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How Sleep Well at Night

Clay Hartzoge Henry Hodan Maria Curiel Anthony Hamilton Rodrigo Reynoso

Table of Contents
Materials ....................................................................................................................................................... 3 Quick Reference ............................................................................................................................................ 3 Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 5 Chapter 1: Include Physical Activity in Your Daily Routine ........................................................................... 8 Chapter 2 Be Smart About Napping ............................................................................................................ 10 Chapter 3: Watch What You Eat ................................................................................................................. 12 Chapter 4: Bedtime routines....................................................................................................................... 14 Chapter 5: Get Comfortable........................................................................................................................ 16 Eliminate Light and Reduce Noise .......................................................................................................... 16 Clothing ................................................................................................................................................... 16 ................................................................................................................................................................ 17 Comfortable Bed ..................................................................................................................................... 17 Chapter 6: Do not Sleep with the Lights on ................................................................................................ 19 Chapter 7: Things You Can Take To Help You Sleep ................................................................................... 21

Materials
In order to get a good nights rest you may need the following: Bed Bed Sheets Clothes (if applicable) Shower Food Bedroom Meds Aromatherapy Sleepy time tea

Quick Reference

Include Physical Activity in your daily routine

Staying active during the day drains your energy helping you to fall asleep Exercise can help you enjoy better quality sleep and lower body temperature which also induces better sleep. If you exercise too close to bedtime, you might be too energized to fall asleep. If this seems to be an issue for you, exercise earlier in the day.

Be Smart about Napping

Use naps to make up for lost sleep Schedule your naps according to your bedtime

Watch What You Eat

Watch what you eat, cut down on caffeine products at night. Your stomach does not have to be full, but make sure something is in there Do not eat anything sugary No sodas No coffee! Give your body adequate time to digest

Bedtime Routine/Sleep Schedule

Tells your body it is time for bed Go to bed and get up at the same time every day

Being consistent reinforces your body's sleep-wake cycle and helps promote better sleep at night If you don't fall asleep within about 15 minutes, get up and do something relaxing. Go back to bed when you're tired. If you agonize over falling asleep, you might find it even tougher to nod off.

Get Comfortable

Clothes/No Clothes Comfortable Setting Temperature Be Clean Comfortable Bed

Do not sleep with the Light/TV on

Due to brain activity Lights and sounds keep your brain active which affects quality of sleep Try to eliminate light and noise If you live in a noisy area try ear plugs

Things you can take to help you sleep

aromatherapy candles/body wash/ lotion sleeping pills(talk to your doctor before taking any) sleepy time tea Listen to soothing music/ maybe the sound of waterfalls Guidelines/ rules/ regulations of all the stuff above

Introduction Almost half of Americans do not get enough sleep at night. Among these Americans, less than half of them take any measures to get better sleep. The average person needs seven to eight hours of sleep. If you are having trouble going to sleep at night, then this manual is for you. This manual includes helpful tips for how to get a good nights rest. Everyone is different so we included various techniques on how to fall asleep.

Include Physical Activity in Your Daily Routine

Chapter 1: Include Physical Activity in Your Daily Routine

The amount of physical activity that you expend during the day is a key ingredient to helping you sleep restfully at night. The more active your body is during the day, the more likely you are able to relax fully at night and fall asleep easily. With regular exercise your sleep quality is improved and the transition between the cycles and phases of sleep becomes smoother and more regular. Keeping up your physical activity during the day may also help you deal with the stress and worry in your life.

By increasing physical activity during the day, your body will receive enough stimulation therefore preventing your body to become restless at night. Exercise will not only benefit your sleep, it will also help you stay healthy. Our bodies require a certain amount of physical activity in order to function in a healthy manner. You should not exercise three to four hours before going to bed, the best time to exercise is in the late afternoon or early morning. You want to expend your energy long before it is time for your body to rest and ready itself for sleep. Try to exercise three to four times a week for at least twenty to thirty minutes, it can be something as simple as walking or as strenuous as running. The goal is to increase your heart rate and increase your lung capacity. Exercising regularly will improve your health and benefit you emotionally. This can promote a natural remedy for sleeplessness. Other exercises that can battle sleeplessness are aerobic exercises, running, biking, using a treadmill, jumping rope, and dancing. If you find yourself with no time to exercise, try to sneak in some extra moments of activity into your daily schedule.

o o o o

Try taking stairs instead of elevators when possible. Park around the corner and walking that extra block to your appointment, etc. There are many small ways to incorporate some added activity into your life. The goal is to have a healthy and well balanced life.

