I need more sleep!

When you can’t get off to sleep when your head hits the pillow then you face a real issue. Your quality of life is affected. It’s fine for others to say it’s a phenomena teens go through, however, that doesn’t really help. Why can’t I sleep or do I wake in the middle of the night?

Basically, unless you have a sleep disorder, you’ve lost your balance. Too much stimulation or under stimulation means the moderate road which promotes sleep no longer is there. You could be over stimulated through too much TV, drugs, alcohol, thinking and brooding, or over reaching yourself. Under stimulation, or not sufficient activity, will disrupt sleep because you simply aren’t tired or prepared to sleep; haven’t done enough in your day.

lif_sleeping

So? What to do to re-achieve this balance and what did you have before which you seem to have lost now? Basically again, the lifestyle you had has changed or been disrupted. The circumstances and reasons will vary from individual to individual, however, there are ways to get back what you want.

Sleep is about order, pattern, routine and rhythm. Circadian rhythms are the key. Circadian Rhythms are our body’s natural cycles that control appetite, energy, mood, sleep and libido. When our body is out of sync with nature, we suffer from a Circadian Rhythm Disorder. Almost all of us, at some time during a year fall out of balance and suffer from sleep, mood or anxiety disorders.

To stay in sync you need to:

go to bed at the same time and rise at the same time.
have a comfortable and distraction free sleeping environment.
eat properly.
be active during the day.
spend some time [say 15mins daily] outside in the sun.

The time outside is important and often overlooked. You need exposure to light [sunshine] to produce vitamin D, melatonin [necessary for sleep] and testosterone [necessary for a healthy libido]. If you want to set yourself up for a good sex life eat well, be active and spend some time outside and get regular sleep.

Here is some sagely advice passed down by other members here. Who better to speak on this?

dan073: Do you wake up at night? I've read that a person needs to get into REM sleep to feel refreshed. Getting into REM sleep takes about 4 hours on average. So, if you are waking up during the night, you might not be getting enough quality sleep even though you're in bed and asleep for 8 hours.

I remember that thing about REM sleep from somewhere but I can't remember where. Anyway, I thought of that because if I go to bed at 10 and wake up at 1 am and then have my alarm clock set for 5 am, I don't feel rested.

Greitchenland: The body sleeps in stages : Stage 1, Stage 2, Stage 3, Stage 4 and then REM sleep. The body sleeps in a cycle and for a decent night’s sleep you'd need to have had 3-4 REM stages in your sleep. Cycles last around 90 minutes.

The funny thing is Stage 1 and 2 have low to moderate brain and muscle activity with stage 3 and 4 being considered deep sleep with no eye or muscle movement and low brain activity. If you are in stage 4 sleep, it is hard to awaken. That is why sometimes you find when trying to wake people it doesn't happen or you sleep through your alarm.

REM sleep occurs after stage 4 and interestingly enough is the stage of sleep with the highest amount of brain activity, almost as much as your bodys awake state. Heart rates and blood pressure increase, dreams become clear and vivid and your eyes move erratically and uncontrollably. Hence, the abbreviation REM (Rapid Eye Movement).

So in theory, you only need around 90 minutes to enter REM sleep but for a good night’s sleep you should go throw a few cycles at least

Maarten: Just skip two nights of sleep and you'll be sure to sleep well the next night

Rhyne: Going for a run in the morning helps me get to sleep at night, or at least i think so.

4EN6: Also try taking some melatonin about 30 minutes before you want to be in bed (3-6 mg is what I take) and that might help.

bennymike 193: Anyway, your physician is going to tell you to not consume caffeine, get exercise, etc. Sometimes it works, sometimes not. Drinking, really, isn't a good aid either (that's how people become alcoholics). Melatonin might help, or valerian (herb that smells like wet dog), with white willow root - consume as recommended.

Physical exhaustion makes you get to sleep a lot easier at night. Go for a jog about three to four hours before you want to go to bed, or exercise until you are noticeably tired. Don't drink a lot of caffeine, and try to not smoke before bed.

aDarkHorse: I did some research, and the information I've gathered indicates inadequate carb intake and low blood sugar can lead to difficulty with sleep. Try eating more fruit throughout the day or even before you go to sleep. Even though you're sleeping your body needs the easy to digest fuel.

If you take control and seek a balance then you can sleep again as you wish. If none of this works then it's a trip to the doctor if you haven't already been. There may be other issues which need to be addressed before you can attain a good sleeping pattern ( ZZZZZZZZZZZs on! )

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ChadzBoyz

Bodyworx

Getting a Good Night's Sleep