Sleep like a baby!

People who go to bed early often complain that the night is too short, but for those who stay up all night because they cannot sleep it can feel as long as a lifetime.

Today’s article features a few simple techniques for getting a better night’s sleep.

* Get up in the morning at the right time: Instead of asking what time they sleep, I always ask my clients: ‘what time did you get up?’ Some admit to 11am, noon or even 1pm, and they also say ‘but even if I get up this late I don’t feel rested and I can’t get to sleep during the night’.

My next question to them is: ‘do you think you are getting up at the right time?’

Almost all of them say ‘yes, since I sleep late, I get up late’.

Sleep experts, however, suggest that people often get their internal body clock set to the wrong time, which can make them feel as though they are suffering from a condition commonly known as jet lag.
 
If this applies to you and you want to improve your sleep pattern, simply reset your body clock.
 
In theory, it is like adjusting your sleep pattern after a long international flight where the local time at your destination is different from the time you began your journey.

Even though it can be hard to wake up at the right time initially, it is the only way to correct your body clock.
If you want to go to sleep at 10pm, set your alarm clock at 6am and start getting up every day at 6am.

* If you want to sleep through the night, don’t sleep during the day. Sleeping during the day is a common trend with retired people who tend to nap regularly, which results in having difficulty sleeping in the evening.
 
* had a client who was working from 8am to 5pm, and called me complaining of sleeplessness. I scheduled an appointment at 6.30pm and he told me that he could not come at the allocated time, because he always takes a nap from 5.30pm to 6.30pm. Before starting with therapy I asked him to try not to nap and to see if anything changes.

Many parenting books say that if a child is not sleeping through the night mum and dad should reduce the child’s nap times during the day. The same theory works for adults too.

* Do not watch TV, read or surf the internet when you go to bed. Do not make your bed a place to work. Lots of people who suffer from sleeplessness claim they use these activities to pass time, without realising that rather than helping them to sleep, these activities cause delayed and disturbed sleep.

* Do not exercise for a number of hours before going to bed. Exercise should come well before sleep. It gets blood moving quickly, which can interfere with deep sleep. Try to exercise in the morning to get an energetic start to the day and relaxed sleep at night.

* Don’t drink tea or coffee, or any drink that contains caffeine several hours before going to bed. Some people can still fall asleep after consuming cups full but generally it should be avoided. Fizzy drinks containing caffeine can interrupt sleep too.

If you follow the above tips and are still suffering from sleeplessness or disturbed sleep, seek help from a professional.

Dr Puja Taneja Malhotra,
Ph.D. Psychology,
Psychological Consultant, Trainer & Coach.