It’s almost 2 AM and I am AWAKE! Why is sleep so elusive sometimes? I ponder this in the middle of the night a lot. (It would help if someone would discover a cure for snoring husbands!) I am not alone, however, in my sleeplessness. I decided to make a list of things that sometimes help. So if you are not one of the 2% of Sleepless Elite who genetically only need about 3 hours a night, try this…..
- A COLD room – core body temperature needs to decrease 2-3 degrees to initiate sleep
- Turn off all light – even flipping your cell phone over, especially if incoming messages light your phone.
- Soft music may help, but use a timer so an inconsistency in the noise won’t reawaken you
- A medium firm mattress – too soft and too firm are both problems. Also, a mattress is really only good for about 10 years before it starts to break down. Of course, your mattress may last longer if you don’t sleep as much!
- If you cannot sleep and have been lying awake for an hour, get up and do a simple chore or two, and then try again
- Avoid caffeine (a no brainer)
- Finally, Thanksgiving is coming, and with it turkey! Turkey has tryptophan, an amino acid that promotes melatonin production and melatonin promotes sleep!
Alright, I have done my “middle of the night” chore. Time to try and sleep again……….