Zombieland

Hands down the number one complaint I hear from people my age is the inability to fall asleep and stay asleep.  We spend precious hours every night tossing and turning, hopping from bed to couch and back to bed silently counting down in our heads, "If I can just get to sleep right now, I'll have 5 (then 4...3..okay 2) good hours of sleep before work.  I can live on that."  Well the truth is folks, we can't live on that.  Our bodies require a good night's sleep to maintain our physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health.  We are quickly becoming a nation of churlish, coffee guzzling zombies, stumbling through each day in a fog.  Good thing there's a Starbucks on every corner, right?.  Wrong.  

Stress, the foods we eat and plain old bad habits all play a part in keeping us from finding the elusive sleep we crave so greatly.  Here are a few ideas to help you prepare your body for a good night's rest.

• Reduce stess by practicing yoga, meditation, belly breathing, acupressure, reiki, reflexology, visualization or massage. 
• Take a hot bath.
• Exercise, but no less than 3 hours before bedtime. 
• Don't listen to or watch the news before bed.
• Practice positive thinking and affirmations.
• Lavender has been proven to reduce anxiety and improve sleep. (I sprinkle a couple of drops of essential lavender oil on a tissue and place it under my pillow.  Works like magic!)
• Avoid sugar, coffee, soda, alcohol and nicotine.  Have a cup of herbal tea instead.
• Keep a regular schedule, go to bed and wake up at the same time.  Yes, even on the weekends.
• Keep as much sound and light out of your bedroom as possible. Turn off and unplug the tv, computer, cell phones, etc. 
• Don't eat a large meal before bed. Avoid anything heavy or spicy.   
• Keep your bedroom cool, comfortable and clutter free. 
• Your bed should be used for only two activities, sleep and sex.  That's it.  No watching tv, no reading, no laptop.  Sleep and sex. 
• Keep relaxation as your focus, not sleep. Don't try so hard.

With a little planning and preparation you can set the stage for night of blissful repose.  Sleep, it does a body good.  You should get some.

Good night and sweet dreams.