1. Basic comfort.
Make sure you are healthy and not hungry. It is also important that the bed, mattress and bedding are comfortable. Sometimes even folds on the sheets can interfere with sleep. Choose comfortable clothes. Pajamas and underwear should not be tight. All clothing must be made of natural fabrics. Avoid velour clothes, it has poor air permeability, and person can sweat a lot in such clothes.
2. Relaxing bath.
Warm bath help you to relax before bed. The water temperature should be close to body temperature. Too hot or too cold water may cause over excitation. To improve the sleep you can additionally use aromatherapy agents: essential oils and herbal tinctures. But you must be careful when using them.
3. Soothing music.
Use relaxation music or lullabies to help you calm down. Listening to music has a mild relaxing effect, normalizes heart rate and relieves muscle tension. The sound of a familiar melody or song becomes a music therapy session.
4. Suitable sleeping place.
A properly equipped sleeping place will promote restful sleep. It is important to maintain favorable conditions in the bedroom:
• the air temperature is no higher than 21 degrees;
• average humidity;
• very weak source of diffused light or complete darkness.
5. “White noise”.
If there is a constant and familiar sound source in the bedroom, the so-called “white noise”, people fall asleep better. That is why it is not recommended to remain completely silent when the child goes to bed. Having got used to falling asleep with an average noise level, the child will be able to feel more confident and calmer. However, it is important to remember that this skill developed in the first 6 weeks of life.
6. Regular exercise before bed.
Three or four simple exercises every night help you fall asleep. This will help you get used to the daily routine faster and tune in to sleep. Depending on the age, you can change the exercises.
7. Sleep diary.
If, despite all your efforts, you still sleep poorly and restlessly, keep a journal of dreams. This will help reveal hidden problems. This could be activity, stress, medication, or family habits. In a sleep diary, you need to record answers to questions such as:
• What time do you fall asleep?
• How long do you sleep?
• How many times do you wake up in one night?
• How long does it take for you to fall asleep again?
• How long is sleep in general?
• What do you do before bed?
• Did you sleep during the day?
• Did you have any reason to upset or worrier?
Based on the records of such a diary, within 2-3 weeks, you can accurately identify the cause of sleep problems. You can examine all the causes yourself or with the help of a specialist.
