The sleeping problem can be a very unpleasant problem. If you can’t sleep at night you won’t function well the next day. In addition, if a sleep problem lasts too long, it can create a lot of problems with your overall health. That’s why you need to become aware in time and take steps to overcome it.

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Sleeping well is a habit that you can learn! You have only to be persistent and patient. Small steps in changing your routine can have significant effects.

Start today by following these tips:

First of all, respect your body

• Do not drink caffeine: no tea, coffee, or coca-cola after 4 o’clock
• Do not eat a big or spicy meal late in the evening
• Do not go to bed hungry
• Avoid alcohol as it interferes with sleep
• Make your body tired. Try to do a physical job or exercise, such as brisk walking, in the late afternoon. Try to do some exercise every day.
• Sleep only at night-time and do not have day-time naps, no matter how tired you feel. Naps keep the problem going by making it harder for you to get to sleep the next night.
• Having a regular bedtime routine teaches your body when it’s time to go to sleep.

• Have a soothing drink like camomile tea or a milky drink

• Have a bath or a routine of washing your face and brushing your teeth

Make your bedroom a pleasant place to be

• Go to bed at the same time each night

• When in a bed think of nice things (e.g. think of 5 nice things that happened that day they might be big or small, such as a nice conversation, seeing the sunshine, or hearing nice music on the radio)

• Do a relaxed breathing exercise (one hand on the stomach other on the chest, deliberately slow your breathing, breathe deep in your stomach instead of high in your chest)

• Try and wake up the same time every day, even if this is tiring, to begin with

Bad dreams can be difficult.

• Prepare yourself in case you have bad dreams by thinking of a bad dream then think of a different ending for it. Practice this new ending many times before going to sleep.

• Before going to sleep prepare to re-orient yourself when you wake from a bad dream.

• Remind yourself that you are at home, that you are safe. Imagine your street, buses, and local shops.

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• Put a damp towel or a bowl of water by the bed to splash your face, and place a special object by the bed, such as a photograph, or a small soft toy.

• Practice imagining yourself waking up from a bad dream and reorienting yourself to the present, to safety by splashing your face, touching a special object, having a bottle of rose or lavender essential oil to sniff, and going to the window to see the surroundings.

• When you wake up from a bad dream- move your body if you can and reorient yourself immediately (touching object, wetting your face, going to the window, talking to yourself in a reassuring way)

• Make sure that your home is safe e.g. doors locked, windows closed.
• Introduce pleasant smells such as a drop of lavender oil onto the pillow

The bed is for sleeping

Don’t forget that: your bed is for sleeping, so if you cannot sleep after 30 minutes, get up and do another activity elsewhere such as reading or listening to music (try and avoid TV because it can wake you up). After 15 minutes return to bed and try to sleep again. If you still can’t sleep after 30 minutes get up again. Repeat this routine as many times as necessary and only use your bed for sleeping in.