How To Get A Good Night’s Sleep

While we sleep, organs, bones and tissue repair, and
emotions and memories shift from an active to a storage part
of the brain, essential for long-term memory. Insomnia is a
common concern in later life, especially for women.

How Much Do You Need? Some people do well on five hours’ sleep;
others need nine. If you suffer from insomnia and go to bed out of
habit rather than tiredness, it may be time to rethink your routine.
See what happens if you go to bed an hour later, or if you rise earlier.



Scheduling Sleep: If you crave an extra hour’s sleep, but can’t fit it into
a busy working life, add time incrementally by hitting the sack just
15 minutes earlier. After a week add another 15 minutes. Repeat
until a month later you retire one whole hour earlier.

Limit Caffeine: If you have trouble sleeping, limit yourself to two
small cups of coffee a day and enjoy them in the morning.
Eat Before Bed: Tryptophan is an amino acid that helps reduce anxiety and elevate serotonin, a brain chemical that promotes relaxation. In a
recent study, mild insomniacs who ate a tryptophan-rich snack
before bed reported more restful sleep and enhanced alertness
next morning.

Don’t Take Problems To Bed: Women are more likely than men to lie in bed worrying. Keep a notebook by the bed to jot down concerns or things you just have to remember, then let them go.

Try Visualization: Rather than counting sheep, put yourself in a peaceful place.

Stop Obsessing: Aim to think flexibly rather than obsessing about a sleep problem.

Establish A Routine: Decide on a sensible bedtime, then write a timed plan of how you can achieve it.

TIP: Getting a good night’s sleep keeps the body functioning well and skin looking good