Sound sleep and sweet dreams!

Here are some useful tips to help you get better sleep every night…

Okay, we all know how important sleep is for rest, rejuvination, balancing appetite regulating hormones, avoiding irritating eye twitches that may frighten others around you, avoiding that unattractive selfish streak (studies show that when people don’t sleep well, selfishness can kick in more than usual and can affect their relationships), keeping the cranks away and the happy bubble unpopped… You see what I mean. But what if, try as you might to get the recommended six to eight hours of sleep everyday, you just can’t seem to get some shut eye?

Well before you go speak to a specialist about insomnia, we’ve got a couple of tips and ideas for you to try…

Turn off the gadgets. Give yourself at least one hour before bedtime of iPad, computer, cell phone and television-free time to unwind after a busy day. Why is this important? All of these electronics emit a blue light that mimics daylight, which then leads your body to produce less of sleep hormone, melatonin. Try grabbing a book or a magazine instead!

Avoid caffeine. Did you know that caffeine can linger in your system for up to 12 hours? It’s true. If you find that caffeine has a strong effect on your, make sure that you don’t have any after lunch!

Exercise regularly. Getting your daily exercise is one the best ways to destress, which is often the culprit of sleep troubles. Exercising in the morning is especially good because it gives your time to cool down and keeps you energized throughout the day (needing less caffeine to function). When you exercise, your core heats up and isn’t normally a cue to your body to drift off to dreamland. If you must exercise in he evening, the experts at Shape Magazine recommend a nice steamy shower that will heat your skin. This will help kick your body into cool down mode and help it wind down towards sleep.

Invest in your bed. We spend half of our lives sleeping, so why not spend a little money on your mattress and sheets? Mattresses usually have a lifespan of five to ten years. If your mattress is sagging in the middle, no amount of flipping it over will change the fact that it’s saying goodbye to you. Also, look for quality bed sheets made from natural materials (like cotton or silk) that will breathe. And don’t forget to make your bed in the morning! Coming home to a messy room can actually bequite stressful and affect how well you sleep.

Have a routine and bedtime. Try to follow a more regular schedule of winding down and falling asleep and waking up in the morning. Also, create a normal bedtime ritual that will help you to relax and put away the stress of the day.

If you can’t fall asleep, get out of bed. It seems rather counterintuitive but don’t stay and in bed trying to sleep. This hardly ever helps. In fact, it could create even more anxiety for you if you are constantly checking the clock and counting the minutes, wondering why you can’t sleep and how this will affect your day tomorrow. Get up and change your environment, but keep it low light.

Eat the right foods. There are certain foods that you can eat that contain more tryptophan or melatonin such as tart cherry juice, nonfat popcorn, turkey, garbanzo beans, and chamomile tea.

Lavender. The scent of lavender is really quite relaxing and studies have shown that people who smelt these purple blossoms (or an aromatic oil) slept deeper and woke up with more energy. In any case, it just smells lovely!

And there you have it! Get more great sleep tips from Shape Magazine and happy snoozing to you!