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Getting to Sleep Carole Pagan © 2007 The dreaded first week of school. Trying to get back on a regular schedule is awful, isn't it? Especially when it comes to getting to sleep at a reasonable hour. I've struggled with this issue for years with my daughter. I know, I know you're supposed to start moving your bedtime back like a month before. Yeah right. Does that work in your house? It sure doesn't in mine! We want to wring out every last minute of every summer day! You would think that the shell shock of having to get up at an ungodly hour every morning would make you tired enough to want to go to sleep on time, but that doesn't work either, does it? Plus, according to the Better Sleep Council - the adolescent biological clock is delayed in producing melatonin, the hormone that makes you ready to go to sleep. It seems that the majority of adolescents don't produce this hormone until 11 PM, or midnight. That explains a lot, doesn't it? But you can't make up for it at the other end. You have to get up. For all of us, getting to sleep on time is really an all day affair. Here's what you need to do - Get up at the same time every day, including weekends. Don't vary by more than an hour. Eat breakfast to get your body up and running. Have a morning snack to keep you going. Eat a healthy lunch. Have an afternoon snack. Eat a healthy dinner. Stop eating a couple hours before bed. Why all this continuous eating? You keep your body fueled all day, while you need it. And make sure what you're eating is giving you the fuel you need to be your best. Lots of fruits and vegetables, some protein, some fiber. Take vitamins. If you were to study and try to eat all of the nutrients that your body needs on a daily basis, you would drive yourself nuts. Add to that the fact that even the fruits and vegetables we eat are not as nutritious as they used to be, unless you grow your own of course. But don't try to replace healthy eating with taking supplements. Eat healthy, and take your vitamins if you want to be your best. Get some exercise. That can be really any movement - take a walk, walk the dog, vacuum, ride a bike, whatever. Just make sure you have at least 30 minutes of some sort of physical activity every day. It can be 10 minutes at a time spread throughout the day too. Just don't exercise too close to bedtime. Exercise is a stimulant and will keep you up. If you're caffeine sensitive, cut back as early as you need to for your own needs. Some people, like me, can drink coffee all the way up until bed and still sleep fine. Others won't be able to sleep if they have any caffeine at all after lunch. Do what's best for you. Have a bedtime routine. I finish up the dishes, set up the coffee, and take a hot shower. My daughter finishes up homework, or checking her MySpace before hitting the shower. This constant ritual that you set up will signal your brain that it's getting to be time to go to sleep. OK, this tip is not going to be popular, but here goes - Bedrooms are for sleeping. There should be no computer, no TV, no doing homework. When you go into your bedroom, it should be for sleep. Remember when bedrooms were these tiny little rooms? Actually, mine still are. You only went into your room to sleep or change clothes. There wasn't room to do anything else. Now, we think we're so advanced. The bedroom has to be the size of an apartment, and have every conceivable entertainment device. It's not a bedroom - it's a playroom. I know, once your child has all this stuff, it's really hard to take it away. A friend of mine solved the problem by making one bedroom a playroom, and one a sleep room. Did you notice that most of these tips are the same tips you read for living a healthy lifestyle? That's right. It's the solution for peak performance, high energy, health, and weight maintenance. Embrace this lifestyle if you want to live life to it's fullest and be dynamic and at your best every day. Here's the best way I know of to start living healthy >>> ****************************************** High Energy Eating The way to be naturally thin, healthy and full of energy for life ****************************************** What is a Whole Life Overhaul? It's a total life change- Self confidence, self care, time management, dreams, goals, discipline, habits, and more. Start improving your life - enroll today. Try the first 4 weeks for free. Next session starts Monday morning. Enroll Here >>> ******************************************   Back to Diet & Health Article Index   Back to Home Page >>> Subscribe to The Juggling aCt >>> To the Store >>>