner. A lot of food late at night provides you energy and actually helps wake you up. It can also cause painful indigestion that will keep you from sleeping.

You can also get to sleep better if you adjust your sleeping and bedtime habits. Here are a few suggestions you can try.

• Have a set sleeping schedule. Our bodies thrive on schedules and rhythms.
• Get darkness and light. Get darkening shades or try a sleep mask! When I worked third shift my sleep mask and light blocking curtains were my best friends!
• Start a bedtime ritual. It’s never too late!

If you’re feeling stressed and have a wandering mind at bedtime, you should try these techniques to calm yourself down.

• Take a warm bath. This will soothe your muscles and help you relax. Just be sure your bath isn’t too hot; it can actually make you more awake.
• Try deep breathing and visualization. These can not only help calm you and prepare you for rest, they can also clear your mind and push away stressful thoughts.
• Avoid stimulating activities. This includes not reading or watching T.V. before bed. Instead of relaxing and sleeping, you’ll end up thinking about what you saw or read.

If you find that none of these techniques work for you, you may also want to look at herbal remedies that will calm you and help you rest. If all else fails, you should pay a visit to your doctor.

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These peaceful sleep tips are sponsored by RFI Shielding ~ New England Die Cutting has over 25 years of successful design, fabrication, and effective distribution of high quality EMI/RF shielding products.

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