Nowadays I am not sleeping well I am sleeping at 1 am. Give me some tips for better Sleep. I want to sleep 8 hours. What I have to do before going bed? Even I am working in software kind of field. So, tell me how can get rid off?
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hello exercise daily for atleast 45min, try yoga and meditation dont try to sleep immediately after ur main meal. avoid afternoon naps dont operate tv or mobile while on bed. get a habit of reading a book or magazine while on bed. take care.
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Cold or warm water bath and food and then oil massage helps to get good sleep. No mind stimulation with any gadgets minimum on hour before sleep or problems continue.
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It's requires self discipline , and then remain committed to that discipline . Simple tips : eat light food at night early ( preferably by 7-8 pm ) so that the food descends down by the time you prepare to sleep at 10.30 to 11 pm. You can easily get up at 6am with practice . Start yoga for 30 mins to start with . It would be beneficial if you do pranayama and meditation for 15 mins . You can increase this time ( practice of yoga to 1-2 hrs - dividing into morning and evening sessions.) join a yoga class to learn the techniques properly. Stop all electronic gadgets at night 1 hr before sleep. Eat healthy food ( whole grains , fruits , vegetables and nuts ) . Avoid or limit junk food. Avoid sodas and refined products . Plan your day ( maintain a diary ) so that you know where improvement is needed. All the best. You can opt for homeopathy if the problem persists as the medicines are safe and non-habit forming .
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Try to go to sleep and get up at the same time every day. This helps set your body’s internal clock and optimize the quality of your sleep. Choose a bed time when you normally feel tired, so that you don’t toss and turn. If you’re getting enough sleep, you should wake up naturally without an alarm. If you need an alarm clock, you may need an earlier bedtime. Avoid sleeping in—even on weekends. The more your weekend/weekday sleep schedules differ, the worse the jetlag-like symptoms you’ll experience. If you need to make up for a late night, opt for a daytime nap rather than sleeping in. This allows you to pay off your sleep debt without disturbing your natural sleep-wake rhythm. Be smart about napping. While napping is a good way to make up for lost sleep, if you have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep at night, napping can make things worse. Limit them to 15 to 20 minutes in the early afternoon. Fight after-dinner drowsiness. If you get sleepy way before your bedtime, get off the couch and do something mildly stimulating, such as washing the dishes, calling a friend, or getting clothes ready for the next day. If you give in to the drowsiness, you may wake up later in the night and have trouble getting back to sleep. How to sleep better tip 2: Control your exposure to light Melatonin is a naturally occurring hormone controlled by light exposure that helps regulate your sleep-wake cycle. Your brain secretes more melatonin when it’s dark—making you sleepy—and less when it’s light—making you more alert. However, many aspects of modern life can alter your body’s production of melatonin and shift your circadian rhythm. Use these tips to keep your sleep-wake cycle on track. During the day: Expose yourself to bright sunlight in the morning. The closer to the time you get up, the better. Have your coffee outside, for example, or eat breakfast by a sunny window. The light on your face will help you wake up. Spend more time outside during daylight. Take your work breaks outside in sunlight, exercise outside, or walk your dog during the day instead of at night. Let as much natural light into your home or workspace as possible. Keep curtains and blinds open during the day, and try to move your desk closer to the window. If necessary, use a light therapy box. This simulates sunshine and can be especially useful during short winter days. At night: Avoid bright screens within 1-2 hours of your bedtime. The blue light emitted by your phone, tablet, computer, or TV is especially disruptive. You can minimize the impact by using devices with smaller screens, turning the brightness down, or using light-altering software such as f.lux. Say no to late-night television. Not only does the light from a TV suppress melatonin, but many programs are stimulating rather than relaxing. Try listening to music or audio books instead. Be smart about e-readers. Devices that are backlit, such as the