Break the pattern and reclaim sleep!
- Get yourself into the habit of going to bed at the same time every night, aiming for six to eight hours sleep a night.
- Rise at the same time every morning, even on weekends.
- Avoid taking a nap during the day (that said, I just love how the Japanese can so easily full asleep, even in a major department store!!)
- Avoid using caffeine after dinner.
- Make your bedroom dark, quiet, a relaxing place to sleep.
- Avoid eating a meal late at night, eat your main meal during the day and have something lighter in the evening.
- Avoid watching TV and using your computer, iPhone, or engaging in late night calls which can all stimulate your brain and affect your ability to sleep.
- Get moving, exercise regularly. Around 30 minutes a day. Avoid exercising late in the evenings.
- Use techniques to help you relax before bed. Try and create a nightly ritual - deep breathing, meditation or restorative yoga are all good techniques which can help to switch off your busy brain and bring you into a peaceful state prior to bed.
- Write a list of everything you are grateful for in your life. Being in a happy state prior to falling asleep will help avoid negative thinking styles which can contribute to anxiety and insomnia.
- Consider drinking a cup of chamomile or lavender tea.
- Take Vitamin B12. Nutritional evidence shows that a patient with severe sleep disturbance and treated with vitamin B12 experienced progressive improvement in his sleep disturbance. He was able to advance the timing of his sleep period for the first time in nearly 10 years and to follow a normal 24 hour sleep-wake regimen.
