When you were a small child I bet you didn't have sleepless nights, did you? So why do little children sleep so well? Well, for one thing they don't go to bed and worry about tomorrow's problems. They go to bed when its dark and go to sleep when they are tired.
When its morning small children wake up without an alarm clock having had all the sleep they need. Of course they don't have to work long hours and they don't smoke or drink coffee and colas full of caffeine. What else? Exercise? Try following a two year old about for a day!
Can you see a few problems with our grown up lifestyles? Ever since Edison invented the light bulb its been downhill all the way. He and his successors made it possible for us to keep going 24 hours a day. Night and day make no impact when we can simply turn on the lights. Its not realistic to think we can go back to the days before electric lights, computers, mobile phones and all the rest, but we can take a few pointers from our past.
Ok so here is your Sleep Like A Toddler Plan to End Sleepless Nights.
1. Cut out all coffee and other caffeinated food and beverages from late afternoon
2. Don't smoke or use nicotine replacements in the hour before bedtime.
3. Have a milk drink and a sandwich or small cookie at bedtime.
4. Try to include 30 minutes exercise every day, but don't do it in the evening.
5. Don't keep working all evening, relax for at least an hour before going to bed.
6. Minimize light an hour before bedtime, this includes closing down your computer.
7. Relax in bed and don't think about your problems.
8. Learn and practice some relaxation exercises such as meditation or PMR
9. Stick to going to bed at the same time each night and allow 8 hours for sleep.
10. Bed time and rising should be the same at the weekend as they are during the week.
11. Care about yourself enough to go home and to bed early, even if you are socializing.
12. Never ever take sleeping pills. They impair your mind more than lack of sleep does.
If you carry out these tips you will surely be sleeping a lot more like a toddler than you are right now.
If you need some extra help you may like to try something a bit different. There is a very special kind of sound that has been shown in studies to facilitate sleep easily and naturally. Its a bit of a scientific breakthrough in fact. Click on one of the links below to learn more about it.
