Napolean (a famous insomniac) once remarked “men should sleep 6 hours, women 7 and fools 8”. There are Zen monks who only sleep between 11pm and 3am every day. Babies need more sleep than the elderly and creative people need extra sleep too. Whatever for you is “normal” will make you cranky, weak and forgetful if you do not get it.
Sleep research over the years has led into some fascinating territory, such as the role dreaming seems to play in mental health. Psychologists such as Carl Jung subscribe to the idea that dreaming is where your conscious rational mind meets your more intuitive subconscious mind. Lack of sleep Jung wrote, can interfere with communication between the conscious and subconscious and therefore affect your mental health.
If the cause of your insomnia is a snoring partner or the neighbours from hell, ear plugs may be your only salvation, but if there is no external reason you cannot sleep there is hope!
Good sleep hygeine is not rocket science, most of it is common sense. Most authorities on the subject advise against large meals prior to turning in or attempting to sleep if you are angry, worried or upset about something. The same goes for watching/reading horror or violence before bed.
Having too little water in your body can keep you as awake as having too much, dehydration is not good for you day or night, if you drink at regular intervals throughout the day you will sleep better at night.
Out of all the products on the market a good mattress is number one and a good pillow is a close 2nd, around the 10 -15 year mark even the best beds are getting past it. Good mattresses can cost thousands, do your homework and get something that suits you, a good place to start are endorsements from organizations like the Chiropractors association.
Soft soothing music, relaxation tapes, white noise, hypnosis even listening to the sound of your own breathing can at least give a welcome distraction from unwanted background noise and “thought static”. Fountains and water features can mask noise surprisingly well.
Aroma therapy oils either vapourized in a sensor or dripped onto a cotton ball under your pillow can be surprisingly effective too, cammomille, lavender and majoram oils are recommended by aromatherapists for this.
Stimulants are a no-no for sleep, everyone knows that coffee and energy drinks will keep you awake but did you know that small quantities of alcohol, chilli and chocolate can have a similar effect?
How many times have you heard others (or lamented yourself) that you would do yoga or meditate if you only had the time? well if you can’t sleep you may as well get up and do something useful like yoga and meditation to improve sleep quantity and quality.
Upper neck tension can stop your head sinking properly into your pillow to enjoy a deep sleep, so even if your neck isn’t actually sore get a neck rub and see how much difference it makes.
Last but not least acupuncture, massage and Self Massage can help you sleep too.