Kindle Fire or the iPad, are more disruptive than e-readers that don’t have their own light source—or good old-fashioned books. When it’s time to sleep, make sure the room is dark. Use heavy curtains or shades to block light from windows, or try a sleep mask. Also consider covering up electronics that emit light. Keep the lights down if you get up during the night. If you need some light to move around safely, try installing a dim nightlight in the hall or bathroom or using a small flashlight. This will make it easier for you to fall back to sleep. How to sleep better tip 3: Get regular exercise Regular exercisers sleep better and feel less sleepy during the day. Regular exercise also improves the symptoms of insomnia and sleep apnea and increases the amount of time you spend in the deep, restorative stages of sleep. The more vigorously you exercise, the more powerful the sleep benefits. But even light exercise—such as walking for just 10 minutes a day—improves sleep quality. It can take several months of regular activity before you experience the full sleep-promoting effects. So be patient and focus on building an exercise habit that sticks. For better sleep, time your exercise right Exercise speeds up your metabolism, elevates body temperature, and stimulates hormones such as cortisol. This isn’t a problem if you’re exercising in the morning or afternoon, but too close to bed and it can interfere with sleep. Try to finish moderate to vigorous workouts at least three hours before bedtime. If you’re still experiencing sleep difficulties, move your workouts even earlier. Relaxing, low-impact exercises such as yoga or gentle stretching in the evening can help promote sleep. How to sleep better tip 4: Be smart about what you eat and drink Your daytime eating habits play a role in how well you sleep, especially in the hours before bedtime. Limit caffeine and nicotine. You might be surprised to know that caffeine can cause sleep problems up to ten to twelve hours after drinking it! Similarly, smoking is another stimulant that can disrupt your sleep, especially if you smoke close to bedtime. Avoid big meals at night. Try to make dinnertime earlier in the evening, and avoid heavy, rich foods within two hours of bed. Spicy or acidic foods can cause stomach trouble and heartburn. Avoid alcohol before bed. While a nightcap may help you relax, it interferes with your sleep cycle once you’re out. Avoid drinking too many liquids in the evening. Drinking lots of fluids may result in frequent bathroom trips throughout the night. Nighttime snacks help you sleep For some people, a light snack before bed can help promote sleep. For others, eating before bed can lead to indigestion and make sleeping more difficult. If you need a bedtime snack, try: Half a turkey sandwich A small bowl of whole-grain, low-sugar cereal Granola with milk or yogurt A banana How to sleep better tip 5: Wind down and clear your head Do you find yourself unable to sleep or waking up night after night? Residual stress, worry, and anger from your day can make it very difficult to sleep well. If anxiety or chronic worrying dominates your thoughts at night, there are steps you can take to learn to break the mental habit and look at life from a more positive perspective. Even counting sheep is more productive than worrying at bedtime. If the stress of work, family, or school is keeping you awake, you may need help with stress management. By learning how to manage your time effectively, handle stress in a productive way, and maintain a calm, positive outlook, you’ll be able to sleep better at night. The more overstimulated your brain becomes during the day, the harder it can be slow down and unwind at night. During the day, many of us overstress our brains by constantly interrupting tasks to check our phones, emails, or social media. Try to set aside specific times for these things, and focus on one task at a time. When it comes to getting to sleep at night, your brain won’t be accustomed to seeking fresh stimulation and you’ll be better able to unwind. Relaxation techniques for better sleep Practicing relaxation techniques before bed is a great way to wind down, calm the mind, and prepare for sleep. Try: Deep breathing. Close your eyes and take deep, slow breaths, making each breath even deeper than the last. Progressive muscle relaxation. Starting with your toes, tense all the muscles as tightly as you can, then completely relax. Work your way up to the top of your head. Visualizing a peaceful, restful place. Close your eyes and imagine a place that’s calming and peaceful. Concentrate on how relaxed this place makes you feel. Bedtime rituals to help you relax Create a “toolbox” of