Sleeping problems? Thirteen simple tips for sound sleep at night

It is but an absolute necessity for every human being in this world to have rest for a minimum of 7 to 9 hours a day in the form of sleep.  While there might be some deviation in the time spent for sleeping, one cannot ignore the importance of the quality of sleep to provide the desired relief and rejuvenation to the body, both mentally and physically.  The quality of sleep also plays a vital role in determining your activities the next day.  Needless to point out that a poor sleep or a disturbed sleep will make your next day not quite so refreshing one.  Cascading effects of a poor sleep at night might affect your work, level of concentration and the ability to interact with other members in the family and at workplace.

How many of us can say with confidence that we have a complete and sound sleep without any external assistance?  I leave the answer to the concerned individuals.  In this fast-paced world where man runs ahead of time chasing the shadow, it is definitely a bliss to have a sound sleep at night. 

How can a person get a good and sound sleep at night?

The following tips might be of help to people suffering from sleep disorders.

One can follow the basic sleeping rituals to have a sound sleep at night.  These rituals include :

• A warm bath before going to sleep;
• Reading a book for a few minutes in bed;
• Listening to soothing music while lying in the bed;
• Use bedroom only for sleeping and ensure that TV is not placed in the bedroom, or else working files or other things are not kept in the bedroom
• Ensure that the bedroom is quiet and dark; if there is any outside disturbance such as sounds, try to eliminate them totally
• Wear clothes such that they are loose-fitting and comfortable
• Also ensure that you prepare a regular timetable for your daily routines and follow it strictly including going to bed, waking up time, exercise, dinner time, etc., so that you daily routine can function as a ritual every day.

If any of the above mentioned things did not aid you in having sound sleep at night, then there might be other reasons for not getting a sound sleep at night.  One can try to implement any one of the following tips to get sound sleep at night.

1. Do not take a long nap during the day time; this will result in not getting sound sleep during night
2. Avoid taking a heavy meal, especially at the night time, before going to bed.  Ensure that you take meals during day time at regular intervals.
3. Avoiding coffee or caffeine in any form, especially after meals in the day time, will assist in falling asleep during night
4. If you are a smoker, it is advisable that you do not smoke atleast a couple of hours, if not more, before going to sleep, as nicotine content in cigarattes might hinder sound sleep at night
5. If worries or tension about some thing engulf you and prevent you from having a sound sleep, which is the case in many instances, you can try this simple tip:  Devote 30 minutes of your time after dinner to writing down in paper the nature of the problems or pressure that is keeping you awake; also record the possible solutions for the same, including alternatives.  Give a reading of the entire written matter and then set aside the paper.  Then go to bed and try to sleep.
6. If you did not get sleep, after writing down in paper, for more than 15 minutes, do not stay in the bed lying.  Get from the bed, come to the living room, and watch TV or spend time reading a book till you get sleep.  But, in such instances, ensure that you get up at the correct time the next day morning.

Hope these tips will help a person suffering from sleeping problems overcome the same and have a sound sleep at night.