Get Sleep Without Sleeping Pills

The older we get, the more difficult it is sometimes to fall asleep and stay asleep. Here are some sleep tips, tricks and natural remedies. Check with your doctor first.

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You're ready for sleep, tired after a long day. Climb into bed. Snuggle under the covers. And stare at the ceiling for several hours -- frustrated and irritated. Insomnia affects more than 70 million Americans and it can drive you up a wall. Drugs, prescription or over-the-counter, can have harmful side effects, especially for people over 55.

Here's a compendium of tips from experts, old wives, and those who have struggled with insomnia like you. No guarantee they'll work but they're worth a look. As always, check with your doctor.

Getting Help

1. If your insomnia is serious and frequent, experts say professional therapy (cognitive-behavioral) may be the answer.
2. Ask your doctor about under-the-tongue sprays from natural remedies that may help induce sleep.
3. Try New Age therapies -- tai chi, yoga, light therapy, aromatherapy, or acupuncture.
About Your Bed and Bedtime
4. Establish a habitual bedtime.
5. Makes sure your bed, pillows, bedding, and covers are comfortable and appropriate to the season.
6. Darken the room so there is no more light than what one small candle would provide.
7. Take the TV out of the bedroom. Replace it with a radio or stereo with a sleep timer.
8. Eliminate extraneous noise or add white noise if you prefer it.
9. Make sure your bedroom is well ventilated, not drafty, and cooler than you keep the house during the day.
About Your Physical Self
10. Thirty minutes before bedtime try a warm bath or shower. Use mild aromas that appeal to you. Lavender is known to have relaxing properties.
11. Choose pajamas or a nightgown that's soft, comfortable, and non-binding. Natural fibers are the best.
12. Avoid exercise near bedtime. Stop drinking fluids two hours before bed. No smoking two hours before bed. Better yet, quit smoking altogether.
About Eating and Drinking
13. Make sure you're not taking medications containing stimulants. Check with your doctor. If you need such medications, take them in the daytime.
14. Obviously, no coffee or colas in the evening. Do you know that tea can have as much caffeine as coffee?
15. Have dinner at lease three hours before bedtime. Make it a light meal, put your heavier meal in the middle of the day.
16. If you need a snack, eat something light that isn't loaded with sugar, salt, or fat.
17. Some experts say eat calcium or protein snacks before retiring.
18. See if you can find a pleasant, caffeine-free tea you enjoy. Sip a cup just before bedtime. Chamomile, "Sleepy Time" or red clover are nice choices.
19. Warm milk, which contains a chemical called tryptophan, is still an excellent sleep inducer.
About Activities
20. Try to create a habitual rising time. Then get up. Don't linger in bed. Try some exercise or a walk first thing in the morning.
21. If you take a daytime, do it no later than 1 p.m. and for no longer than 20 minutes.
22. Include at least 15 minutes of regular exercise in every day's routine. Housework, a walk, active play with your pet, swimming -- anything that appeals to you and gets you moving.
23. Reserve evening for quiet work or play. Do paperwork. Watch a comedy (skip dramas and action programs). Avoid conversations with people who might annoy you or excite you.
24. Limit before-bed activities to things like quiet music, snuggling with a spouse or partner, reading aloud or silently (something fun, nothing stimulating).
25. In bed, replace thoughts of the day's problems with thoughts of the happiest moments of your life. Dwell on your grandchildren's giggles or a beautiful day at the beach. This is not the time to solve your problems or the problems of the world.
Settling Down
26. Don't pressure yourself to get 8 hours of sleep, you might not need it. Set the scene, slip into relaxation, and let your body determine how much sleep is appropriate.
27. Lie comfortably, spine aligned, neck supported. Slowly, silently tell each body part it's time to relax. Use a calm soothing voice in your head.
28. Do creative visualization. In your mind, see each part of your body relaxing and letting go of tension. This takes time, go with it - often it brings sleep before you get to your toes.
29. Purchase relaxation music or meditation tapes/CDs. An excellent one is Your Present, A Half-Hour Of Peace, by Susie Mantell. Play it when you're in bed. Use headphones.
30. Deep breathing is fantastic. Like this -- lying on your back, hands resting lightly on your belly, inhale slowly to the count of 5, extending your belly as air enters your body. That allows your lungs to fill completely. Hold - count 3. Exhale as slowly as you can, feeling your belly contract. Repeat 10 times.
31. If it has become difficult to share a bed with another person, have a calm discussion with spouse or partner about twin beds.
32. Count sheep. What can I say? It works.

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