relaxing bedtime rituals to help you unwind before sleep. For example: Read a book or magazine by a soft light Take a warm bath Listen to soft music Do some easy stretches Wind down with a favorite hobby Listen to books on tape Make simple preparations for the next day Dim the lights in the hours leading up to bed How to sleep better tip 6: Improve your sleep environment A peaceful bedtime routine sends a powerful signal to your brain that it’s time to wind down and let go of the day’s stresses. Sometimes even small changes to your environment can make a big difference to your quality of sleep. Keep your room dark, cool, and quiet Keep noise down. If you can't avoid or eliminate noise from neighbors, traffic, or other people in your household, try masking it with a fan or sound machine. Earplugs may also help. Keep your room cool. Most people sleep best in a slightly cool room (around 65° F or 18° C) with adequate ventilation. A bedroom that is too hot or too cold can interfere with quality sleep. Make sure your bed is comfortable. Your bed covers should leave you enough room to stretch and turn comfortably without becoming tangled. If you often wake up with a sore back or an aching neck, you may need to experiment with different levels of mattress firmness, foam toppers, and pillows that provide more or less support. Reserve your bed for sleeping and sex. By not working, watching TV, or using your computer in bed, your brain will associate the bedroom with just sleep and sex and make it easier to wind down at night. How to sleep better tip 7: Ways to get back to sleep It’s normal to wake briefly during the night but if you’re having trouble falling back asleep, these tips may help: Stay out of your head. Hard as it may be, try not to stress over your inability to fall asleep again, because that stress only encourages your body to stay awake. To stay out of your head, focus on the feelings in your body or practice breathing exercises. Take a breath in, then breathe out slowly while saying or thinking the word, “Ahhh.” Take another breath and repeat. Make relaxation your goal, not sleep. If you find it hard to fall back asleep, try a relaxation technique such as visualization, progressive muscle relaxation, or meditation, which can be done without even getting out of bed. Even though it’s not a replacement for sleep, relaxation can still help rejuvenate your body. Do a quiet, non-stimulating activity. If you’ve been awake for more than 15 minutes, get out of bed and do a quiet, non-stimulating activity, such as reading a book. Keep the lights dim and avoid screens so as not to cue your body that it’s time to wake up. Postpone worrying and brainstorming. If you wake during the night feeling anxious about something, make a brief note of it on paper and postpone worrying about it until the next day when it will be easier to resolve. Similarly, if a great idea is keeping you awake, make a note of it on paper and fall back to sleep knowing you’ll be much more productive after a good night’s rest.
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Common causes of insomnia Sometimes, insomnia only lasts a few days and goes away on its own, especially when the insomnia is tied to an obvious temporary cause, such as stress over an upcoming presentation or a painful breakup. Chronic insomnia, however, is usually tied to an underlying psychological or medical issue. Psychological problems and emotional distress. Anxiety and depression are two of the most common causes of chronic insomnia. Other common emotional and psychological causes include chronic or significant life stress, anger, worry, grief, bipolar disorder, and trauma. Medical problems or illness. Many medical conditions and diseases can contribute to insomnia, including asthma, allergies, Parkinson’s disease, hyperthyroidism, acid reflux, kidney disease, and cancer. Chronic pain is also a very common cause of insomnia. Medications. Many prescription drugs can interfere with sleep, including antidepressants, stimulants for ADHD, corticosteroids, thyroid hormone, high blood pressure medications, and some contraceptives. Common over-the-counter culprits include cold and flu medications that contain alcohol, pain relievers that contain caffeine (Midol, Excedrin), diuretics, and slimming pills. Sleep disorders. Insomnia is itself a sleep disorder, but it can also be a symptom of other sleep disorders, including sleep apnea, restless legs syndrome, and circadian rhythm disturbances tied to jet lag or late-night shift work. Causes of insomnia you may overlook (and that are within your power to change!) It’s important to identify all possible causes of your insomnia, including