Getting The Benefits Of Sleep Even If It Is Short (Sleep Guide Included)

First-line treatment: Behavioral changes

If you are having trouble sleeping or sleeping well, the following four techniques may help you sleep better.

Sleep restriction. Fight the tendency to spend a lot of time in bed with the hope of falling asleep. In reality, less time in bed helps you to sleep better and make the bedroom a welcome sight instead of a torture chamber.

Reconditioning. A few simple steps can help people with insomnia to associate the bedroom with sleep instead of sleeplessness and frustration. For example, use the bed only for sleeping or sex and go to bed only when you're sleepy. If you're unable to sleep, move to another room and do something relaxing. Stay up until you are sleepy, and then return to bed. If sleep does not follow quickly, repeat.

Relaxation techniques. A racing or worried mind is the enemy of sleep. Sometimes physical tension is to blame. Techniques to quiet a racing mind - such as meditation, breathing exercises, progressive muscle relaxation, and biofeedback - can help you sleep better.

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). CBT for insomnia aims to change the negative thoughts and beliefs about sleep into positive ones. People with insomnia tend to become preoccupied with sleep and apprehensive about the consequences of poor sleep. This worry makes relaxing and falling asleep nearly impossible. The basic tenets of this therapy include setting realistic goals and learning to let go of inaccurate thoughts that can interfere with sleep.

Sleep Guide to Better your sleep naturally

The world looks very different at 3 a.m. when you're lying in bed staring at the ceiling or the clock. "How will I make it through tomorrow without any sleep?" you worry. You may wonder how to sleep better every night. If you regularly can't get to sleep - or stay asleep - and it's affecting you during the day, then you may have insomnia.

Prescription or over-the-counter sleep aids can help you drift off, but these drugs also have side effects. These include morning drowsiness, which can make activities like driving or using machinery dangerous, and an increased risk for falling. There are other ways to sleep better than medications.

Try simple lifestyle changes to help you sleep better, recommends Dr. Hadine Joffe, associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. Two good tips to help you sleep better  include avoiding caffeine and sticking to a regular sleep schedule. If these steps don't help you sleep better, it's worth a call to your doctor to see if a medical condition - such as thyroid problems, anemia, sleep apnea, menopausal hot flashes, heartburn, incontinence, or depression - is affecting the quality or the quantity of your sleep. Treating the health problem may take care of the sleep problem.

The guide below can help you establish a sleep routine to promote restful nights and to help you sleep better.