Alcohol may help you fall asleep fast but it also disrupts normal sleeping patterns
Eating, Drinking and the Good Sleep Connection
Have
you ever had one of those nights when you slept all the way through but
you just didn't feel rested? I have had a few of those unrestful
nights, myself. I discovered that the kind of sleep you get is at least
as important as the amount of sleep you get each night.
What I found was that drinking alcohol before bedtime may actually help you get to sleep, but it can be very disruptive to sleep restful patterns. Most people who drink, especially if they drink rather large amounts of alcohol, find that they wake up just a few hours after going to bed or experience fitful, restless sleep.
Large meals that include fatty, spicy or heavy foods that take longer to digest will also likely cause low quality, restless sleep. One thing I have discovered since I turned 50 years of age is that I cannot eat pizza or any other heavy Italian food for at least 5 to 6 hours before bedtime. I know I'm going to have reflux problems along with poor sleep.
If you want to fall asleep faster, avoid alcohol in large amounts (or avoid it entirely several hours before bedtime) and don't indulge in heavy meals that may be greasy or spicy too soon before bedtime. Doing either of these will likely lead to light or restless sleep.
.
What I found was that drinking alcohol before bedtime may actually help you get to sleep, but it can be very disruptive to sleep restful patterns. Most people who drink, especially if they drink rather large amounts of alcohol, find that they wake up just a few hours after going to bed or experience fitful, restless sleep.
Large meals that include fatty, spicy or heavy foods that take longer to digest will also likely cause low quality, restless sleep. One thing I have discovered since I turned 50 years of age is that I cannot eat pizza or any other heavy Italian food for at least 5 to 6 hours before bedtime. I know I'm going to have reflux problems along with poor sleep.
If you want to fall asleep faster, avoid alcohol in large amounts (or avoid it entirely several hours before bedtime) and don't indulge in heavy meals that may be greasy or spicy too soon before bedtime. Doing either of these will likely lead to light or restless sleep.
.
The brain actually becomes more active during sleep. One trick to
fall asleep fast is turning off all external stimuli and allow the brain
to do what it does best
Switching Off Your Mind for Better Sleep
This
was always a big issue for me in earlier years. I worked in the
advertising agency business which is very, very stressful and
fast-moving. When I was at the agency, I had to be 100% ON the entire
time.
That was great for working but bad when it came time for sleeping. I would lay my head down and everything was still going inside - i liken it to a high-speed freight train running through my mind - very fast, very noisy, very big and not easy to stop.
Here's what I discovered that helped me fall asleep faster. The brain actually becomes more active when we go to sleep, however, it's a different type of brain activity.
Parts of your brain that are off during waking hours are suddenly switched on at bedtime. The normal brain before sleep begins turning on to all the things inside the mind and turning off from all the external stimuli.
As I would drift off to sleep, I would be less and less aware of the outside reality and more aware of the "reality" that was going on inside my mind (This is why some dreams seem so vivid and lifelike.).
In my case, everything that was going on at the agency was also going on in my mind. That's why it seemed like I just couldn't switch it off. Take a look at the tips in the column to the right to find out some of the ways I switch off my mind.
.
That was great for working but bad when it came time for sleeping. I would lay my head down and everything was still going inside - i liken it to a high-speed freight train running through my mind - very fast, very noisy, very big and not easy to stop.
Here's what I discovered that helped me fall asleep faster. The brain actually becomes more active when we go to sleep, however, it's a different type of brain activity.
Parts of your brain that are off during waking hours are suddenly switched on at bedtime. The normal brain before sleep begins turning on to all the things inside the mind and turning off from all the external stimuli.
As I would drift off to sleep, I would be less and less aware of the outside reality and more aware of the "reality" that was going on inside my mind (This is why some dreams seem so vivid and lifelike.).
In my case, everything that was going on at the agency was also going on in my mind. That's why it seemed like I just couldn't switch it off. Take a look at the tips in the column to the right to find out some of the ways I switch off my mind.
.
The 5 Best Ways to Shut Down a Brain and Fall Asleep Fast
Restful Environment. One of the absolute best ways to fall asleep fast is to make a place exclusively for sleeping. Make the bedroom a place for rest and relaxation, a place associated with good, positive and relaxing experiences.Replace bright lights with dim, warm colored light. Remember, your brain has photoreceptors that sense light even when your eyes are closed. The darker the room, the better the sleep.
Eliminate Electronics. Surfing the web, working on the computer, playing video games or watching television keep the brain active and delay the onset of sleep. To fall asleep fast, you need to eliminate all visually stimulating electronics and allow your brain to prepare for sleep.
Reading is helpful because it mimics inner focus - the brain uses a similar process to help you fall asleep fast. Unlike electronic and visual stimuli, reading doesn't stimulate the orientation response (this allows your brain to focus on to new images) and keep you awake.
Eating and Drinking. While you can fall sleep fast after drinking alcohol or eating a big meal, your sleep is more likely to be light, fitful and in interrupted. Sometimes it's about the quality of sleep rather than the quantity.
Sure, alcohol can help you fall asleep but it will likely wake you after just a few hours. Going to sleep after a big meal can lead to acid reflux or other digestive problems. If you're over 50 years of age, you may be very familiar with this potential problem.
Write Down Worries. Worrying is perhaps one of the most common problems for those trying to fall asleep fast - or fall asleep at all. Now, I'm not going to tell you to stop worrying - that would be so simple, but probably not effective. A worrying mind is a stimulated mind and not ready for sleep. The challenge is handling worry properly.
Turn Off, Tune Out. Getting your mind to "switch off" at the end of the day can be a difficult challenge for some people. The trick is to get the mind to focus on internal things and cease focusing on external stimuli. This is why reading works so well - it allows you to focus inside your mind and turn off to the external.
Take a look at the next section to the lower left titled "My Method to Shut Down and Fall Asleep Fast" for some helpful tips on a method that works for me everytime.
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