Top 4 tips to help you get the sleep you need

(BPT) – If you’re reading this, there’s a good chance you’re not getting enough sleep. You could probably use a nap, and you’re not alone.

Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that about 70 million U.S. adults report sleeping six hours or less on average. This is well below the seven or more hours of nightly sleep that the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) recommends for optimal health.

It’s important for you to get the sleep you need. No matter the age, children and adults report improved alertness, energy, mood and well-being when enjoying healthy, consistent sleep.

However, with different sleep needs for each family member, making sure that everyone gets the sleep they need can be a real challenge. Therefore, families should make it a priority to adopt routines that fit each individual’s unique lifestyle and sleep needs.

Whatever your situation, these four tips can help you and your family get on a consistent sleep schedule, sleep better, and in the process, lead healthier lives.

1. Use a bedtime calculator. The National Healthy Sleep Awareness Project has developed a bedtime calculator that can help you generate a customized sleep plan. Simply visit www.projecthealthysleep.org and enter your age and wake-up time. The calculator will tell you what time you need to go to bed to get an adequate amount of sleep. This personalized calculation can help you and your loved ones keep a schedule that allows everyone to get the sleep they need.

The AASM recommends that each age group get the following amount of sleep on a regular basis:

* Infants 4 to 12 months old: 12 to 16 hours (including naps)

* Children 1 to 2 years old: 11 to 14 hours (including naps)

* Children 3 to 5 years old: 10 to 13 hours (including naps)

* Children 6 to 12 years old: Nine to 12 hours

* Teens 13 to 18 years old: Eight to 10 hours

* Adults: Seven hours or more

2. Limit your screen activity. It may be tempting to watch television and scroll through apps until you fall asleep, but this is one of the worst bedtime habits. The blue light emitted from phones, tablets and laptops resets your circadian clock and ‘tricks’ your brain into thinking it’s time to be awake. Late-night screen time is one of the most common sleep hygiene violations, and a new study links binge-watching in young adults with poorer sleep quality, more fatigue and increased insomnia. To promote responsible screen time, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends setting an episode or time limit each night, using one of the apps for your computer, tablet and smartphone that filters out blue light, avoiding use of mobile devices while in bed; and turning off all screens at least a half-hour before your bedtime.

3. Implement a relaxing routine before bed. Studies have shown that children sleep better when they have a bedtime routine. Parents should develop a consistent, nightly routine that includes relaxing, calming activities, like reading a story before bed. Whatever your age, it’s important to turn off your computer or television at least 30 minutes before going to bed. Prepare to go to sleep by doing something relaxing, whether it’s reading, writing in a journal or taking a warm bath.

4. Add daily exercise to the routine. Many people lead busy lives that are mentally tiring but consist of little to no physical activity. This can be a recipe for a poor night’s sleep. Contrary to what you may believe, you don’t have to do an exhausting workout to sleep better. Even small amounts of routine physical activity may improve your sleep and overall well-being.

Getting enough sleep isn’t just a matter of feeling well rested and alert; it’s a necessary component of good health. Sleeping six hours or less per night increases the risk of a stroke, coronary heart disease, diabetes and obesity. Insufficient sleep is such a widespread problem that the CDC has named insufficient sleep a public health problem.

Therefore, it’s important to remember that healthy sleep is not a luxury, it’s a necessity. If you’re having trouble sleeping, help is available at more than 2,500 sleep disorders centers that are accredited by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. For more information, visit www.aasmnet.org.

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* Top 10 Superfoods to Sleep Better

1. Cherries
Cherries contain a good amount of melatonin, the chemical that helps control the body’s internal clock. According to a study published in the Journal of Experimental Botany, eating a handful of cherries, especially tart cherries, a few hours before going to bed will help you sleep better.

2. Milk
Drinking a glass of warm milk before bedtime will also help you fall asleep. Milk contains the amino acid tryptophan, a precursor to the brain chemical serotonin. Tryptophan and serotonin help you drift off easily at night.

3. Jasmine rice
According to research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, people who ate jasmine rice for dinner fell asleep faster compared to other types of rice.

4. Bananas
Bananas have natural muscle relaxants, magnesium and potassium, that help promote sleep. The fruit is also a good source of vitamin B6, which the body needs to make the sleep-inducing hormone melatonin. The high carbohydrate content in bananas will help make you sleepy as well.

5. Tuna
Tuna contains sleep-inducing tryptophan. According to an article published in the Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, tuna is also high in vitamin B6, which your body needs to make melatonin and serotonin.

6. Almonds
Almonds are a good source of magnesium, which promotes both sleep and muscle relaxation. A study published in the Journal of Orthomolecular Medicine found that when the body’s magnesium levels are too low, it is harder to stay asleep.

7. Fortified Cereal

To promote sleep, eat foods like fortified cereal that contain ‘good’ or complex carbohydrates. Foods rich in complex carbohydrates boost tryptophan in the bloodstream.

8. Hard-Boiled Eggs
If you have trouble staying asleep at night, it may be due to a lack of protein-based foods before bedtime. Eating hard-boiled eggs before bed will help you stay asleep through the night as they contain a high level of protein.

9. Lettuce

Lettuce contains lactucarium, which has sedative properties and works the same way as the opium poppy. Green leafy lettuce also is high in calcium that helps bring on sleep as well as potassium that is a fundamental nutrient for the nervous system.

10. Herbal Tea

To sleep better, avoid caffeine and alcoholic beverages in the evening. But you can surely enjoy a cup of herbal tea to aid sound sleep. Decaffeinated green tea and chamomile tea are the best options for this.

Source – http://www.top10homeremedies.com/superfoods/top-10-superfoods-sleep-better.html

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Top 10 Superfoods to Sleep Better