I must confess that I have never had much trouble sleeping. In fact, my ability to conk out ten seconds after my head hits the pillow has been a not infrequent source of frustration for my better half, who often tosses and turns for a good hour before drifting off. It probably doesn't help that, apparently, I have a tendency to snore like a drunk grizzly bear.
But she's not alone in her nightly frustration. According to the Mayo Clinic, more than one third of adults have insomnia at some point, and 10 to 14 percent are chronic sufferers. Last year, the sleepless filled over 50 million prescriptions for medications to knock them out. Many of these drugs, like Ambien and Lunesta, carry a risk for serious side effects (depression, hallucinations, dependency, antisocial moods, and so on). On the other hand, insomnia can depress the immune system and contribute to weight gain in addition to the obvious feelings of fatigue.
The good news is that a number of natural alternatives are proving to be just as effective as pharmaceuticals.
Cognitive behavioral therapy is one option that has improved sleep for more than 80% of subjects in one study.
Another promising solution is yoga. (Is there anything yoga isn't good for?) Check out this video for an easy dreamy practice:
Other tips for a restful night:
- Your bed is not your desk; leave work at work
- Try to give yourself three hours between your last meal and the time you hit the sack
- Practice getting up at the same time every day; it's nice to sleep in on the weekend, but it can screw up your inner clock.
- To help with getting up at the same time every day, don't hit snooze. Probably one of the hardest things to master for most people. When we're cozy and warm in the dark of the morning, ten more minutes is hard to resist. But more often than not, ten turns into twenty, which turns into thirty or more. If you're addicted to snooze, try moving your alarm clock so that you have to get out of bed to hit that button.
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