There are some individuals who can lay their heads on their pillows and
be asleep in two minutes. Other
normal people require nearly half an hour.
The average is about eight minutes.
One
common problem is that although sleep comes on promptly, after a certain amount
of time spent sleeping, the individual begins to enter lighter and lighter sleep
until he enters a very superficial level of sleep, can easily become wide awake,
and being now rested, cannot return to sleep.
Another common type of sleep disorder is that the person dreads to go to
bed, as he knows he will be tossing and turning for an hour or two before sleep
will come. There are special things
that should be done for these two types of sleep disorders.
For
the first person it is helpful upon awakening to begin immediately to take deep
breaths, making certain the room is filled with fresh air.
Sleep is a positive action of the mind, not an absence of mental
activity. Often the person tries to
lie entirely immobile, even rigidly motionless, becoming anxious about the
anticipated sleeplessness, and is soon in no state to go back to sleep.
Tense and relax successive muscle groups beginning with the facial
muscles and progress to neck, then shoulders and so on.
Have
at the bedside a cup of catnip tea which may be taken to give a little sedation.
It is entirely innocuous and leaves no hangover.
Catnip tea may also be taken in the evening to induce sleep.
Other effective and harmless herbal teas are hops and skullcap.
The three teas may be taken together if desired.
One
should spend any time awake contemplating God’s eternal virtues such as
goodness, humility, love, patience, temperance, carefulness, care taking,
faithfulness to duty, and loyalty. There
is a peace-giving quality in this category of thoughts.
One should not waste one’s thoughts on counting sheep or picket fence
slats.
For
the second kind of insomnia, the inability to get to sleep, among the best
things that can be done is physical exercise during the day, at least one hour
being spent out-of-doors in some kind of brisk labor or sports.
Second, avoid taking a heavy or late supper.
If anything is taken it should be only whole grain breads or cereals, and
simple fruit.
The
third thing is to decide that even if one cannot sleep, the benefits of rest
will be obtained, which, under proper circumstances of relaxation and mental
peace, can result in good refreshment. Never
take sleeping pills, as to do so merely borrows sleep from the future which must
all be paid back with interest. Each
day’s sleep should be taken care of for better or worse within that 24 hours
if possible. Sleep lost at night
should be made up the following morning before lunchtime if possible, as an
afternoon nap may spoil evening sleep for the person who has sleep problems.
Generally
one can expect that sleep before midnight is about twice as refreshing as sleep
after midnight. The rhythmic
pattern of hormones in the blood apparently accounts for this preference for
sleep before midnight. If one has a
tendency to difficulty in sleeping the night through, it is better to get sleep
early in the evening, rather than staying up late, thinking that by doing so one
will put one’s self in a more advantageous position.
It
is essential to be regular in all one’s habits, particularly in mealtimes and
bedtimes. Take the meals at the
same time daily, and go to bed at the same time each night.
The habit of a regular bedtime from infancy to old age does more toward
promoting good habits of sleep than any other thing.
An
evening ritual will assist in developing good sleep habits.
No new activities should begin late in the day, as that tends to excite
the nervous system and make one less able to concentrate on the activity of
going to sleep. If every night is
characterized by a certain pattern of evening activities such as a bath,
dressing, a period of evening meditation and prayer, turning off the lights,
going to bed, assuming a comfortable position in a comfortable bed, and being
clothed warmly, drifting off to sleep can become a part of the ritual.
An
often overlooked cause of insomnia is the use of stimulating beverages.
All caffeine-containing drinks such as coffee, tea, colas, and chocolate
should be avoided in the evening. The
nervous system is pharmacologically stimulated by these drugs, and can cause
sleep to flee.
If
one awakens in the middle of the night, and cannot sleep, the neutral bath is
often a lifesaver. If you do not
drift back to sleep within ten minutes of awakening, slowly arise, draw a tub of
water at neutral temperature (between 92 and 96 degrees), soak in the bath from
10 to 50 minutes, slowly arise from the bath, blot the skin dry with a soft
towel (no brisk and stimulating frictioning as in the morning), and return to
bed, breathing easily and slowly. Be
assured that this treatment will bring you pleasant dreams.
For
fussy infants, a soak in a hot water bath, three minutes, will almost invariably
be followed by sleep.
Disclaimer: The above counseling sheet
is provided courtesy of the Uchee Pines
Health Institute. The Uchee Pines Institute was started almost 30 years ago
by Calvin Thrash, M.D., specialist in Internal Medicine, and his wife, Agatha
Thrash, M.D., board specialist in pathology. It is a non-profit, health
educational and treatment facility located in the country near Seale, Alabama,
15 miles from Columbus, Georgia. (Address: Uchee Pines Institute, 30
Uchee Pines Road
Seale, Alabama 36875-5702. Phone: (334) 855-4764. Fax: (334)
855-4780. Email: ucheepines@msn.com.
Location Map: Click Here).
The information contained in the counseling sheets is presented as a general
educational and information guide. The counseling sheets are not intended to be
used for instruction in medical treatment. The author cannot assume the medical
or legal responsibility of having this information misinterpreted and considered
as a prescription for any condition or any person.