things you’re doing during the day or leading up to bedtime that interfere with quality sleep. Is your sleep environment noisy, too bright, or not very comfortable? Do you watch TV, play video games, or use a computer, tablet or smartphone in bed? Do you drink caffeinated beverages (coffee, tea, soda) within eight hours of bed? Do you keep an irregular sleep schedule? Do you exercise or eat late in the evening? Do you use alcohol to fall asleep? Insomnia cures and treatments: Changing habits that disrupt sleep If medical or emotional problems are contributing to your insomnia, treating them first is essential. But you also need to look at daytime habits and bedtime routines that contribute to sleeplessness. Using a sleep diary to identify insomnia-inducing habits Some habits are so ingrained that you may overlook them as a possible contributor to your insomnia. Maybe your Starbucks habit affects your sleep more than you realize. Or maybe you’ve never made the connection between your late-night TV viewing or Internet surfing and your sleep difficulties. Keeping a sleep diary is a helpful way to pinpoint habits and behaviors contributing to your insomnia. Adopting new habits to help you sleep Stick to a regular sleep schedule. Support your biological clock by going to bed and getting up at the same time every day, including weekends. Avoid naps. Napping during the day can make it more difficult to sleep at night. If you feel like you have to take a nap, limit it to 30 minutes before 3 p.m. Limit caffeine, alcohol, and nicotine. Stop drinking caffeinated beverages at least eight hours before bed. While alcohol can make you feel sleepy, it interferes with the quality of your sleep, and nicotine is a stimulant. Avoid late meals. Try to avoid heavy, rich foods within two hours of bed. Fatty foods can take a lot of work for your stomach to digest and spicy or acidic foods can cause heartburn. Get regular exercise. Regular exercise can improve the symptoms of insomnia, but it’s not a quick fix. It takes several months to feel the full effects. Aim for 30 minutes or more of activity on most days—but not too close to bedtime. Develop a better bedtime routine It’s not just what you do during the day that affects the quality of your sleep, but also those things you do to prepare your mind and body for sleep. Make sure your bedroom is quiet, dark, and cool. Noise, light, and heat can interfere with sleep. Try using a sound machine or earplugs to hide outside noise, an open window or fan to keep the room cool, and blackout curtains or a sleep mask to block out light. Avoid stimulating activity and stressful situations before bedtime. This includes vigorous exercise, big discussions or arguments, or catching up on work. Instead, focus on quiet, soothing activities, such as reading, knitting, or listening to soft music, while keeping lights low. Turn off screens one hour before bedtime. The light emitted from TV, tablets, smartphones, and computers suppresses your body’s production of melatonin and can severely disrupt your sleep. Instead of emailing, texting, watching TV, or playing video games, try listening to a book on tape, a podcast, or reading by a soft light. Coping with shift work Working nights or irregular shifts can disrupt your sleep schedule. You may be able to limit the adverse impact with these tips: Adjust your sleep-wake cycle by exposing yourself to bright light when you wake up at night, using bright lamps or daylight-simulation bulbs in your workplace, and then wearing dark glasses on your journey home to block out sunlight and encourage sleepiness. Limit the number of night or irregular shifts you work in a row to prevent sleep deprivation mounting up. Avoid frequently rotating shifts so you can maintain the same sleep schedule. Eliminate noise and light from your bedroom during the day. Use blackout curtains or a sleep mask, turn off the phone, and use ear plugs or a soothing sound machine to block out daytime noise. Insomnia cures and treatments: Neutralize sleep anxieties The more trouble you have with sleep, the more it starts to invade your thoughts. You may dread going to sleep because you’re going to toss and turn for hours or be up at 2 a.m. Again. Or maybe you’re worried because you have a big day tomorrow, and if you don’t get a solid eight hours, you’re sure to blow it. But agonizing about sleep only makes insomnia worse. Worrying floods your body with adrenaline, and before you know it, you’re wide-awake. Learn to associate your bed with sleeping, not sleeplessness Use the bedroom only for sleeping and sex. Don’t work, read, watch TV, or use your computer in bed or the bedroom. The goal is to associate the