Be Smart About Napping

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Chapter 2 Be Smart About Napping

Long naps during the day can interfere with your sleep at night. This is especially true if you struggle with insomnia or poor quality of sleep. However, if you need to make up for lost hours, try a daytime nap rather than sleeping late. While napping can be a great way to recharge your body, it should be carefully monitored if you wish to get a good nights sleep.

If you must nap during the day, it is best to do it in the early afternoon. Limit your naps to 30 minutes. Use naps to make up for lost sleep. Sleeping in late can disturb your natural sleep-wake rhythm, which can lead to insomnia and throw you off for days. Be smart about napping. Napping is a great way to reenergize but sometimes it can make insomnia worse. If you struggle with insomnia, eliminate naps completely. If you work nights, you make need to sleep in late during the day. If this is the case, keep your blinds closed and cover your windows so that sunlight does not interfere with your daytime sleep.

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Watch What You Eat

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Chapter 3: Watch What You Eat

It is important not to go to sleep on an empty stomach because:

Hunger can keep the brain mentally alert. Hunger can cause you to lose sleep. To avoid being hungry at night, do not skip meals during the day. Sleeping on an empty stomach long enough can result in your body breaking down muscle mass

Healthy snacks to eat before bedtime include:

Milk and Honey Salad, without tomatoes Cherries Jasmine Rice Fortified Cereal Bananas Turkey Sweet Potato Valerian Tea

Horrible things to eat before bed time:

Bacon Cheeseburger Wine Coffee Anything with a lot of caffeine Dark Chocolate Energy Drinks Soda Indian Curry Chicken

Some people enjoy sleeping on a full stomach, but according to doctors it is not healthy. It is unhealthy to sleep on a full stomach because:

Causes acid reflux, which could result in long term damage to your esophagus Weight Gain

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Bedtime Routines

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Chapter 4: Bedtime routines

Getting in sync with your bodys natural sleep-wake cycleyour circadian rhythmis one of the most important strategies for achieving good sleep. If you keep a regular sleep schedule, going to bed and getting up at the same time each day, you will feel much more refreshed and energized than if you sleep the same number of hours at different times. This holds true even if you alter your sleep schedule by only an hour or two. Consistency is vitally important.

Set a regular bedtime. Go to bed at the same time every night. Choose a time when you normally feel tired, so that you dont toss and turn. Try not to break this routine on weekends when it may be tempting to stay up late. If you want to change your bedtime, help your body adjust by making the change in small daily increments, such as 15 minutes earlier or later each day.

Wake up at the same time every day. If youre getting enough sleep, you should wake up naturally without an alarm. If you need an alarm clock to wake up on time, you may need to set an earlier bedtime. As with your bedtime, try to maintain your regular wake-time even on weekends.

Nap to make up for lost sleep. If you need to make up for a few lost hours, opt for a daytime nap rather than sleeping late. This strategy allows you to pay off your sleep debt without disturbing your natural sleep-wake rhythm, which often backfires in insomnia and throws you off for days.

Be smart about napping. While taking a nap can be a great way to recharge, especially for older adults, it can make insomnia worse. If insomnia is a problem for you, consider eliminating napping. If you must nap, do it in the early afternoon, and limit it to thirty minutes.

Fight after-dinner drowsiness. If you find yourself getting sleepy way before your bedtime, get off the couch and do something mildly stimulating to avoid falling asleep, such as washing the dishes, calling a friend, or getting clothes ready for the next day. If you give in to the drowsiness, you may wake up later in the night and have trouble getting back to sleep.

