Sunday, November 18, 2007

Sleep is essential to having good health; however, as people get older, many times they find themselves sleeping less and less at night. When the body does not get enough sleep it can make the brain slower to react and can slow down on the repairing of the body that is to occur during sleep. As you approach old age, you may already be dealing with health issues and problems remembering things at times, but believe it or not, getting a good night’s sleep each night can really help. There are a variety of steps that you can take to help you achieve a deep, quality sleep that will have you waking up fresh and full of vigor. Instead of counting sheep, use the following tips every evening and you should begin to notice a difference in the amount and the quality of your sleep.

Tip #1 - Eat a Light Evening Meal - The first thing you need to do if you want to get a better night’s sleep is to eat a light evening meal. If you eat too much in the evening, your body has to digest this large amount of food, and this can end up keeping you awake for a good portion on the night. Start eating lighter meals and it will help you get to sleep faster.

Tip #2 - Avoid Drinking Too Much - Drinking too much liquid before bedtime can be causing you to have sleepless nights as well. As you get older, usually your bladder gets a bit overactive, and if you drink a great deal before bedtime you may end up getting up to use the restroom every hour or so. You can avoid this problem by doing most of your drinking during the day and avoiding having too much to drink before bedtime.

Tip #3 - Do Some Exercising - While you may think that exercise is the wrong thing to do in the evening, exercising can actually have a positive effect. Although right after you exercise you will probably feel a bit revved up, after about an hour or so your body will start cooling down and you will probably begin feeling sleepy. Just a brisk walk or a nice jog a couple hours before you go to bed can really help.

Tip #4 - Have a Glass of Warm Milk - Believe it or not, just having a simple glass of warm milk can help reduce your sleeplessness at night as well. With the modern convenience of the microwave, you can quickly warm up a nice glass of milk in just seconds. The milk will sooth your stomach and should make you start feeling sleepy.

Tip #5 - Take a Warm Bath - Another tip that can help you sleep better at night is to take a warm bath before bedtime. The warm water will sooth your body and relax your muscles. Many people have a problem sleeping because their body hurts or they cannot relax, but taking a warm bath can sooth these problems and help you get relaxed enough so you can quickly drift off to sleep, once you get in bed.

Tip #6 - Sleep in a Firm Bed - A firm bed is extremely important to getting a good night’s sleep as well. If your bed is too soft and saggy it can cause you to have a great deal of back pain, which can lead to many sleepless nights. You may want to consider investing in a new mattress that is firmer, or consider purchasing one of the mattresses that allow you to adjust the firmness to your comfort. Even though purchasing a new mattress can be a bit expensive, remember that your sleep is important, and an investment in your sleep will be worth the money that you spend.

When you consider just how important sleep is to your well being, investing a bit of time and money in getting good sleep will be 100% worth it. Start using these tips in your life and no doubt you will begin to see a huge difference in the amount and quality of sleep that you get on a nightly basis.

Source : http://www.mybuny.com/myarticle/articles/696/1/6-Tips-To-Reduce-Sleeplessness-Among-Older-People/Page1.html

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