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Are you so tired….

you snooze off sitting up in a chair? You ask why can’t I just sleep well at night?  Well apart from medical conditions like sleep apnea or thyroid disease, there are probably some things you can do to get that good, good night’s sleep.

 Mattress

• How is your mattress?  Lumps and humps?  Try flipping your mattress several times a year to get all around even wear.  When you’re purchasing a new mattress, at least lay on it the way you sleep at home…face down, on your back or on your side.  Very embarrassing, but definitely necessary. 

Sheets

• Find sheets that you love.  There’s nothing worse than itchy sheets or sheets that are too hot.  Pick the sheets you can really sleep on, not just the ones that go with the bedding combination.  Yes, we make choices for looks, but have at least one set that you can fall asleep on.

Blankets

• As for blankets, some people are comfortable with down feathers, some cotton and some wool.  Make sure you check to see if the down is ‘movable’ in your down comforter.  You’ll get more use that way.  If the channels are sewn separate from each other, you can’t really use the comforter year round….as in too hot for the summer.  You need to be able to move the down feathers around in the comforter.  The higher the fill of down, the hotter the comforter can be. 

Pillow

• In our home it’s the toughest one to find for each of our likes is the pillow.  My husband had a poly filled pillow he loved, but when visiting my sister and her husband on a beach getaway,  my husband put her two Standard Poodles in the room with our pillows.  He misunderstood my sister when she said to put them in a bedroom..she meant hers.  The dogs got on the bed..ignored my pillow and went for his.  They shredded the pillow, tore up the pillowcase and were down right ticked off at the guy that put them behind a closed door!  When I found the torn up pillow my husband was not back yet from going on a food errand for all of us.  She was mortified!  He took it better than we thought he would, but now we live with the loss of his favorite pillow….9 years later!  Pillows are like sleeping pills to some people and we’re still searching for the pillow of his dreams.

The Bedroom

• Cool down the bedroom to about 68 or lower. 
• Don’t watch TV in the bedroom. 
• No lights in the bedroom, hallway and bathroom.  No night lights should be on either.  Any little bit of light triggers your internal clock, like those pesky street lights if you live by one.  Make sure your room is dark. 

No Children or Animals in Your Bed!

• No kids or animals in bed with you.  It’s possible they’re waking you up with their movements and noises.  I know this is a tough one if the child keeps attempting to come into your bed at night. 

  Dr. Richard Ferber, in his book, Solve Your Child’s Sleep Problems presents a strategy for children to sleep in their own room.

If you continue having poor sleep, see your doctor.  But at least go through the checklist first to see if it’s something you can change.  And yes, some things lead to other things in the quest to have a good nights rest.  Maybe that can be another posting. 

Do you have sleeping trouble?  Can it be answered easily or is it tangled up with your child, dog or spouse?  What have you done to get a good night’s sleep?  Leave your comments and help us out!