Can’t Sleep? Learn 5 Bedtime Tension Tamers Now.

Posted on 11. Mar, 2009 by The-Cute-Kid Photo Contest in Parenting

It’s time for bed, but with the packed events of the day, you toss and turn for hours. Instead of the eight hours of sleep you require, you’re lucky if you get five. You don’t know what’s causing your sleep deprivation. But one thing’s certain: You need a bedtime tension tamer.

Tension Tamer 1: Don’t Drink Alcohol or Caffeine Before Bed

Dr. Jacob Teitelbaum, a board-certified internist and author of From Fatigued to Fantastic!, advises moms to consume little to no alcohol right before bed. Alcohol shortens your sleep latency. You may fall asleep in five minutes rather than the usual 15, but drinking wine before bed can cause sleep disorders because it can supress rapid eye movement stage of sleep, which means you’ll get less deep, quality sleep.

Stay away from caffeine after 4 p.m., too. Avoiding coffee and soda, for instance, will give you a better night’s rest and will allow you to fall asleep faster.

Tension Tamer 2: Do Drink Chamomile Tea

So what can you drink before bed that’s caffeine free? “Peppermint chamomile tea is a good relaxant,” points out Linda Illingworth, onsite dietician at Cal-a-Vie, a health spa resort in Vista, CA. “Chamomile is a calming herb and peppermint soothes the intestinal track.”

Illingworth points out that we associate warm beverages with comfort so sipping tea (caffeine-free tea, that is) will assist us in the relaxing process.

Tension Tamer 3: De-stressing Exercises

For really busy moms, Illingworth suggests an easy de-stressing exercise. “Lay on your back with your legs angled (close to 90 degrees) against the wall,” she advises. “Rest for five minutes in that yoga-like position.”

If stretching isn’t your thing, try just having a moment of pure silence. Five minutes should do the trick. “Focus on yourself and your thoughts,” Illingworth says. “Taking part in an activity that has a meditative quality, like listening to music, journaling or knitting is also relaxing.”
Illingworth explains that repetition is the key to these de-stressing activities that allow you to focus on yourself and release the tension of the day.

Tension Tamer 4: Apply Body Butter

When your skin is feeling dry, you can’t help but itch all night. We recommend including Epoch’s Baobab Body Butter from Nu Skin in your bedtime routine. The way it feels on your skin and smells – don’t worry, it’s not perfume’y – soothes. It also hydrates, smoothes, and conditions skin using the power of the Malawi Baobab Tree combined with ethnobotanicals, macadamia nut oil and shea butter.

The product is $29.95 at www.nuskin.com. And to help you sleep better after spending, a portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Nu Skin Force For Good Foundation for the Malawi Seeds of Hope project, which will help reforestation and conserve baobab trees.

Tension Tamer 5: Sleep on a Dream Pillow

If all else fails, a good pillow can make a huge difference. DreamAid’s pillow covers are designed to aid in your sleep. With comfort and a peaceful state of mind, as its main purpose, sleepers can be rest-assured, they’ll have a good night’s sleep.

DreamAid’s pillow covers, which are $24 at www.dreamaidproducts.com, will help you drift into a blissful state with its inspirational sayings, and 100% cotton and 250-thread count.

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