Cheat on the Need to Sleep!

[alfreda89]

willshetterly brings us an article from WIRED on getting quality sleep. This article and study does not insist on mega-hours of sleep -- it insists on trying to get quality sleep.

Believe it or not, here are a few suggestions:


* Do not take sleeping pills. This includes over-the-counter pills and melatonin.
* Don't go to bed until you're sleepy. If you have trouble sleeping, try going to bed later or getting up earlier.
* Get up at the same time every morning, even after a bad night's sleep. The next night, you'll be sleepy at bedtime.
* If you wake up in the middle of the night and can't fall back to sleep, get out of bed and return only when you are sleepy.
* Avoid worrying, watching TV, reading scary books, and doing other things in bed besides sleeping and sex. If you worry, read thrillers or watch TV, do that in a chair that's not in the bedroom.
* Do not drink or eat anything caffeinated within six hours of bedtime.
* Avoid alcohol. It's relaxing at first but can lead to insomnia when it clears your system.
* Spend time outdoors. People exposed to daylight or bright light therapy sleep better.


Cheat on the Need to Sleep

Comments

[alfreda89.livejournal.com]

I have set things I'm "allowed" to think about when trying to sleep; these things exclude things that make me active: trying to solve problems, forming arguements, etc. These are what keep my mind active, which makes me awake.

Big problem for me, sometimes, too. I used a recorded hypno CD to get to sleep for about 18 months, at one point.