Sleeping Aids
Cervical Pillows for Sleeping and Postioning Products

Avoid before-bed snacks, particularly grains and sugars.

This increases blood sugar and inhibits sleep. Later, when blood sugar drops too low (hypoglycemia), you may wake up and not be able to fall back asleep.

Sleep in complete darkness or as close as possible.

It disrupts the circadian rhythm of the pineal gland and production of melatonin and serotonin, when light hits the eyes. Also there should be as little light in the bathroom as possible if you get up in the middle of the night.

Avoid Television right before bed.

Dr. Mercola suggest getting the television out of the bedroom, even out of the house, completely. It is much too stimulating to the brain and it will take longer to fall asleep. Also disruptive of pineal gland function for the same reason as above.

Wear socks to bed.

Because the feet have the poorest circulation, they feel cold before the rest of the body. A study has shown that this reduces night wakings

Read something spiritual or religious.

This will help you relax. Avoid reading anything too stimulating, such as a mystery or suspense novel, as this can have the opposite effect. In addition, if you are really enjoying a suspenseful book, you might wind up unintentionally reading for hours, instead of going to sleep.

Avoid using loud alarm clocks.

It is extremely stressful on the body to be awoken suddenly. If you are regularly getting enough sleep, they should be unnecessary. A great alternative is a dawn simulator such as the Soleil Sun Alarm which works by with an alarm to a dimmer switch that gradually turns the light on to full intensity over 45 minutes. It is very gentle and if you need more sleep, you can get it without being startled or disrupting your adrenals. Almost like a real dawn. Click here for more information on The Soleil Sun alarm.

Journal Writing

If you often lay in bed with your mind racing, it might be helpful keep a journal and write down your thoughts before going to bed.

Get to bed as early as possible.

Our systems, especially the adrenals, do a majority of their recharging or recovering during the hours of 11PM and 1AM. Also, your gallbladder dumps toxins during this same period. If you are awake, the toxins back up into the liver which then secondarily back up into your entire system and cause further disruption of your health. In the past, prior to the widespread use of electricity, people would go to bed shortly after sundown, as most animals do, and which nature intended for humans as well.

Supplement with the hormone Melatonin.

If behavioral changes do not work, it may be possible to improve sleep by supplementing with the hormone melatonin. Dr.Mercola emphasizes that one should use extreme caution, and use it only as a last resort, as it is a powerful hormone. Ideally it is best to increase levels naturally with exposure to bright sunlight in the daytime (along with full spectrum fluorescent bulbs in the winter) and absolute complete darkness at night. One should get blackout drapes so no light is coming in from the outside. One can also use one of melatonin's precursors, L-tryptophan or 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP). Dr. Mercola suggests the simple amino acid L-tryptophan as the safest and but must be obtained by prescription only.

Check your bedroom for electro-magnetic fields (EMFs).

These can disrupt the pineal gland and the production of melatonin and seratonin, and may have other negative effects as well. Dr.Herbert Ross, author of Sleep Disorders even recommends that people pull their circuit breaker before bed to kill all power in the house

Keep the temperature in the bedroom no higher than 70 degrees F.

Many people keep their homes and especially the upstairs bedrooms too hot.

Eat a high-protein snack several hours before bed.

This can provide the L-tryptophan need to produce melatonin and serotonin.

Consume a small piece of fruit.

This can help the tryptophan cross the blood-brain barrier.

Reduce or avoid as many drugs as possible.

Many medications, both prescription and over-the-counter may have effects on sleep.

Avoid caffeine.

A recent study showed that in some people, caffeine is not metabolized efficiently and therefore they can feel the effects long after consuming it. So an afternoon cup of coffee (or even tea) will keep some people from falling asleep. Some medications, particularly diet pills contain caffeine.

Keep Alarm clocks and other electrical devices far away from the bed as possible.

If these devices must be used, keep them as far away from the bed as possible, preferably at least 3 feet.

Avoid alcohol.

Although alcohol will make people drowsy, the effect is short lived and people will often wake up several hours later, unable to fall back asleep. Alcohol can also keep you from falling into the deeper stages of sleep, where the body does most of its healing.

Lose weight.

Being overweight can increase the risk of sleep apnea, which will prevent a restful nights sleep. According to Dr.Mercola The secret to eating properly to optimize weight, fight disease and premature aging, and live longer is to A) eat the healthiest types of foods; B) eat the right proportions of carbs, fats and proteins for your particular "metabolic type." Dr.Mercola's Total Health- This book provides the entire program for doing both A and B, including a test and the means to learn what proportion of healthy carbs, fats and proteins are right for you, and over 150 healthy and delicious recipes for your type.

Avoid foods that you may be sensitive to.

This is especially true for dairy and wheat products, as they may have effect on sleep, such as causing apnea, excess congestion, gastrointestinal upset, and gas, along with other things

Avoid drinking any fluids within 2 hours of going to bed.

This will reduce the likelihood of needing to get up and go to the bathroom or at least minimize the frequency.

Take a hot bath, shower or sauna before bed.

When body temperature is raised in the late evening, it will fall at bedtime, facilitating sleep

Remove the clock from view.

It will only add to your worry when constantly staring at it... 1AM...2 AM... 3:30 AM...

Keep Your Bed For Sleeping.

If you are used to watching TV or doing work in bed, you may find it difficult to relax and to think of the bed as a place to sleep.

Have your adrenals checked by a good natural medicine clinician.

When body temperature is raised in the late evening, it will fall at bedtime, facilitating sleep,

Don't Change Your Bedtime.

You should go to bed, and wake up, at the same times each day, even on the weekends. This will help your body to get into a sleep rhythm and make it easier to fall asleep and get up in the morning.

Engage in daily Exercise.

Exercising for a minimum of 30 minutes everyday can help you fall alseep. However, don't exercise too close to bedtime or it may keep you awake. Try exercising in the morning, afternoon or early evening instead.

Listen to White Noise or Relaxation CDs.

Some people find the sound of white noise or nature sounds, such as the ocean or forest, to be soothing for sleep.