Tips to Prevent Sleep Problems

Whatever it is, you might have occasional bouts of insomnia in some stage of your life and would not feel refreshed in the morning. And your conditions will start to worsen if you have a history of some common types of pain such as back, neck, shoulders, hips, and knee. Because everything else will start to go wrong and get much more irritable than before. It will also seem harder to cope with the pain. Here are some tips that you can consider to improve your current situation.

1. Exercise Regularly

Olympic-level exertion is not required. Simply walking for 20 to 30 minutes will help improve the quality of your sleep. Try not to exercise near bedtime, however. Evening exercise can leave you feeling too "charged up" to fall asleep easily.

2. Do Not Lie Awake At Night

The longer you worry about going back to sleep, the less sleepy you feel. After several nights of lying awake, your mind can begin to associate lying in bed with worrying rather than with slumber. If you have been lying in bed trying to sleep for more than 20 minutes, get up and go to another room where you can do something quiet and relaxing such as reading or needlework. When you feel sleepy, go back to bed. You may fear that by doing this, you will miss too much sleep. Actually, you will probably be more rested.

3. Avoid Alcohol

The effect of alcoholic beverages on you sleep can be deceiving. At first, alcohol may seem to help because it has a relaxing or sedative effect for the first few hours. But once the sedative effect wears off, you will feel more anxious and jittery. If you drink alcohol in the evening, you may find yourself waking in the middle of the night. Therefore, the regular use of alcohol can make sleep problems worse. If you are having trouble sleeping, it is best to avoid alcohol altogether. At the very least, never use it as a sleep aid.

4. Slow Sown

Take time to slow down as bedtime approaches. During the hour before bed, pursue quiet, relaxing activities.

5. Avoid Caffeine

If your sleep cycle is already upset, even small amounts of caffeine can interfere with restful slumber. While you may be tempted to energize yourself with caffeine after a poor night's sleep, it is best to avoid coffee, tea, cola, and other caffeinated beverages. If you feel you cannot give up caffeine completely, limit yourself to one cup of coffee or tea in the morning. Try to avoid caffeine in the late afternoon or evening, and be aware that chocolates and various over-the-counter pain medications contain caffeine.

6. Do Not Overuse Sleeping Pills

Prescription sleeping pills and sedatives can reduce the time it takes to fall asleep. They should be limited to short-term use because they can be habit forming. In addition, regular use of sedatives and sleeping pills can depress your mood, reduce your energy levels, and contribute to problems with memory and concentration.

7. Find Another Time For Worrying and Planning

If you tend to lie awake worrying or solving problems, you can improve your sleep by planning to do your thinking at a different time of day. For example, you can regularly spend 10 to 15 minutes each morning thinking through your concerns and problems and making plans to resolve them. This strategy not only helps you to get organized and improves your problem solving, but also enables you to put the problem out of your mind at bedtime. You might even want to keep a pencil and paper or a tape recorder next to your bed. Then, if you should think of a new concern or new option for solving a problem, you can record it, and then fall asleep without worrying that you will forget.

Raymond Lee Geok Seng is one of the foremost experts in the health and fitness industry and is a writer specializing in body health, muscle development and dieting. He has spent countless of time and efforts conducting research and share his insightful and powerful secrets to benefit men and women all over the world. He is currently the author of the latest edition of "Neck Exercises and Workouts." Visit http://www.bodyfixes.com for more information.