How to Remedy Sleep Problems

Restful sleep is as important as a healthy diet and exercise, and yet many people toss and turn the night away. If you want to find a doctor who specializes in sleep disorders, visit the Web site for the American Academy of Sleep Medicine at www.asda.org.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Reduce caffeine consumption through out the day.

2. Avoid eat large meals or spicy foods before bedtime.

3. Exercise and practice relaxation techniques. If you suffer cramps during sleep, trying using a heating pad and massage to alleviate some of the discomfort.

4. Invest in a mouthpiece for protection and possibly think about physical therapy to prevent or treat bruxism (teeth grinding).

5. Avoid watching frightening or disturbing images on television or in the newspaper during the day, but particularly just before sleep.

6. Keep your sleeping area relatively cool, but not cold.

7. Purchase sleeping medication--stimulants if you suffer from narcolepsy and sleeping pills for insomnia. Both medications should be short-term treatments only.

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on 8/22/2006 Working out will help relax you, but not right before bedtime. Try taking a warm bath and write down anything you need to remember later and put it out of your mind.

Then, some relaxing herbal tea or some other warm liquid will help relax you from the inside. Be careful that some chemical sleep aids may make you too relaxed and you'll snore loudly and sleep too long.

Also, try to control the temperature of your room so it doesn't fluctuate. I can't sleep when it's too cold and my sleep is not restful when it's too hot.

on 8/11/2006 Some sleeping pills can cause REM sleep behavior disorder, sleepwalking, and memory lapses. Be sure to ask your doctor specifically about these side effects before taking any sleeping pill.

on 2/15/2006 I've had RLS all of my life, and I haven't had a sleepless night since I stared taking 1000mg of Magnesium per day and cutting way back on my salt intake. I wish I knew about this years ago!