Sleep (n): "a condition of body and mind such as that which typically recurs for several hours every night, in which the nervous system is relatively inactive, the eyes closed, the postural muscles relaxed, and consciousness practically suspended", this is the definition given to us by dictionary.com. This is great to know and all, but what about getting a good night's sleep? Are there directions on how to do that?
Actually, there are. You can Google search 'how to get a good night's sleep' and follow the links that show up. Or there's always my favorite, Pinterest, where you can always find something on how to get a good night's sleep. But what I'm going to do is give you some things that have helped me to earn a restful night's sleep, it may not work every night, but if I follow these tips then I tend to feel more rested when I wake up.
First off, electronics. This is something that I have heard again and again and never really paid it much mind until I found that I wasn't sleep through the night: turn off your electronics and don't use them within at least 15-20 minutes of trying to fall asleep. There are studies saying longer, but for me the 15-20 minutes works just as well. I have found that if I just read part of a novel, a short story, or 3-4 poems (depending on length) before bed instead of checking Facebook for the last time or checking on my ebay site, I get a much better night's sleep and am more likely to fall asleep faster.
Secondly, exercise. Again this is something that my parents tried to tell me for years and I barely acknowledged: do something physical during your day. In other words, engage in a regular exercise routine. This is where what you do during the ret of your day can affect how you sleep. If you sat around at a computer all day, chances are that you won't get a great night's sleep since your body is still full of the energy you gained throughout the day from eating. So, seriously, exercising has more than one benefit!
Thirdly, food and drink. Let's face it, more the majority of people, if you drink a cup of coffee right before bed you aren't going to get a good night's sleep, same with eating chocolate or cake or any sort of high calorie food. So, just don't go there! Instead, how about having a Naked juice, or some water. It's important to not go to bed on a full stomach or an empty stomach, both can cause a disruption in sleep. Plus, a full stomach, don't you get that feeling like you just don't want to do anything? Well, sleep is included there! On the other hand, with an empty stomach, your stomach keeps you up growling all night, begging for food! Not to mention you feel like you haven't slept at all when you get up the next morning. The moral here is to eat healthy before bed and don't over indulge or under feed yourself.
Fourthly, your bed. Well, your bed being the mattress and pillows and blankets. If these aren't comfortable then you are in for a long night of tossing and turning. Even in college dorms, it's better to be safe and to get a nice mattress cover to go over those thin and uncomfortable dorm mattresses, I know that's what I did! Face it, if your pillow is too hard or too soft, then there is no way you are going to be comfortable enough to sleep.
All of these factors are going to be different based on the individual person and that is acknowledged. I have a friend who used to sleep without a pillow because the pillows didn't work for him to sleep, and another who claims that a cup of espresso helps him to sleep at night. Every person is different and that's what makes up the human race. So, sleep on my fellow human beings!
