Getting a good night's sleep

Sleep problems are very common and caused by many things such as mood, alcohol or food but particularly by stress and especially during bereavement. There is no such thing as an ideal length of time for sleep as it varies with age too. Some people could require 12 hours sleep while others only a few hours. You are not necessarily depriving your body if you sleep should you sleep for less than eight hours however. The best indicator is usually how you feel when you wake up after various periods of sleep.  Sometimes even a twenty minute cat-nap or power-nap in the day might help you feel refreshed.

Everyone generally has broken sleep patterns whereby waking up is not registered during the night by the sleeper but when the sleeper worries about the time or waking up in the middle of the night it is the worry that can then keep you awake.

It is not harmful to experience periods of poor sleep when under stress or during bereavement. The only negative effect is that you will feel exhausted during the day; less able to cope with things and become irritable. Once your sleep patterns are fully restored you will feel much better again. By modifying some of the most common causes of sleep problems above, you can take back control of your sleeping patterns gradually without resorting to medication.

Find out what works best for you like having a warm bath before bedtime or drinking a hot milky drink, meditation, reading a relaxing book or listening to soft music. I find reading a good book makes me very drowsy! Using the computer or mobile phone is not advisable or particularly conducive to sleep.

Earth Angel

Love & light xxx