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Need Help Sleeping

Here, in no particular order, is Limelight Direct' s top 15 tips on how to get a good night’s sleep:
If all else fails you can rely on tip 16.

  1. I f you have a bad back, then don’t automatically opt for an ‘orthopaedic’ bed – all ‘orthopaedic’ means is extra firm, and that might be the wrong choice for you! A firm, supportive bed, not an extra hard one, can do wonders to ease and even prevent bad backs.
  2. Don’t forget your pillow! – make sure it provides adequate support for your head and neck.
  3. Buy a comfortable big bed (no, really!), because research has shown that people who sleep on uncomfortable beds get nearly one hour less sleep than those who sleep on comfortable beds.
  4. Although each person’s sleep needs varies, research has shown that eight hours’ sleep may be a little too much for the average person – six and a half to seven and a half hours’ sleep is all that the average adult requires, reducing gradually as you age.
    Try not aiming for the mythical ‘eight hours sleep’, but allowing your body to dictate how much sleep you need.
  5. The old cliched ways of aiding sleep that we usually dismiss are actually surprisingly effective and do in fact work for many of us – reading, listening to relaxing music, taking a warm bath, having sex, having a warm non-caffeinated drink – so they are all worth a try!
  6. However, both smoking and drinking alcohol actually interfere with the sleep process, even though alcohol make may you initially feel more sleepy. Enough said.
  7. Most people are unaware that eating a banana about 45 minutes before going to bed can aid sleep as it encourages the release of a hormone that induces sleep. Sounds odd, but it really does help some people.
  8. Don’t fight insomnia by tossing and turning in the hope that you’ll eventually nod off – if you haven’t fallen asleep after 30 minutes, get up and do something else until you feel sleepy and then go back to bed and try again.
  9. The continentals have got it right! – we are actually pre-programmed to have a short nap of no more than 30 minutes in the early afternoon – try it and see!
  10. Make sure your bedroom is cool, quiet and dark – it’s amazing what a difference double glazing and thick curtains can make to the quality of your sleep!
  11. Try to keep regular hours – our body clock functions better if we go to bed and get up at roughly the same time each day, including weekends (sorry – no lie-ins allowed!).
  12. You’re going to hate this one, but exercise – even a brisk evening walk – does help you sleep better, but not just before you go to bed.
  13. Try not to drink caffeinated drinks – coffee, tea, coke – after 4pm because it can take the body up to six hours to clear the ‘stay awake’ caffeine from your system.
  14. Avoid the habit of eating a big meal late in the evening – eat a bigger breakfast and lunch and then eat a light meal no later than four hours before your bedtime.
  15. If you find yourself worrying about problems, get up and write them down. Not only will focusing on them this way get the worrisome thoughts out of your head, it will allow your subconscious mind to work on the problems overnight.
  16. If all else fails trying looking at our competitors website for a few minutes, that's GUARANTEED TO SEND YOU ASLEEP !!.