Sleep is one of man’s greatest pleasures in life. All of us long for that zzzz’s after a long day’s work. Problem is, some of us have trouble going to sleep- our eyes maybe drooping yet our brains are still lingering around every bit of idea that pops into our head. Annoying isn’t it? Wish our brains could just have the SLEEP MODE in our laptops. What’s worse, when we are able to finally go to sleep after an hour of tossing and turning, we then wake up in the middle of the night and tada!!! our brains’  booting again!  And the cycle would go on until the alarm clock goes off leaving you feeling and looking like a zombie.

So how do we deal with insomnia? Here are some tried and tested ways( by me of course)  to beat the zombie look we dread to have.

• Have a regular sleeping time. Let’s say, you want to sleep at 10 pm so you can have a full 8 hour sleep when the alarm hits 6 am on the next day. By the way, an average adult needs 7-8 hours of sleep during the night. They say its variable but many experts believe that this number is the ideal.

• Do your bedtime routine an hour before your bedtime. Most of us take a shower before we sleep. Try adding lavender oil on your bathroom floor before you step in. The scent of lavender removes nervous tension keeping you relaxed and calm. Lukewarm water is also a yes when taking a shower before bedtime since it has a soothing and sleep- inducing effect.

• Avoid stimulating activities an hour before your bedtime. Watching television, surfing the net or playing computer games can lure you into sleeping late. Try to disconnect from these activities an hour before going to sleep. Consider this 1 hour as your “me” time-  try to reflect on the day before you and plan out the day ahead of you.

• Warm milk and banana contains the chemical tryptophan that can help promote sleep. A glass of milk or a piece of banana before hitting the sack can help you sleep, just try not to overeat.

• Don in the lightest and softest bedtime clothes. You don’t want to sleep feeling too overdressed do you?

• Reserve your bed for sleeping only. This means that no watching television from your bed, no laptop, psp nor any activity other than SLEEPING.

• Keep all the baggage under your bed when you hit the sack. When you are worrying about something, shut it out when going to bed. Remember, your bed is your throne, its a a holy place for you. Problems and worries will never have a chance to sleep on it.

• A soothing music helps. Every time I go to sleep, I listen to my iPod’s relax melodies application. It’s a collection of  sounds from nature. I especially like the combined sounds of river flowing ,oceans rushing  and rain pouring.  And before I know it, i’m already drooling!

• Avoid all sleep medications and alcohol. Sleep medication could just worsen the problem leading you to an increasing dose over time. Although alcohol is a depressant, it disrupts your sleep states leaving you groggy and tired in the morning.

• When you still can’t sleep despite everything, don’t remain in bed tossing and turning around. Instead, get up, grab a book or try to do something until you are tired enough to do it. Try to wake up on your predetermined time no matter how zombie- like you may feel. Remember that correcting insomnia is not a one-shot deal. It is a process since your body has yet to adapt to theses routines. A week of repeatedly doing this can correct the problem.