Take Time to Prepare to Sleep Each Night

Going Straight to Bed Isn’t the Answer. For Better Sleep, Preparing Properly Is Crucial

Preparing to sleep is about more than putting on your pajamas and hopping into bed. If you’re one of those people who can do this and immediately fall asleep, you’re in the minority. Most of us struggle to get to sleep once we’re in bed. We worry about what we need to do or what we didn’t get done, we can’t get comfortable or we simply have too many distractions. Our brains and our bodies don’t realize it’s time to rest unless we prepare to sleep properly.

Creating a restful atmosphere free of clutter and distractions can help you prepare to sleep more easily. It’s the first step in preparing your mind, body and bedroom for a good night’s sleep. There are three components to doing this: making your room environment comfortable, relaxing your mind, and making your body comfortable.

Aromatherapy and Taste Solutions --Your senses have a powerful effect on your energy levels and mood. Using aromatherapy, such as candles or oil, or taste solutions, like tea or honey, before bed can be very effective at telling your body it’s time for sleep. Tea can also help soothe indigestion or a late-night sweet tooth.

Comfort Solutions –Our bodies are stuffed, sandwiched, wedged and cramped into awkward positions all day—so getting comfortable at night is imperative to restoring our sensitive spines and tired muscles. At Zia Sleep, we understand that every body is unique, with different needs and preferences. If yours is a positioning issue, we’ve got you covered with classics such as loungers, leg spacers, and lumbar cushions. For those with more challenging ailments, such as arthritis, we’ve gotten creative. Treat yourself to a hot paraffin wax before bed. This heat therapy will soothe your sore muscles and joints, moisturize your skin, and increase your sense of calm. Hot flashes the culprit? Try our Chillow Cooling Comfort Pad.

Mind & Body – Many people practice yoga or meditation before bed as a way to transition from their hectic, active day to a calm and peaceful night. At Zia Sleep, we’ve gathered the best of yoga and meditation books, dvds and cds for everyone from the beginner to the zen master.

Sight Solutions – We love a good book before bed. Reading is one of the most common and effective ways to prepare for sleep. Regardless of where we are physically, reading puts distance between our over-stimulated minds and the loud, distracting world. The next time you find yourself tossing and turning, let a book lead you to dreamland. For the die-hards, we recommend “Good Night: The Sleep Doctor’s 4-week Program to Better Sleep” by Michael Breus, PH.D. In addition to apropos subject matter, the program outlined by Dr. Breus will set you on the right path to restful, uninterrupted sleep.

Preparing to Sleep With the Right Room Environment

Most of us have bedrooms that have become multi-purpose rooms. Don’t let this happen. Banish the television and keep work out of your bedroom. The bedroom should be associated only with sleep or sex in your mind. To make the room more comfortable for sleeping, try using sound recordings such as water or waves to mask outside noises that can be a distraction. Be sure the room is dark and on the cool side. A stuffy room doesn’t help you prepare to sleep, and too much light stimulates the mind.

Preparing to Sleep by Relaxing Your Mind

Meditation, listening to soothing music or sipping some herbal tea are all good ways to relax your mind and soothe the spirit. The key is to be able to put aside the worries you have until tomorrow. There are excellent books on meditation and relaxation techniques that can help you banish thoughts that interfere with falling asleep.

Preparing to Sleep With Improved Comfort

One of the most important ways to prepare to sleep is to make sure your body is comfortable. Constricting clothes, a mattress that is too hard to too soft, and even the wrong pillow can make you toss and turn. Be sure your mattress is supportive, choose soft, non-binding clothes and find the perfect pillow for you. Side sleepers will need a different style of pillow than back sleepers, for instance.

At ZiaSleep, we offer a variety of ways to prepare you to sleep soundly. You’ll be amazed at how restful your sleep can be with the right sleep solutions. Prepare to sleep more soundly than you ever have with ZiaSleep!