bedroom with sleep alone, so that your brain and body get a strong signal that it’s time to nod off when you get in bed. Get out of bed when you can’t sleep. Don’t try to force yourself to sleep. Tossing and turning only amps up the anxiety. Get up, leave the bedroom, and do something relaxing, such as reading, drinking a warm cup of caffeine-free tea, taking a bath, or listening to soothing music. When you’re sleepy, go back to bed. Move bedroom clocks out of view. Anxiously watching the minutes tick by when you can’t sleep—knowing that you’re going to be exhausted when the alarm goes off—is a surefire recipe for insomnia. You can use an alarm, but make sure you can’t see the time when you’re in bed. It’s also helpful to challenge the negative attitudes about sleep and your insomnia problem that you’ve developed over time. Challenging self-defeating thoughts that fuel insomnia Self-defeating thoughtSleep-promoting comeback Unrealistic expectations: I should be able to sleep well every night like a normal person. Lots of people struggle with sleep from time to time. I will be able to sleep with practice. Exaggeration: It’s the same every single night, another night of sleepless misery. Not every night is the same. Some nights I do sleep better than others. Catastrophizing: If I don’t get some sleep, I’ll tank my presentation and jeopardize my job. I can get through the presentation even if I’m tired. I can still rest and relax tonight, even if I can’t sleep. Hopelessness: I’m never going to be able to sleep well. It’s out of my control. Insomnia can be cured. If I stop worrying so much and focus on positive solutions, I can beat it. Fortune telling: It’s going to take me at least an hour to get to sleep tonight. I just know it. I don’t know what will happen tonight. Maybe I’ll get to sleep quickly if I use the strategies I’ve learned. Insomnia cures and treatments: Tackle daytime stress and worries Residual stress, worry, and anger from your day can make it difficult to fall asleep as night. Get help with stress management. If the stress of managing work, family, or school is keeping you awake at night, learning how to handle stress in a productive way and to maintain a calm, positive outlook can help you sleep better at night. Talk over your worries during the day with a friend or loved one. Talking face to face with someone who cares about you is a great way to relieve stress and stop you rehashing worries when it’s time to sleep. The person doesn’t need to be able to fix your problems, but just needs to be an attentive, nonjudgmental listener. Harnessing your body's relaxation response If you feel wound up much of the time and unable to let go of stress at the end of the day, you may benefit from relaxation techniques such as meditation, yoga, and deep breathing. Not only do relaxation techniques help you quiet your mind and relieve tension in the body, but they also help you fall asleep faster and get back to sleep more quickly if you wake up in the middle of the night. Some popular smartphone apps can help guide you through the different relaxation methods, or you can follow these techniques: Abdominal breathing. Breathing deeply and fully, involving not only the chest, but also the belly, lower back, and ribcage, can help relaxation. Close your eyes and take deep, slow breaths, making each breath even deeper than the last. Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. Progressive muscle relaxation. Make yourself comfortable. Starting with your feet, tense the muscles as tightly as you can. Hold for a count of 10, and then relax. Continue to do this for every muscle group in your body, working your way up from your feet to the top of your head. Mindfulness meditation. Sit quietly and focus on your natural breathing and on the way your body feels in the moment. Allow thoughts and emotions to come and go without judgment, always returning to focus on breath and your body. It takes regular practice to learn these techniques and harness their stress-relieving power. But the benefits can be huge. You can do them as part of your bedtime routine, when you are lying down preparing for sleep, and if you wake up in the middle of the night. Insomnia cures and treatments: Getting back to sleep if you wake up While it’s normal to wake briefly during the night, if you’re having trouble falling back to sleep, the following tips may help. Stay out of your head. The key to getting back to sleep is continuing to cue your body for sleep. Hard as it may be, try not to stress over your inability to fall asleep again, because that only encourages your body to stay awake. A good way to stay out of your head is to focus on the feelings