There are so many demands placed on us in life. We literally can stay connected with people 24 hours a day through text messaging, emails, face book, and so many other outlets. It is important to maximize your rest. In order to do that, you will need to start mentally preparing for bed approximately 2 hours prior to bed time. Below are tips to help you wind down properly before you go to bed:
#1. Don’t bring your work to bed. Your bed is for sleeping not for doing your bills, checking emails, making phone calls or doing any other type of work. You should try your very best to shut any work related projects down at least an hour prior to going to bed. This will allow your mind to transition to rest mode versus work mode.
#2. Choose your bedtime snacks and drinks wisely. Caffeine is known to keep you awake. I recommend that you limit how much caffeine you drink before you go to bed. Warm drinks before bed can help you relax more, such as decaffeinated tea, warm milk, or warm cider. Also, choose your snacks wisely. Some good snacks that will encourage relaxation are fresh fruit, low sugar fruit juices (instead of alcohol), whole grain bread, whole wheat pasta, oatmeal, brown rice and popcorn.
#3. Limit the amount of TV you watch. Watching television stimulates the mind. Therefore, I do not recommend that you watch TV right before you go to bed. I know that some of your favorite shows may come on late at night, which entices you to want to watch it. What I recommend is that you DVR that show and watch it on another day that you can watch it earlier in the day. If you are the type of person that needs some type of noise to wind down, then listen to relaxation music that have various nature sounds or sounds of the ocean or forest.
#4. Get things out of your mind and on paper. When you are preparing for bed, you do not want to feel burdened about things that are bothering you. Prior to going to bed, write down things that are heavy on your mind so that you are not spending time thinking about it when it is time to go to bed. Make sure you write down your to do list for the next day, so that you have that off your mind when it is bed time. The goal is to go to bed with the least amount of stressors on your mind.
#5. Take a relaxing bath. A bath is a very simple way to relax your body before bed. It’s always a treat to add some bath salts or bath oils to further help you relax. This always relaxes your muscles and puts you in the frame of mind of rest and relaxation. I recommend taking your bath a couple of hours before you plan to go to sleep to allow your body time to cool down properly. Most experts suggest that people rest better if their body temperature is cooler.
#6. Get and give a good massage. Getting a good massage by your spouse prior to bed will help you get a good night’s rest. Whatever body part is aching, allow that to be the focal area. I recommend that you have your spouse use good massage oil and really allow him/her to focus on pleasing you. In return, I recommend that you offer your spouse a massage on the following day. It is not as enjoyable if you have to massage each other on the same day. It defeats the purpose of trying to totally relax. If you are single and do not have a partner, there are great inexpensive massage mats on the market that you can purchase that will do the job.
December 1, 2011 at 11:19 pm |
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