For at least a week after I had come back to Vancouver from my holiday in Bangkok- I had been suffering from major jet lag.
With my 9-5 work schedule and a terrible flu, not being able to sleep at night was extremely agitating.
Fortunately, or unfortunately for me, I had experienced months of insomnia years ago – so I knew exactly how to get my sleep cycle restarted again.
I AM NOW FULLY CURED!
1. Avoid exerting yourself too much before you get into bed: In other words, try not to exercise, read or watch anything that will make your mind and heart race. Keep away from caffeine as well, if you need a hot drink, go for a caffeine free peppermint tea or hot chocolate! Ideally, an hour before you go to bed, you should try to mentally wind down. Meditate, do some light yoga stretches, massage your self with creams, take a bath and then get into your PJS before hitting the sack.
2. Try and stick to a bedtime routine: You have all heard of the term “body clock” haven’t you? There is a reason this term exists! If you stick to certain bed times everyday, you physically become used to it and then automatically feel sleepy at those times. It’s great really! According to a study by Paul Kelley and Oxford University, the ideal time to wake up in your twenties is 9:30 am, and for good health it is important to get 7-9 hours of sleep.
3. Create a comfortable en vironment: Obviously what you find comfortable will vary to what another person finds comfortable. The point here is, make your bedroom your sanctum. Play around with different lighting, pillows, sheets, mattresses and temperatures until you find something that makes you feel the best! I personally like to have a little yellow night light on, with cool air and thick fuzzy blankets.
4. Play around with scents: The best scents to have around your bed to make you sleepy are; geranium, bergamot, chamomile, and lavender. I lather heaps of lavender lotion on to my body before I go to bed every night! I sleep like a baby. Chamomile tea is delicious too, give it a try!
5. Take melatonin tablets: Melatonin is a hormone that is naturally produced in our bodies by the pineal gland in the brain. It controls your sleep and wake cycles. You can buy these hormones over the counter as pills at local drug stores. If you really can not sleep, consider giving this a try for a while to restart your sleeping cycle.
Have a good sleep tonight!
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