If you’re suffering from insomnia, there are many exercises that you can do before sleep that will encourage your body and mind to relax enough to sleep. Choosing the right exercises to do before going to bed will help you get a better night’s sleep. Use the ideas below for a nighttime exercise routine that won’t take long but will help you achieve a better night’s sleep.
Avoid alcohol, caffeine, sugar and nicotine. These stimulants may be effective in keeping you awake during the day but they are also making it difficult for you to sleep at night. Limit their consumption throughout the day. Do not take any stimulants at least four hours before going to bed for the night.
About three hours before bedtime, avoid all stimulants, such as caffeine, tobacco, alcohol and certain medications. Caffeine effects can last for up to six hours, and alcohol, while sedating at first, can cause frequent wakefulness. Certain medications, such as for asthma, are stimulants as well. Check with your doctor to see if you can substitute, or make a different schedule.
See a doctor. You might not be able to find your insomnia on your own, and you might need a professional to help. A doctor can make sure that there is not some other underlying condition causing you to miss sleep. He can also help you to try some sleep medication if necessary.
Get out into the sunshine every day. Seeing the natural light of the sun allows your body to differentiate between daytime and nighttime. It also helps your body produce melatonin, which helps your body maintain a regular pattern of sleep. Without an adequate amount of melatonin, your body may not be able to regulate proper sleep-wake patterns.
Many people who deal with arthritis find they also have insomnia. The severe pain can keep you up all night. If you think arthritis is bothering you, take some ibuprofen or relax in a warm bath before bed.
It’s harder to sleep when you aren’t sleepy! If you’re working somewhere where you just sit around, then you should take some breaks and move your body during your day. Working out can help get your body in the mood for sleep at night, too.
Get up after half an hour. If you can’t sleep, don’t lay there for hours and hours. Get up and move to a nearby chair and read a little or try an activity. Do a very lowkey set of activities for a little while, and when you feel sleep, try again.
Particularly if you work in an office and do not engage in much physical activity during the day, establish a workout schedule for yourself. Just 15 minutes a day of activity can help, as long as you do so a good 30 minutes or more before bed. Exercise enables you to get the oxygen you need to rest and sleep well.
A good massage prior to sleeping is really helpful in ridding you of insomnia. It’s relaxing and calms your entire body. Try alternating nights with your partner, letting you both benefit from a more restful sleep. You don’t have to do an elaborate massage. Just a few minutes of gentle touch will really help.
A glass of warm milk may be exactly what you need to get off to sleep at night. Milk has a natural sleep agent in it that can help your body to release melatonin. It promotes relaxation and it can reawaken visions of your childhood with your mother tucking you into bed each night.
If you are having difficulty sleeping, try getting a snack. A bit of toast topped with honey can calm and satisfy you. If you can add warm milk, you’ll start feeling like you want to sleep within about half an hour.
Think of something pleasant. You might have a lot of random images passing through in your brain, but take control of those. Start visualizing very peaceful places. You can even count fuzzy sheep if you want. The most important thing is that you are encouraging your brain to think about something that may relax you.
The body is controlled by the circadian clock which keeps our cycles going 24 hours a day. To get this clock back into the right pattern, you must keep to a strict schedule. Go to bed at a certain time nightly, and get up at a certain time, and your body will learn to obey.
Much insomnia is caused by an inability to relax enough to get to sleep. If you’re looking for exercises that can help you relax and enable you to more quickly fall asleep, you have many exercises to choose from. Use some of the suggestions below to see whether specific exercises can help you relax and get the rest you need.
Stop Letting Insomnia Keep You Up At Night! These Tips Can Help was originally published on Spring