How to get enough Sleep when you have Problems Sleeping

Every person in the world has problems with sleeping at one time or another. The range of causes is wide and varied and to pinpoint exactly why you may be having a problem sleeping can range from a poor sleeping pattern to acute insomnia and everything in between. Medical conditions aside, it's still normal to have sleeping problems on occasion. I'm going to mention some things that affect your sleeping patterns and hopefully, it'll help you deal with your sleep problems.

The Bed you Sleep on

Some people can only sleep on a certain kind of bed. That's why some of the bedding companies have come out with sleep numbers to classify their beds and mattresses. Mostly, they're talking about the softness or firmness of the mattresses, but they fail to address other factors.

There are more sleeping positions than I can shake a stick at, but here are a few to think about:

• Supine – On your back, with or without a pillow. I slept like this for years until my wife couldn't listen to my snoring anymore.
• Prone – On your stomach. Some people sleep well like this but I never could.
• Fetal – Curled up on your side, in a ball, like an unborn baby.
• Recovery – Lying on your side, but pretty much stretched out.

Some people like to lie on an arm when in a sideways position, with the arm tucked under a pillow. It often causes the arm to "go to sleep" and they end up having to readjust eventually. Some pillow makers have created pillows with arm slots designed specifically for people like this. A contour pillow, another design, is for the person who likes to sleep on his or her back, with the lower part of the pillow higher than the upper part of the pillow in order to support the neck.

During my 20-year stint in the military, I learned to sleep anywhere at anytime. When you're tired, worn out, and you haven't had much sleep to begin with, you can sleep on the ground, on a cold cement floor, or even while sitting and resting against a wall. This brings me to the next point.

Exercise

A sedentary lifestyle can do one of two things when it comes to sleep. It can either cause you to sleep more or it can cause you to sleep less. It all depends on how much you use your brain while living a sedentary life.

If you're not mentally active and you're not physically active, it's quite normal to sleep less than six hours per 24-hour period. If you think about it, it makes sense. If you're in a "rest" position most of the day anyway, why would your body require much more during sleep?

If you ARE mentally active while not being physically active, the mental activity can take a toll in itself and you can still require 8 plus hours of sleep per day. I don't know many people that fit into this category, other than students with a lot of homework (when they do their homework).

If your sleep pattern seems to be messed up, it could mean you're not getting enough exercise. It doesn't take a lot of exercise to make your body crave sleep – 20 minutes to an hour per day is sufficient, depending on the intensity of the exercise.

Age

Your age and your lifestyle have a lot to do with how long or how well you sleep. It's quite common for people in their middles ages on up to nap during the day for 2-4 hours and then to sleep for 4-6 hours at night. Of course, this also depends on the work cycle. Older people who still have full-time jobs can end up sleeping as much or more than the younger people.

There is no "one size fits all" when it comes to sleeping.

Stress

The stress of living day-to-day can be enough to cause sleep problems. If you find yourself thinking about what you need to get done tomorrow, while trying to sleep tonight, your level of mental stress can keep you awake. If you find yourself doing this, then learn to take notes and keep a notepad next to your bed. You'll find this can be a brain-saver in itself.

Of course, there are other things you think about while trying to sleep and that's part of the problem – trying to sleep. Sleep should come naturally and if it doesn't, then you need to adjust your sleeping pattern. Perhaps you need to go to sleep earlier or later and it all depends on how long it's been since you've done any activity, since you've eaten, and other factors.

Frankly, I have never figured out why anyone (without a medical condition) has prolonged sleep problems. Sleep problems, for normal people, should be an exception.

Some Tips

If you're trying to normalize your sleep cycle, and your sleeping hours are out of sync with the rest of your life (like sleeping from 4 am to noon when you want to sleep from 10 pm to 6 am), delaying your sleep until the next night can correct the problem in short order. This is the method I use when dealing with "jet lag". That first couple of days following a change in time zone can seem like hell, but it's worth it in getting back to a normal sleep cycle as quickly as possible.

Your sleeping environment could be an issue. Too much light, too much noise or even problems with frequent urination can cause unnecessary sleep interruptions. If light is an issue, you may want to invest in something that covers your eyes. If noise is an issue, you may want to invest in ear plugs. It doesn't matter what you do to make your sleeping environment conducive to sleep except that you need to do it and not put it off if you're having problems sleeping right now.

Experiences

I haven't been employed at a real job (working on the clock) for more than five years. My sleeping patterns are always messed up, but I still manage to sleep enough hours per day and during the hours I should be sleeping. I don't lay down on my bed unless I'm ready to sleep and when I sleep, I sleep the sleep of the dead – nothing wakes me up until I'm ready to be woke up. Unfortunately, I'm exaggerating a little. If I've been asleep for at least a couple of hours, harsh, loud noises can wake me up. During that first couple of hours, though, no one can wake me up.

I have neighbors that aren't quite neighborly, if you know what I mean, when it comes to not making noise when I'm trying to sleep. There are a lot of unemployed people living around me and they don't seem to care about the people who are, or the people who don't want to be awakened at 3 am every day. It comes with the territory, I suppose, and people who work regular jobs don't seem to be bothered by it.

The Pro-active Approach

If you can't get enough sleep, you need to take action immediately. A prolonged lack of sleep can cause a whole host of mental conditions ranging from irritability to hallucinations. If you live a sedentary lifestyle, try adding exercise to your routine.

If your sleeping environment isn't a good environment, perhaps changing that environment or even changing where you sleep may be the answer. If your bed isn't comfortable, do something about it.

Needless to say, but I'm going to say it anyway, you don't need drugs or alcohol to go to sleep. If you think you do, then you need to rethink your sleeping patterns.

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