Better Sleep Guide

We all know that proper diet and regular exercise are important for maintaining a healthy lifestyle. But many people underestimate the value of sleep. Like proper nutrition and exercise, sleep is essential to feeling your best. Adults need between seven and eight hours of sleep a night - individual needs may range from five to ten hours.

Not merely a "break" from your day, sleep is vital to maintaining good health and well-being. When you go to sleep, your body goes to work, consolidating the day's learning into memory and improving your ability to absorb and remember everyday skills. A good night's sleep also re-energizes you and helps you prepare for the day ahead.

When you don't get enough sleep, daily life can become more stressful and less productive. In short, getting a good night's sleep helps you perform much better when you're awake.

Sleep Debt

Depriving yourself of sleep night after night can cause you to accumulate a sleep debt. Look for everyday lifestyle clues to determine whether you need to catch up on sleep. For example, is there a chance you might doze off while sitting in a car stopped in traffic, watching television or sitting and reading? The only way to reduce this debt is to get the amount of sleep your body needs. If you feel you are chronically sleep deprived or may have a serious sleep problem, consult your doctor or a sleep specialist.

Better Sleep Begins With Your Mattress

Because you can't always get all the sleep you need, you should strive to get the most out of the sleep you do get. An uncomfortable mattress can rob you of sleep, causing you to toss and turn and preventing you from deriving the full benefit of your time in bed. Sleeping on a mattress that meets your needs for comfort, support and space can help you sleep better.

10 Tips for Better Sleep

We all have too much to do, so take time out and recharge yourself by getting a good night's sleep. The quality and quantity of your sleep can make all the difference in how productive you'll be the next day. Here are ten tips to help you get the sleep you need and deserve.

1. Give yourself "permission" to go to bed. As hard as it may be to put away your "to do" list, make sleep a "priority." You'll thank yourself in the morning.

2. Unwind early in the evening. Try to deal with worries and distractions several hours before bedtime.

3. Develop a sleep ritual. Doing the same things each night just before bed signals your body to settle down for the night.

4. Keep regular hours. Keep your biological clock in check by going to bed around the same time each night and waking up close to the same time each morning - even on weekends.

5. Create a restful place to sleep. Sleep in a cool, dark room that is free from noises that may disturb your sleep.

6. Sleep on a comfortable, supportive mattress and foundation. It's difficult to sleep on a bed that's too small, too soft, too hard, or too old.

7. Exercise regularly. Regular exercise can help relieve daily tension and stress - but don't exercise too close to bedtime or you may have trouble falling asleep.

8. Cut down on stimulants. Consuming stimulants, such as caffeine, in the evening can make it more difficult to fall asleep.

9. Don't smoke. Smokers take longer to fall asleep and wake up more often during the night.

10. Reduce alcohol intake. Drinking alcohol shortly before bedtime interrupts and fragments sleep.