Want a good night sleep?

People these days having difficulty trying to get a good quality sleep, or having insomnia. I have a friend, who don't even realize that she is suffering from insomnia. When she describe her symptom to me, I told her "You've got insomnia". She looked surprise but I do hope she is able to sleep better right now after I've spoken to her.

Me myself, from time to time, having hard time getting into my normal sleeping cycle, due to working schedules. Our so called 'biological clock'  or circadian rhythm, it applies not only to humans, but also animals and plants as well. In a perfect world, our biochemical and psychological processes are determined by this 24 hour biological clock, where it helps to maintain homeostasis within our body, and linked to light and dark cycle. In brief, your circadian clock controls your daily cycle of sleep and wakefulness by alternately inhibiting and exciting different parts of your brain through regulation of the release of certain neurotransmitters. The part of your brain known as the hippocampus must be excited in order for the things you learn to be organized in such a way that you’ll remember them later.

Your circadian rhythm has evolved over many years to align your physiology with your environment. Your body clock assumes that like your ancestors, you sleep at night and stay awake during daylight hours. If you confuse the situation by staying up very late, or depriving yourself of enough hours of sleep, or eating meals at odd hours (times at which your internal clock expects you to be sleeping), you send conflicting signals to your body. In response, your body will produce ‘sleep chemicals’ during times when you need to be awake and alert, and ‘awake chemicals’ when you need rest. Your individual circadian rhythm regulates activity throughout your body, from your brain, to your lungs and heart, to your liver, to your skeletal muscles. Your internal clock keeps all your organs and systems running smoothly.

Regardless of your age, the best way to keep your circadian clock functioning properly is to make sure you’re getting the necessary amount of  high quality sleep, during those hours when your body expects to be sleeping. A good night’s sleep is an essential requirement for being healthy. You can do everything else right, such as eat nutritious meals, exercise, manage stress, but if you aren’t getting high quality sleep, you simply won’t be as healthy as you thought. It's like missing that last piece of puzzle.

Overnight shift workers can disrupt the biological clock. People who often sleep after 12am midnight, will miss part of the physiological repair in the body, and for those who often experience 'interrupted sleep' during wee hours, they will not benefit from the psychological repair, which usually ends by 6am in the morning. Some people may sleep at 2am and wake up by 10am, and feel that the 8 hours they've gained, are sufficient for that night. What happen is that if u hit the bed past 2am, you are losing that physical repair involving joint pains and injuries, muscle aches, tissue and cells repairs, etc.

Does anyone know why do we yawn? It is because of a hormone called melatonin. Secretion of melatonin makes us want to fall asleep. When it gets dark or usually by sunset, our body starts to secrete this hormone. It is a very important hormone in the body and abnormal sleeping cycle can disrupt the production of melatonin.

Anyway, let me give you some tips on how to prepare for a good night sleep. Enjoy your sleep folks.

Sleep in complete darkness, or as close to it as possible  - Even the tiniest bit of light in the room can disrupt your internal clock and production of melatonin. Close your bedroom door, and get rid of night lights. Refrain from turning on any light at all during the night, even when getting up to go to the bathroom. Cover up your clock radio.

Keep the temperature in your bedroom - Ensure room temperature not too cold or warm. Most people bedrooms are too warm, and that will lead to restless sleep.

Check your bedroom for EMF - Matress box(metal) springs may contain residue magnetism, which creates disturbances. Usually most of the baby cribs are always magnetized. Also, don't sleep at the area where your cats are sleeping!

Reserve your bed for sleeping - If you are used to watching TV or doing work in bed, you may find it harder to relax and drift off to sleep, so avoid doing these activities in bed.

Consider separate bedrooms - For many people, sharing a bed with a partner or pets, can significantly impair sleep, especially if the partner is a restless sleeper or snores. If the bed partner are consistently interfering with your sleep, you may want to consider a separate bedroom.

Get to bed as early as possible - You do not want to disrupt the melatonin and cortisol production.

Don't change your bedtime - You should go to bed and wake up at the same times each day, even on the weekends. This will help your body to get into a sleep rhythm and make it easier to fall asleep and get up in the morning.

Don't drink any fluids within 2 hours of going to bed - This will reduce the likelihood of needing to get up and go to the bathroom, or at least minimize the frequency.

Avoid before bed snacks, particularly grains and sugars - These will raise your blood sugar and delay sleep. Later, when blood sugar drops too low, you may wake up and be unable to fall back asleep.

Take a hot bath or shower before bed - The temperature drop from getting out of the bath signals your body it’s time for bed.

Put your work away - This will give your mind a chance to unwind so you can go to sleep feeling calm, not hyped up or anxious about tomorrow's deadlines.

No TV right before bed - Even better, get the TV out of the bedroom. It’s too stimulating to the brain, preventing you from falling asleep quickly.

Listen to relaxation CDs - Some people find the sound of nature sounds, such as the ocean or forest, to be soothing for sleep.

Avoid caffeine - It's a stimulant, keeps you awake.

Avoid alcohol - Although alcohol will make you drowsy, the effect is short lived and you will often wake up several hours later, unable to fall back asleep. Alcohol will also keep you from entering the deeper stages of sleep.

Exercising regularly - Exercising for at least 30 minutes per day can improve your sleep. However, don't exercise too close to bedtime or it may keep you awake.

Lose excess weight - Being overweight can increase your risk of sleep apnea, which can seriously impair your sleep.

Choose the right pillow - Appropriate neck pillows, can enhance the quality of your sleep and reduce neck pain.

Put heavier curtains over your windows - Even the barely noticeable light from street lights, a full moon, or your neighbor's house can interfere with the circadian rhythm changes you need to fall asleep.