Sleep may be elusive for you. In fact, it may be getting more elusive as time goes by. Perhaps all you need to change is some habits you may have picked up.

Working on improving your pre-sleep habits is called sleep hygiene. Here are some suggestions for good sleep hygiene for you:

*Eliminating caffeine or chocolate. Try this for a few days. The effect of these two on your body can change over time. Taking caffeine or chocolate even in the morning may be able to affect your night-time sleep.

*Exercising in the evening. Exercise for your recommended 30 minutes can get your heart rate up and can keep you awake. Try exercising before 6 p.m.

*Sugar late in the day. Are you drinking or eating sweets late in the day? Sugar can be a stimulant, and as such can rev you up so you can’t sleep. Beware of natural sugar, too, such as the sugar in orange juice.

*Arguing. Don’t argue with anyone after supper. Just make an appointment for an earnest discussion the following ay.

*Creative thinking. Projects worked on in the evening can get your mind going… and going… and going.

So what SHOULD you do for good sleep habits?

*In the evening, keep your activities dull and quiet. Do them calmly.

*Those who read at bedtime may want to choose magazines with short items and no story line.

*If you watch TV or a video, watch documentaries rather than thrillers near bedtime.

These tips will let you improve your sleep hygiene. Try them and see whether they might be just what you need.

This entry was posted on Saturday, August 30th, 2008 at 3:31 am and is filed under Health. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.