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AromaLiving, Issue #009 -- June 2008
June 10, 2008

Sleep Better Tonight

Sleep Better Tonight





Sleep is something that every human being requires. People need minimum eight hours to sleep, If not, they cannot function properly during the day. Their work, their relationships and their life is impacted. Sleep is fundamental to a healthy and happy life.

CONTENTS:

  1. How to Develop Your Own Nighttime Routines to Get to Sleep
  2. Quality Over Quantity
  3. Relaxation Tips to Get You Asleep
  4. Beverage for Better Sleep
  5. Recommended Product: Valerian Root
  6. Quote of the month
  7. News from the Webmaster

1. How to Develop Your Own Nighttime Routines to Get to Sleep

The transition from daytime to nighttime sleep is made easier by developing a routine and sticking to it. In order to improve upon your ability to have a restful night’s sleep do the same activities night after night before going to bed. This pattern will help quiet and calm both the body and mind and prepare it for sleep.

Developing a routine with bedtime and wake up time is the way to go to enhance sleep. Learn to do both at approximately the same time every day. A schedule is an excellent way to set your biological clock and sticking to the one you put in motion will make your day run smoother and improve your sleep habits.

Suggestions for routine activities to do just before bedtime include listening to soothing music, taking a bath, doing some light stretches, doing some deep breathing exercises, meditating, or reading a book.

Try to avoid one of these to make sure you sleep well :

Smoking
Nicotine is the main ingredient in cigarettes and it is a stimulant. Research has proven that people who smoke a lot don’t spend enough time in deep sleep plus they awake more frequently during the night.

Drink Alcohol
Limit your consumption of alcohol before bedtime or better yet don’t drink before going to sleep, as it can be disruptive to sleep patterns.

Overeat
Never overeat before going to bed, nor go to bed on a completely empty stomach. Eating a full meal before bedtime is not easy for the body to digest if it is high in fat content. As well an empty, growling stomach will not allow for a fitful sleep. If you have gone without eating anything for a span of at least five hours, a good suggestion for a bedtime snack is a glass of milk, a bran muffin, yogurt, a cup of herbal tea or a banana.

Stress
Take time for yourself and learn to relax. Consider positive self-talk, relaxation therapy, deep breathing exercises or meditation.

Bedroom's temperature
A bedroom should not be as warm as a sauna. Always make sure the temperature in your bedroom is on the cool side. A proper mattress needs to provide both its support to the sleeper as well as comfort. If yours doesn’t do both then it’s time to invest in a new one.


2. Quality Over Quantity

If you are not waking up feeling refreshed and ready to start your day, it is time to take a look at your sleeping habits. You may be getting the quantity of sleep you need, but the not the quality.

Here are some tips to get more quality sleep:

  • Soaking in a hot tub or shower will allow your body to cool off naturally, kicking in your urge to go to sleep.
  • Try to exercise everyday.
  • Don’t consume any liquids at least two to three hours before bed
  • Don't activate your brain by doing stressful activities like watching a scary movie, reading a thriller, or balancing your checkbook before bedtime
  • Your mattras should be comfartable. It can support your back.
  • Lower your bedroom temperature. A cooler environment means better sleep. Darken your bedroom with shades and curtains.

Establishing healthy bedtime routines will help you in your quest for that quality of sleep you need to get through your day. Remember, quantity doesn’t count in sleep. It’s the quality or amount of rest that you obtain from a night’s sleep that is the most important.

3. Relaxation Tips to Get You Asleep

If you have problems sleeping, you probably have tried practically anything and everything to catch a restful snooze. The thing of it is you may not know how to relax properly. Relaxation is almost an art form, something that you have to really concentrate on to get right. And because everyone has their own styles, tastes and interests, one relaxation technique may work for one person but not you.

Picturing yourself somewhere else is one relaxation technique and is also known as visual imagery. Think about the most peaceful, calming scene you can think of. It could be a visualization of ocean waves lapping at the beach sand or flying a kite on a beautiful sunny day in a wildflower meadow.

No matter what it is, you just have to focus on that particular scene and displace yourself from the worries and stress that is in your life. Add details to this scene and imagine feeling the warmth of the sun or breathing in the salty ocean air. The more you focus on this scene and imagine all the little details, the more likely that tension you are harboring in your body will release.

Deep and controlled breathing is another strategy that could possibly be relaxing to you. You start by taking a deep breath slowly through your nose for three to five seconds, then exhaling through your mouth for another three to five seconds.

Continue repeating this breathing exercise while at the same time visualizing that the tension is slowly leaking out of your body, much like the air escaping from a balloon. Many people say that by focusing on their breathing, they are making a more conscious effort to take in oxygen into their bodies, which has a light rejuvenating effect.

The muscles in your body contribute greatly to stress and therefore affect your sleeping habits. A muscle relaxation technique utilizes not only the muscles in your body but also some of the breathing tips . As you breathe in for the three to five seconds, start by contracting a muscle group in one part of your body.

Beginning from your head and neck on down your body is a good plan. When you exhale, you release the muscle group you were contracting. You repeat this technique as many times as necessary going through facial muscles to the neck to the shoulders and back and even all the way to your pinkie toes.

As with all things, if it is something you want to do well and be worth your while, you are going to have to practice. The same philosophy applies to these relaxation techniques. They may not work the first, second or even third time you try them. But if you stick to it, one of them just may prove to be a winner in helping you relax so that you can fall asleep.

4. Beverage for better sleep

There are natural alternatives that a person can take to sleep better. Herbal teas are another popular choice for people who suffer from sleep problems. You simply brew a pot of the herbal tea and drink it shortly before bed. The soothing effects of the tea will make you to sleep better. Some of herbs that can reduce sleeping problems are : valerian, chamomile, and passion flower. Valerian probably the most well-known herb for sleep, valerian works by calming the nerves and relaxing the muscles.

An old stand-by that many people turn to when they suffer from the occasional bout of insomnia is to warm a glass of milk. There is a chemical that is released in milk once it is heated. This chemical is called tryptophan and it works to relax the body and help you to drift off to sleep. Besides being a natural remedy for insomnia, milk also has the added benefit of being a significant source of calcium.

5. Recommended Product : Valerian Root

Valerian is a calmative and tranquilizer. Clinical trials have confirmed the use of valerian for treating insomnia, especially the insomnia that accompanies menopause. The advantage of valerian over tranquilizers such as Valium and Xanax is that it reduces sleep latency, the time required to fall asleep, without a period of bedtime drowsiness and without creating a "hangover" or grogginess the next morning. Valerian has greatest effect in treating chronic insomnia, rather than short-term sleeplessness. It also soothes the digestive system and may prevent cramping caused by irritable bowel syndrome.

Buy Valerian Root

6. Quote of the month

“Never hurry. Take plenty of exercise. Always be cheerful. Take all the sleep you need. You may expect to be well.”
- James Freeman Clarke

News from the Webmaster

For the next 2 months, AromaLiving will not be publish. It's because that I have some other things to do that need more of my time. Currently, I'm dealing with many project to make this site better. One of them is to renew site design. If you want to suggest what is better for the site, then this is the time. Let me know what color do you like for this site or additional navigation bar that I should add or other suggestions that will make this site better. Just drop me a note !

If you see that I don't update this site often. Don't worry, I'm still here. I'm still answering your email and working on the project.

Current project that I do includes : Creating an animation video, Write article that will be added to "article" section. It will be about 30+ articles, Upload some aromatherapy music and Renew Site's look.

Thank you so much for all your support.

All the best,
Liani Widjaja

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