Sleep Techniques That Soothe Your Senses

Would you like to know how to sleep better at night without getting hooked on prescription sleeping pills? Wouldn't it be great to fall asleep quickly at bedtime and then awake feeling rested and recharged in the morning? Getting a good night's sleep is not a pie-in-the-sky goal. Deep, restful, effective sleep is possible without drugs. In fact, if you implement the following sleep techniques, you may not need to take anything at all.

You may find this hard to believe, but most sleep problems can be fixed without medication. Many people find that making changes to their sleeping environment can make a major difference in the way they sleep at night. Let's review the five physical senses--sight, hearing, touch, smell, and taste--to see how you can make our sleep better.

Sight

Our physical bodies are genetically engineered to take their cues from the amount of light. More light means wake up, less light means go to sleep. Trying to fight this biological imperative is doomed to fail. To promote sleep, you need to make your room as dark as possible for the time you plan to sleep. If you are on a regular work schedule, this should be fairly simple, but if you work at night or have rotating shifts, you'll have to be more creative. Room-darkening blinds and curtains are where you should start.

Hearing

This might seem obvious, but you'd be surprised how many people try to sleep in noisy environment. You'll face extra challenges if you have a roommate, older children or a snoring spouse. But eliminating disturbing noises is essential if you want to be able to fall asleep, and achieve deep, restorative sleep.

Touch

Sleeping on a worn-out or cheap mattress can make it difficult to sleep well. If you can't replace your mattress right now, try adding a pillow top to make it softer. Breathable cotton sheets are a good choice for sleeping. Look for a higher thread count when purchasing sheets--they'll be softer and last longer. Also, keeping the room cooler will help you sleep.

Smell

Lavender is well-known for having relaxing properties. Try using a lavender scented spray before bedtime. Another option is to put a few drops of lavender essential oil on a cotton ball, then sleep with the cotton ball near your pillow.

Taste

Try some chamomile tea before going to bed. There are several teas that include chamomile to promote relaxation and drowsiness. These are perfectly safe and many people find them very effective.

That's a quick look at sleep techniques that act on all of your senses to promote a restful overnight experience. Most of them are easy and inexpensive to try, and you may find that they make an incredible difference in your quality of sleep.
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