5 Tips & 5 Giveaways to Improve Your Sleep
Boost your mood, improve your resolve and regulate your eating habits with some extra zzz's.
Do you pay attention to how much sleep you get each night or do you sometimes cheat yourself from valuable sleep time? Sleep is not just vital for regular functions it's also important to help us with stress management and reducing daytime fatigue.
If you gave yourself some new diet and fitness resolutions this year or you're working to cut back or quit a habit, you should include extra sleep in your plan. It will help improve your mood when you are feeling deprived and increase your resolve to meet that goal. Many people make bad food choices when they are tired. Do you want to be sharp and full of energy every day? Well, it may be easier to achieve than you may think. How you feel while you are awake, greatly depends on how you sleep.
If you struggle to get a good night of sleep you are not alone. Some people find it difficult to sleep through the night without at least one bout of restlessness or running to the bathroom. Others find it difficult to fall asleep or wake up in the morning. According to a recent SheSpeaks poll 62.8% of you said you sleep poorly during these days of shorter daylight. 17.5% reported having continuous sleep problems. Many of the problems that make it difficult to sleep are emotional or environmental. Reducing these factors will help your ability to sleep through the night.
Some simple sleep strategies can be essential for a deep sleep. Here are our five sleep-promoting techniques to enhance the quality of sleep you get:
- Keep a regular sleep schedule: Go to bed at the same time every night and get up at the same time every day.
- Create a relaxing bedtime routine: Keep noise down with a sound machine or fan and keep your room slightly cool (around around 65° F).
- Exercise regularly: 30mins of activity anytime during the day will help you sleep more deeply. You can also do stretches before bed.
- Eat right: Avoid large meals at night, cut down on caffeine after lunch, and refrain from drinking alcohol before bed. Alcohol will create a restless sleep waking you up 4-5hours in. If you want a light snack around bedtime aim for a low-sugar cereal, granola or banana.
- Read at bedtime: Watching TV before bed stimulates your brain and therefore wakes you up. Reading a book is both non-stimulating and will keep you out of your head, helping you avoid stressing and planning the next day.
Most importantly, remember to make sleep a priority. Instead of cutting back on it for other tasks you have to complete, schedule it on your list. Having a good night rest will lay the foundation for a more productive, creative day.
Do you have certain products you use to help relax and get comfortable for a good night's sleep, maybe a clock, or super soft bedding, a favorite bath product or a good book? Whatever you use to get ready for bed we'd like to hear your recommendations.
If you share your reviews and recommendations this week you'll be entered for a chance to win one of our giveaway prizes. Submit your favorite sleep, slumber or relaxation product to SheSpeaks Reviews OR add a comment to this blog post by 6pm EST on January 16th, 2011. You can enter a review AND a comment and you will have two entries to win!
Prizes:
 Philips Wake-up Light |
 S2H STEP Pedometer (3 winners) |
 Lavender Chamomile Bubble Bath by Deep Steep |
The contest starts January 10, 2012 and ends January 16, 2012, at 6:00 p.m. Must be a US resident. No purchase necessary.
GOOD LUCK!
Make a Comment
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newdogz | Hollsopple, PAI relax for about 1-2 hours before bed, no caffeine in the evening, make sure your pillow is good for your spine, I have an air mattress that give good support and if I have trouble sleeping I drink about 3 swallows of wine :)
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pk121256 | NORTH WALES, PATry not worry about tomorrow's day.
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SoccerMomKnits | GAINESVILLE, FLAlso, be sure to keep an eye on your caffeine intake after noon.
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dreareed | Lewes, DEI usually take a nice hot shower, and then use my lavender body lotion , then crawl into my nice crisp smelling sheets and I have to have the TV playing to go to sleep, I know thats different but if its too quite I can't sleep, so the TV plays and I sleep.....
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arkies | GOODLETTSVLLE, TNPlease check your mattress - if you are sleeping on the same one for the past 5 years or so, this may be a huge culprit. This is definitely one of the areas of my life that I feel that you get what you pay for. Do your research and spend time testing out the mattresses in the store! Also - the same for your pillows. Do you find yourself wrestling with your pillows? Then it is probably time to get new ones. Again, you get what you pay for! But my BEST advice for a good night's sleep is actually curling up with my husband and our little dog. THAT is what relaxes me the most!
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sgschm | Lewisville, TXMy best sleep occurs when the room is completely dark and when I have white noise to mask any intrusive sounds.
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sondor | CROSSVILLE, TNWe use a fan to help us fall asleep. My husband and I both find it helpful. We also take it on vacations and overnight stays because it really blocks out annoying sounds that would otherwise wake one or both of us. When our old fan finally stopped working, we had to really shop around and try out several models to find a "noisy fan" with a steady hum. Manufactures strive to make "quieter" fans and those don't help us sleep.
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jtraeg | Rochester, NYMy favorite sleep product is the 'Absolute Comfort' Memory Foam pillow. I've purchased scores of pillows over the years and they were either not supportive enough or if they fit the support bill they were much too uncomfortable. I came across a great sale on the Absolute Comfort Memory Foam pillow (regular pillow, not the contour-shaped one) and decided to give it a try. What a difference the right pillow makes to a good night's sleep. I couldn't believe the comfort and the change in the quality of my sleep. I went out and bought one for every member of my family. They can be pricey but you can't put a price on a good night's sleep - over and over again - these pillows are well worth the money. We'll never buy any other brand pillows again.
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leannemorrow | Athens, GAI have a hard time falling asleep, getting restful sleep, and not sleeping less than 10 hours at a time! I got hurt on the job 9 months ago so staying comfortable while I sleep is probably the biggest reason I don't sleep well but I would love to find something other than medication that would help me rest better!!
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lauriehs75 | TOWSON, MDMy problem is that, since my son finally started sleeping through the night, I still tend to wake up at 4 hour intervals and have a really hard time getting back to sleep. I' just lay there, getting more and more stressed out about not being able to sleep. I try to close my eyes and remember each and every tiny detail about my day. If I really concentrate, I'm back asleep before I get to the end of breakfast.
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PrincessDi | Clayton, CAI have a very stressful life right now just having lost my brother at 53 years old and my husband is terminally ill at 62 years old. I use a number of ways to help me sleep so that I can handle my situation better. I pray a lot, use lavendar, room diffusers, a tempurapedic pillow, and snuggle with my dog and cat. Pets sure do sense when someone is ill or upset and they really help to calm the situation.
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pontiacgirl | ELYRIA, OHI spray my pillow with a lavender spray that I got from Bath and Body. It helps me fall asleep.
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twin_pat | SCHENECTADY, NYLiving in the cold northeast, the sheet are cold, so before hopping into bed, I have a heat pack that goes into the microway for 2-3 minutes and place in the bed. When I get into bed, the sheets are warm and snuggly.
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Texmel | COLORADO SPGS, COThis can be an issue for me too! I actually have prescription sleep aids, but try not to take them more than 3x/week. I avoid caffeine (altho I LOVE it) after about 2P, try to go to bed at the same time each night, and try to eat a light dinner. I also turn on a fan if I need a little white noise, and I use ear plugs as a last resort!
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mizzsonya22 | OLIVE BRANCH, MSmy favorite product is johnson's nightime baby lotion....i love it and im out like a light after a nice hot bath and rub down of the lotion
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