and sensations in your body or to practice breathing exercises. Take a breath in, then breathe out slowly while saying or thinking the word, “Ahhh.” Take another breath and repeat. Make relaxation (not sleep) your goal. If you find it hard to fall back asleep, try a relaxation technique such as visualization, progressive muscle relaxation, or meditation, which can be done without even getting out of bed. Remind yourself that although they’re not a replacement for sleep, rest and relaxation still help rejuvenate your body. Do a quiet, non-stimulating activity. If you’ve been awake for more than 15 minutes, get out of bed and do a quiet, non-stimulating activity, such as reading a book. Keep the lights dim so as not to cue your body clock to wake up. Avoid using electronic screens of any kind as the light they emit stimulates the brain. Postpone worrying and brainstorming. If you wake at night feeling anxious about something, make a brief note of it on paper and postpone worrying about it until the next day when it will be easier to resolve. Similarly, if a great idea is keeping you awake, make a note of it and postpone thinking more about it until morning. Insomnia cures and treatments: Sleep aids and sleeping pills When you’re tossing and turning at night, it can be tempting to pop a pill for relief. However, no sleeping pill will cure the underlying cause of your insomnia, and some can even make the problem worse in the long run. Dietary supplements for insomnia There are many herbal supplements marketed for their sleep-promoting effects. Some remedies, such as lemon balm or chamomile tea, are generally harmless, while others can have side effects and interfere with other medications and vitamins you’re taking. Two supplements for insomnia that are considered to be safe and effective are melatonin and valerian. Melatonin is a naturally occurring hormone that your body produces at night. Melatonin supplements may be effective for short-term use, especially in reducing jet lag. However, there are potential side effects, including next-day drowsiness. Valerian is an herb with mild sedative effects that may help you sleep better. However, the quality of valerian supplements varies widely. Over the counter (OTC) sleep aids The main ingredient in over-the-counter (OTC) sleeping pills is an antihistamine, generally taken for allergies, hay fever, and cold symptoms. Sleep experts generally advise against their use because of side effects, questions about their effectiveness, and lack of information about their safety over the long term. Prescription sleeping pills for insomnia Prescription sleep medications may provide temporary relief, but can have serious side effects and make insomnia worse in the long run. It’s best to use medication only as a last resort, and then, only on a very limited, as-needed basis. Evidence shows that lifestyle and behavioral changes make the largest and most lasting difference when it comes to insomnia. When to seek professional insomnia treatment If you’ve tried the insomnia self-help strategies above and are still having trouble getting the sleep you need, a doctor or sleep disorder specialist may be able to help. Seek professional help for insomnia if: Your insomnia doesn’t respond to self-help Your insomnia is causing major problems at home, work, or school You’re experiencing scary symptoms like chest pain or shortness of breath Your insomnia occurs almost every night and is getting worse Bring a sleep diary with you. Your doctor may be able to diagnose an illness or sleep disorder that's causing your insomnia, or refer you to a sleep specialist or cognitive behavioral therapist. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for insomnia CBT is aimed at breaking the cycle of insomnia. Poor sleep tends to lead to stress and anxious thoughts about not being able to sleep. This in turn leads to stress and tension, which leads to poor sleeping habits, such as the use of sleeping pills. This leads to worsening insomnia and so on. The Vicious Cycle of Insomnia insomniacycle In addition to improving sleep habits, CBT is aimed at changing thoughts and feelings about sleep that may be causing stress and contributing to your insomnia. A therapist may also recommend sleep restriction therapy, whereby you initially shorten your sleep time. The idea is that by limiting the time you spend in bed to the number of hours you actually sleep, say from 1 a.m. To 6 a.m. You'll spend less time awake and more time asleep. As your sleep efficiency increases you'll gradually start going to bed earlier and getting up later until you reach your optimum sleep schedule.
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