A good night sleep is very important for maintaining overall health in good shape. Unfortunately roughly one in 4 people are not getting good sleep. Are you one of them?
One of the main causes of sleep disorders in today's time is that we don't give sleep a priority it deserves. You should get 7-9 hours of sound sleep to remain healthy and yet most of us get less than 7 hours of sleep.
The new habits to sleep less hours is a vicious cycle from which you are not able to get out because you have lame excuses to convince yourself. You perhaps have begun to believe that the crazy schedules are your life. So you resort to taking sleeping pills for insomnia which further deteriorates your sleeping patterns.
1. Change Your Attitude Towards Sleep
This may be the toughest part. You have to convince yourself. Perhaps, you subconscious mind believes that completing that incomplete task is more important than sleep. Once in a while that argument has merits, but if it becomes a habit then your sleep disorders will become routine.
If the subconscious mind considers sleep as the top priority than nothing can stop you from sleeping well. It is easier said than done to make your subconscious believe when you habit and that incomplete report which needs to be finished by tomorrow haunts your subconscious.
Changing the subconscious priorities is not a short term project. It requires months of preparations, there will be hurdles, but you can do it.
It has to start with going to bed at a specific time. Whether you get sleep or not you in bed by 10pm. Set up an alarm to get up at 6:am.
Do it every day. Even if you don't get sleep stay in bed from 10pm to 6am. Do not break this rule for weekends also. Don't sleep during the day.
This requires tough discipline. Initially you will have all sorts of problems. You will not like this military style dictatorship by you on yourself. You will remain sleep deprived for a few days because you are not trying to compensate for the lost night sleep during the day.
This will be a turbulent transition. Your mind will wander. You may be tempted to read something or look at your mobile phone or iPad. Avoid all temptation.
First week will be torturous. Second week will be less severe and by the end of third week you will be able to get a good night's sleep regularly if you have followed the strict discipline.
Do you have the resolve to stick to such discipline?
You will if you change your attitude towards sleep and give sleep a top priority to remain healthy. 3 week in a bigger perspective spanning your entire life is a very little effort to achieve this objective of getting better sleep every night.
Once you are able to the above, other methods of getting rid of insomnia are simpler.
2. Eat Calcium and Magnesium Rich Food at Dinner Time
Eat food that is rich in magnesium and calcium 3 hours before going to sleep. It is important that you do not eat anything 2-3 hours before your sleeping time. Since you have decided to sleep at 10pm, you must finish your dinner between 7-8pm.
Check with your doctor. Calcium and magnesium supplements will also be equally effective. In fact if you deficiency of any one of them, then the supplements will be the answer.
3. Eat Melatonin Rich Food
Banana and Cherries are great indirect source of Melatonin. Both cherry and Banana contain tryptophan which metabolizes into serotonin before converting into melatonin.
Banana is also potassium and magnesium rich which helps as a muscle relaxant.
Take care of your sleep. Do not let insomnia or any other sleep disorder a routine. With a little effort and lots of disciplined approach you can get rid of all sleeping difficulties within a month.