Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Getting a Good Night's Sleep

As we all experience the current recession there are many of us struggling to sleep through the night. When suffering with anxiety and depression or under extreme duress our mind will start processing our concerns while we are trying to fall asleep or wake us up after sleeping for a couple of hours. It is very difficult to problem solve concerns if we are fatiqued and irritable.

Prevention magazine reports simple steps that everyone can follow so that they can "sleep like a baby."
  1. Make breakfast your heaviest meal.
  2. Cut out the caffiene after 2PM.
  3. Go outside when it is sunny to reset your awake-sleep cycle.
  4. Drink your eight, 8 oz. glasses of water each day.
  5. Exercise every day, preferably in the morning.
  6. Take a 15 minute nap when needed.
  7. Go to bed only when you are sleepy.
  8. Move the television out of the bedroom.
  9. Create a sleep schedule and stick to it.
  10. Try herbal teas instead of sleeping pills.

If you have difficulty falling asleep and have for several months, you could be sleep deprived. Contact your local mental health professional to discuss your options.

Practice good self-care!

Gina