4 ways to improve your sleep
Spring is finally here!
A few of my favorite (spring) things:
Sigh. If only my body clock felt like "Springing Forward."
How about you? It’s estimated that over 60 million Americans suffer from short-term (a few days or weeks) or long-term (more than a month) insomnia.
Most cases of chronic insomnia are secondary: they are the effect of some other problem. We’ve all heard the standard ‘sleep hygiene’ tips about avoiding caffeine, using room-darkening shades, and going to bed at the same time every night. Here are a few other ideas that aren’t as well known.
#1 NAP PROPERLY
Taking a nap during the day can be great for productivity and fabulous for health, but you’ve got to do it right. Aim to nap for 20 to 25 minutes, any longer than that and you’ll feel groggy when you wake up and you risk not being able to fall asleep when it’s bedtime. (If you really want to get good at power naps, there’s a whole kit to help you get it right.)
#2 BE MINDFUL OF THE TEMPERATURE
Take a warm (not hot) shower or bath about an hour before bedtime, and keep your room cool at night. The drop in body temperature signals your body to calm so you’ll fall asleep faster and sleep more deeply.
#3 TURN OFF THE ELECTRONICS
Okay, so you’ve heard this one. But it’s the most important and the least followed piece of advice.
Get an old fashioned alarm clock so you don’t need to use your phone and take all screens/devices in another room. Yes, another room. You may think that a phone on silent, hanging out on your nightstand, won’t disturb your rest, but it will. Just knowing it’s there puts your body on alert, and it's too tempting to check email in the middle of the night. Save yourself. Break this habit.
#4 GET A MASSAGE
Massage can help with sleep issues. There have been several studies demonstrating the efficacy of massage in people with sleep problems, especially when treating secondary issues that may impair sleep, like back pain, pregnancy and migraines.
Leave me a voicemail at (618) 392-3800 or schedule online at
olneymassage.com and get ready for a better night’s sleep. You might even fall asleep on the table.
Find out what the buzz is about! Our Main Street clinic accepts clients by appointment Monday through Friday from 10:00am-8:00pm. You may schedule up to 90 days in advance using the button below:
OLNEY MASSAGE CLINIC 604 W. Main St. :: Olney, IL 62450
(618) 392-3800 /voicemail
http://olneymassage.com
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