- Make sure that your pillows and mattress support your body well: It’s nearly impossible to sleep without good support from your pillows and matress. If you suffer from neck and shoulder issues, look into purchasing a Tempurpedic mattress and pillows to sleep better.
- Develop a pre-bedtime routine that fits your life: They say it takes about 3-6 months to create a habit, so help your body by developing a consistent pre-bedtime routine. Your biological clock will then be trained to sleep at a certain time after doing certain things.
- Don’t focus on the clock and allow your body to judge when you should sleep: If you develop a pre-bedtime routine then you will naturally sleep at the same time every day. Focusing on the clock also can create anxiety which will make it harder to fall asleep.
- Keep a consistent sleep and rise schedule: The above two points explained the importance of having a bed-time schedule. Your biological clock creates a habit and will naturally know when to sleep and when to wake. To help track your sleep and rise schedule, research using your Fitbit or the bedtime setting on your phone(please note that electronics must be placed in another room).
- Either nap early in the day or not at all: Avoid sleeping in the afternoon and if you must nap, try napping between 11:30-1 pm which is the best time according to Chinese Medicine because of the Yin and Yang energy switch. As an added bonus, it’s during most people’s lunch break so try allocating time during those two hours.
- To help regulate your internal clock make sure to get plenty of sunlight in the day: Make sure to get enough hours in the sun during the day (try taking walks or runs in the daytime). Most of us spend our daytime hours under Fluorescent lights which does not help regulate your inner clock.
If you suffer from Insomnia and want to have a better more restful sleep, then Acupuncture and Chinese medicine is a great alternative choice! Give us a call at 972-671-6688 or email us using the form in the sidebar.