Help Your Family Sleep Better

Life today brings all kinds of stress for you and your family. Every member of the family requires proper rest to handle life's demands. But in each family there is probably one or more members who have trouble sleeping.

In this article, we will review a range of tips on helping a person fall asleep. How long does it take for someone to fall asleep?It depends on a number of factors, including how tired the person is, what the person ate before they went to bed, and numerous other factors.If you have sleep problems, it might take what seems like hours to fall asleep.

Insomnia means you find it extremely hard to go to sleep.It also can mean that staying asleep is a battle. Most people who battlle insomnia say that they remember turning and tossing all night long or remember being awake at night. Nights when I have an insomnia attack I just can’t seem to turn my mind off, and often I can’t even close my eyes. Normally it takes me about a half hour to fall asleep; but my son is asleep as soon as his head hits the pillow.

The TV helps me fall asleep -- I have it on a timer and it shuts off after a half hour.I also need total darkness, and my bedroom needs to be ice cold – even in the middle of summer. Admittedly, this does not help save energy!

There are natural or behavioral treatments for insomnia. One relaxation technique is employed by tensing different muscle groups and then relaxing them. Another method is repeating a set of visualizations to produce a state of relaxation. My favorite visualization? Lying in the sun on a beach in the Bahamas.

Another helpful method is to associate the bedroom with sleeping and only sleeping, by limiting the time spent in the bedroom for non-sleep activities.So take your office, computer, and television out of the bedroom. Also reduce the use of stimulants (such as caffeine) and avoid big meals just before bedtime; this can help reduce insomnia. One might also try soaking in a hot bath to relax, or listening to soft music before going to bed. More info at bestinsomnia.com.

Melatonin is an aid for helping people fall asleep. It is especially helpful for people who suffer from insomnia caused by jet lag or shift work. Melatonin occurs naturally in the body; this happens when serotonin is exposed to a reduced quantity of light. Lots of insomnia tips can be found at myinsomniatips.com

Other common over-the-counter (OTC) sleep aids such as Sominex or Nytol can also be tried by adults; nevertheless, a person should discuss with their doctor before taking any of these sleep aids especially if you suffer from Parkinson’s disease, or are being treated for depression or other mental health problems. But it is also buying into the mindset of turning to a pill to solve a problem, which can then lead to problems in other areas of a person’s life.

It is advised that if you have trouble falling asleep and have tried all the natural tips in this article, then perhaps you need to consult a sleep management specialist. So many people have sleep issues, there is now a sub-specialty in medicine for such problems. Inomnia can be a symptom of other medical problems, so it is best to get a consultation with your doctor and discuss your sleeping problems with him.

Even with so many sleep tips, falling to sleep is very individual -- you must find the way that is best for you and stay asleep. Obviously, the ideas shared here must be evaluated and adapted relative to health, age, and other factors; but do whatever is necessary to help your family rest well.