Symptoms

Is deep, solid sleep starting to feel like an illusion for you? We all know that good sleep is essential for good health. But what do you do if you just can’t seem to get sufficient sleep? And what is adequate sleep anyways? It is about quantity and quality. Extensive research has shown that most adults need 7-9 hours of sleep each night to perform at our optimum¹.  When it comes to quality, we need blocks of uninterrupted sleep. Frequent sleep disruption causes you to transition to the lightest sleep stage which detracts from  recuperative sleep. Quality sleep is the amount of time which is set aside for sleep spent in the recuperative stages.

Here are 15 tips for better sleep:

1. Create a relaxing wind down routine before going to sleep (read a relaxing book, listen to music, practice relaxation techniques, take a warm bath)
2. Go to sleep and wake up at the same time each day (keeping a regular sleep pattern, even on weekends, helps to develop a sleep-wake rhythm that encourages better sleep)
3. Create a comfortable sleep environment. You can try to control a number of the elements in your bedroom that will promote a good sleep, such as:
   • Temperature – for most people, cool is better than hot.
   • Light- keep your bedroom as dark as possible. You can also try wearing an eye mask
   • Noise- Less noise means more sleep. You can reduce noise levels with rugs & drapes, earplugs, background “white” noise) eg. Fan, or soothing music.
   • Comfort – A good mattress can improve the quality of sleep
   • Function- Try not to use your bedroom for work activities or studying. Make your bedroom a stress-free zone.
4. Have a midday rest if possible (any time between 11am – 2pm)
5. Avoid eating or drinking anything 2-3 hours before bedtime
6. Avoid stimulants in your diet (refined sugar, caffeine, nicotine, artificial sweeteners)
7. Avoid watching the clock
8. Exercise regularly
9. Drink Camomile Tea
10. Try taking Valerian

If these steps don’t help or if your sleeping trouble is severe ie. disturbs your ability to function during the day, then you need help tailored specifically to you. The cause of your sleeping trouble needs to be determined and what the best solution will be. Chinese Medicine excels when it comes to individualised care. And at Freedom Chinese Medicine, we excel in Chinese Medicine.

We have a combined experience of over 70 years, so we more than enough skill and experienced to help you. And we pride ourselves on providing a professional, relaxing experience. To help you with your sleep, we may suggest Acupuncture, Herbal medicine, Qi Gong, Meditation, Massage or a combination of these therapies.

Best of all, with Chinese Medicine, you can get better and stay better. If you are suffering with sleep trouble, I strongly suggest you don’t put up with it, seek some help.

REFERENCES

1. http://sleepfoundation.org/how-sleep-works/how-much-sleep-do-we-really-need and http://www.macses.ucsf.edu/research/allostatic/sleep.php