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How To Beat Sleeplessness

Suffering from Sleep disorders and insomnia has a drastic influence on an individuals overall Health And Life. Without sleep your immune system may weaken leaving you prone to illnesses. During deep stages of sleep, your memories get stored so that you may retrieve them later. It also helps restore muscular energy, and release growth hormones for proper physical and mental development.

During darkness increased Melatonin is produced in the pineal gland and in the retinas of your eyes. As this hormone increases in our body we feel sleepier and our body temperature drops. When Sunlight enters the eyes it reduces the production of melatonin and the production of serotonin increases. Our body temperature increases thus making you feel more awake.

A lack of serotonin can be associated with people who suffer from anxiety, depression and sleep problems. But there are also external factors that affect sleep. Lack of sunlight during winter periods can adversely affect your sleep, mood and energy levels. People, who suffer from depression and sleep problems during winter months, are often diagnosed with SAD or Seasonal Affective Disorder.

Exposure to sunlight can help in maintaining a consistent sleep and wake cycle. This might not be possible at times but making sure you get enough exposure to strong artificial light can also benefit. Although not the perfect solution, a lot of people experience better mood and find it useful in How You Can Beat Insomnia. Try and work in a well lit environment in the day so you can maximize on the body’s natural production of serotonin.

Sleep earlier than usual so that you can get up earlier the next day. This will help you get the most amount of natural sunlight. It is recommended to dim lighting an hour or so before you sleep to increase your melatonin levels, to help prepare your body for sleep. To help sleep come more naturally, it’s a good idea to wind down in the evening and prepare the body and mind for sleep.

It is also important to make your room as dark as possible when you sleep, by turning out all lights and ensuring that you have no outside light entering into your room. Blackout curtains are ideal in the bedroom to stop exterior light from entering. However, if you already have curtains then you can line the inside to make them less permeable to light. On the other hand, some people may find that wearing an eye mask is a better solution.

I have already mentioned that melatonin induces sleep and reduces body temperature. So what has temperature got to do with sleep? Well have you ever found that during hot summer nights it is even more difficult to sleep?

When a woman goes through her period her body rises in temperature which can often affect sleep. In the day time our bodies naturally become warmer which increases energy and concentration. During the night our body temperature drops and in turn, our alertness reduces and we become sleepier.

A hot bath an hour or so before bedtime can be very effective at inducing sleep. Although it increases your body temperature and energy levels, the quick drop in temperature can accelerate the drift into sleep. Be aware that you should not have a hot bath just before going to bed, as your body will need an hour or so to cool down.

The proper sleep wear can make sleep much more relaxing. Pay attention to the bedroom by keeping the temperature comfortable. During summer this can be difficult, so I suggest that you wear lighter clothing, use a thinner duvet, and keep your windows open.

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