Do You Have Trouble Falling Asleep?

From Rodale Publishing:

The National Sleep Foundation says that 64% of adults have trouble sleeping a few nights a week, and 41% say it’s a nightly occurrence. So what’s keeping us up? The experts say: Stress! Chronic stress makes your adrenaline and cortisol spike, your heart race and your blood pressure increase. That leaves you feeling like you’re hooked up to a constant IV drip of caffeine. So, here’s how to quiet your mind according to sleep experts interviewed:

• First, if you go directly from your computer to your pillow, stop it! You need to set up a restful routine that gives your mind & body the cues that it’s time to sleep. So take a hot shower or bath about an hour before bed. The reason it works is that warm water relieves tension – then, when you step out, the cold air dials down your inner thermostat, mimicking what your body naturally does when it’s ready for sleep.
  
• Next, if you’re watching the financial news right before bed, you’re not doing yourself any favors. The National Sleep Foundation says 27% of people are kept awake by money worries. Dr. Rubin Naiman is a sleep specialist from the University of Arizona, and he says it’s like eating a spicy meal and then trying to nod off. Instead, watch a comedy before bed. Laughter reduces blood pressure and decreases your heart and respiratory rate. Just don’t watch TV in bed because the blue glow can keep you awake.
  
• Lastly, if you lie in bed making a mental to-do list – move that task up two hours. So right after dinner, write out your to-do list. Doing that earlier in the evening desensitizes your mind to those thoughts later – so they won’t keep you up.
  
• Here’s a basic relaxation technique to use to help you sleep from Donna Arand, clinical director of the Kettering Medical Sleep Disorders Center:
  Slow your breathing. Your respiratory rate drops by 20% during sleep. So inhale and exhale for a count of 6.
  Then picture yourself on a beach. As hokey as it sounds, visual imagery can replace stressful thoughts.
  Flex and relax your muscles – starting with your feet and working your way up. It not only relaxes the body, but it helps put your focus back in the here and now.