Do's and don'ts for a good night's sleep

A good night’s sleep! Oh, what would some of us give for that luxury! Sure, you can blame it on the fast paced world and the things you have to do to keep the competition off your turf, and millions of other reasons to be sleep deprived.

Never mind the dark ages that have come a visiting, but did you know that without a good night’s rest, for many good nights to come, you don’t stand the proverbial snowball’s chance in hell of coming out of this thing in one piece. Think about it - why worry about your competitors and sworn enemies, when the greatest enemy lies within!

Yes, sleeping soundly and regularly is well within your control. Maybe it has eluded you so far and you are caught in a vicious circle of staring at the ceiling for hours on end, so read on to see what simple things you can do to gently drift off in to the arms of nature’s greatest restorative – ‘beauty sleep.’

Avoid stimulants like coffee, tea, or nicotine before bedtime as that can keep your nerves hyper, thereby making sleep quite difficult to come by.

Do's and don'ts for a Beauty Sleep

1. Fix a regular bedtime so that your brain will adjust to this by sending sleep signals to the body. If your bedtime is completely at the mercy of your activities then even as fatigue sets in, the body will refuse to obey.So, even as your body is screaming for rest, the mind does otherwise. This is where good old discipline comes in to play. Take into consideration the activities which are absolutely necessary to do and note the frequency with which they are likely to interfere with your bedtime before setting a realistic bedtime. Initially, the mind will refuse to obey, and you are most likely to get up after tossing and turning in bed, to switch on the computer, or whatever it is that you do when you cheat your bedtime. Rest assured, in a couple of days the brain will get used to this sleep routine and prepare you for shut down.


2. Sleeping well also largely depends on how stress-free you are. If the mind is in a state of constant excitement or anxiety, sleep will elude you. So when you lie down to sleep, you need to fade out and blank everything out - joy and sorrow, expectations and ambitions, all of these out for later access! Tell yourself that tomorrow is another day and what you need today is a state of neutrality! That’s what most philosophers would want you to do anyway- be a dispassionate onlooker towards everything that happens to you.


3. A good eight hours of sleep may depend largely on our minds, but external factors can matter too. Sleep comes easily when your mattress is comfortable and not too soft or too hard. Use a pillow that won’t give you neck pain, as any discomfort in the neck is likely to throw sleep off the gear.


4. Wearing clean clothing can give you better quality of sleep. That goes for the bed spread as well. Try this for yourself. Tight and uncomfortable night clothing is not recommended as this will only make you wriggle about for comfort. A cozy blanket and some clean nightclothes make great bed mates.


5. Some people have a nightcap to help them sleep better, while others still, drink themselves to sleep. Alcohol in large doses can only numb, but does not help you sleep and you will only find yourself waking up frequently. Sleeping pills can be habit forming and might have serious side effects in the long run. So try simple remedies like a glass of warm milk or hot chocolate before bedtime to help you sleep better.


6. Computers and television are also largely responsible for us staying up late and disrupting our sleep patterns. We often find ourselves mechanically flipping channels or browsing without any real need for it. Try and go offline before bedtime, especially if you want to be able to schedule your sleep time. Television or movies can excite the brain and then you will find it difficult to fall asleep. So about an hour before bedtime, switch off the telly or the computer and just sit quietly and do some deep breathing exercises. Relax your body. You are now ready for a deep slumber.


7. Bring out those room fresheners and lavender oils. A fragrant setting helps calm your nerves and induce a better sleep.