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Get Comfortable

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Chapter 5: Get Comfortable

Getting comfortable is very important when it comes to getting good quality sleep. Create a comfortable setting for sleep by eliminating light, reducing noise, and maintaining a comfortable room temperature. Most people sleep well in a slightly cool room, around 65-70 degrees fahrenheit, with good ventilation. A room that is too hot or too cold can interfere with your sleep.

Eliminate Light and Reduce Noise

As bedtime approaches your body releases the chemical melatonin which makes you sleepy but only if it receives the right clues from your environment. Sitting in a dimly lit room before getting ready for bed can put you in the right mind-set for sleep. Also, studies show that lit screens such as televisions and computers are stimulating to the brain. This adds to the amount of time you spend tossing and turning. Its best to avoid TV and Email before bed. Do something calming instead to slow down the brain such as reading in a comfortable chair. When it is time for bed, turn off all light sources in the room and eliminate noise as much as possible. If you can not eliminate noise due to barking dogs, loud neighbors, city traffic, or other people in the house, try masking the noise with a fan. In some cases, earplugs may also help. Be clean and take a shower before you jump into bed. Adding this to your bedtime routine will let your body know that it is time to go to sleep. A warm bath or shower is soothing and relaxing and prepares you for bedtime.

Clothing
The type of clothes you wear can affect your comfort level. We recommend wearing something that is soft and warm, but find something that is comfortable to you. If you prefer not to wear clothes at bedtime then continue with what is comfortable. Things to wear to bed:

Cotton Sweatpants Loose T-Shirts

Things not to wear to bed:

Jeans Scarves Tight-fitted clothing

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Tight-fitted clothing can be restrictive and cause discomfort. Remember, when it comes to your bedtime wardrobe, the less restrictive the better.

Comfortable Bed
Your mattress and pillow can also contribute to your comfort. Because the features of good bedding are subjective, choose what feels most comfortable to you. If you share your bed, make sure there's enough room for two. If you have children or pets, set limits on how often they sleep with you or insist on separate sleeping quarters. Here are some comfortable mattress recommendations:

Sleep Number Memory Foam Mattress Beautyrest Plush Pillowtop Mattress Serta Terrace Heights Firm Mattress

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Do not Sleep with the Lights on

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Chapter 6: Do not Sleep with the Lights on

Exposure to even dim light at night, such as a glowing TV screen, could prompt changes in your brain that lead to mood disorders -- up to and including depression. Researchers placed hamsters in sleep environments with different lighting conditions. After eight weeks, the hamsters were tested for behaviors that might suggest depression. Sleeping in total darkness is a crucial part of sleep hygiene that many overlook. Exposure even to a dim night-light may cause physical changes in the part of your brain called the hippocampus, which, as this Ohio State University hamster study showed, can set the stage for depression.

In fact, sleeping in total darkness is so important that nighttime light has been dubbed light pollution by the International Dark-Sky Association (IDA). Light pollution refers to any adverse effect of artificial light, including sky glow, glare, light trespass, light clutter, decreased visibility at night, and energy waste, as defined by the IDA. More subtle examples of light pollution are the strips of light that sneak in around your curtains at night, or even the soft blue glow of your clock radio.

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Things You Can Take To Help You Sleep

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Chapter 7: Things You Can Take To Help You Sleep

Natural Remedies that can aid you in falling asleep:

Magnesium and Calcium Wild Lettuce Hops (female flower used for making beer) Aromatherapy Melatonin Yoga L-thenine Valerian

Make sure and consult a doctor before taking any of these pills. If you do decide to take these pills take them according to the guidelines on the bottle.

There are so many different brands and different types of teas to help you go to sleep that are available. You can order them offline or find them in your local drug store or vitamin store. Three of them are:

Celestial Seasonings Camomille Caffeine- free Herbal Tea

What to listen to before going to bed:

To the sound of waterfalls Classical music Fan

You can buy a small rock waterfall from Ross or Marshalls for $5 and listen to it until you fall asleep.