How to sleep better

There are a few things you can do to try and get a great night’s rest. You’ll be surprised by how your quality of life improves when you learn how to sleep better. Try going to bed and getting up at the same time every day – even on the weekends. This will help keep your biological clock in sync. –

Develop a sleep ritual by doing the same things each night just before bed. Parents often establish a routine for their kids, but it can help adults, too. A routine cues the body to settle down for the night. Another hint: Unwind early in the evening so that worries and distractions don’t keep you from getting a good night’s sleep.

Finally, arrange a restful sleep environment – sleep in a cool, quiet, dark room on a comfortable, supportive mattress and foundation –and keep all electronics out of the bedroom! The bedroom is for sleep and sex only, so that means no televisions, laptops or smartphones. If you’re sleeping as much as you need, but still find that you’re sleepy during the day, you should consult your doctor to see if you might have a medical condition interfering with your sleep.

Stages of sleep

When you go to sleep at night, you experience four stages of sleep. To feel the most well rested, generally, you need to wake up at the end of the sleep cycle.

Stage 1:

The eyes are closed during Stage 1 sleep and you can be awakened without difficulty, however, if aroused from this stage of sleep, you may feel as if you haven’t slept. Stage 1 may last for five to 10 minutes. During this time, you may feel like you’re falling, which may cause you to jump suddenly, (called hypnic myoclonia).

Stage 2:

During this light period of sleep the heart rate slows and the body temperature decreases. At this point, the body prepares to enter deep sleep.

Stages 3 and 4:

These are deep sleep stages, with stage 4 being more intense than Stage 3. This is when REM sleep occurs. These stages are known as slow-wave, or delta, sleep. If aroused from sleep during these stages, a person may feel disoriented for a few minutes.

Healthy sleep

Better sleep improves overall well being

Sleep. It refreshes us like nothing else. It can be occasionally elusive, almost always comforting, and definitely essential to our survival. And although we spend 33% of our lives asleep, we barely give it a moment’s notice….until we can’t sleep. Then we think about it to the point of obsession. For millions of people, the consequences of a poor night’s sleep – higher stress, increased mistakes, difficulty concentrating – are every day occurrences. But it doesn’t have to be this way.

Children & Sleep

There’s nothing more challenging than taking care of a new baby. The good news is, as babies grow older, they sleep for far longer periods at a time and soon will sleep through the night. In the meantime, know that erratic sleep schedules and getting up in the middle of the night will be part of your lives for the next few months. So make the most of the sleep you can get – provide yourself and your partner with a restful sleep environment. Sleep in a cool, dark room on a comfortable, supportive mattress. That way, you’ll get the best sleep you can, even if it’s for shorter periods of time. And learn to sleep when your baby does. It may be tempting to tackle chores while your baby sleeps, but a quick nap will help boost your energy. Sleep is as important to you as it is to your child.

On average, infants need about 16 hours of sleep, toddlers need about 12, pre- schoolers need about 10.5 – 11.5 hours and children six and older need about 9-10. To help make sure your child get the sleep they need, make sure your child’s bedroom is conducive to a good night’s sleep – your child’s room should be cool, quiet and dark and he or she should be sleeping on a comfortable, supportive mattress.

If a mattress is no longer comfortable for you, it’s not good enough for someone else – especially your child. As kids grow, they need supportive and comfortable bedding as well. Be sure your children have enough space to move around comfortably as they grow. In addition, your child’s first “big girl” or “big boy” bed may not provide enough space or comfort for your adolescent.