Question
I was recently laid off from my job, at age 59. When I was working, I never felt like I got enough sleep because 1) I had trouble going to sleep, that is, it could take me two to four hours after going to bed at 10 p.m. to fall asleep, and 2) I had trouble staying asleep. I would wake up several times during the night. Now, I find that I go to sleep at about the same time, that is, sometimes after 2 p.m., and wake up either at 7 a.m. or I sleep until 10 a.m. If I don't sleep late, I find myself falling asleep in the afternoon, for about an hour, during which I dream. My question is, does my "nap sleep" go through the same stages, and is it as "good" a sleep as during the night? I always dream when I take a nap, and usually wake up during the dream. Am I ever going to sleep normally again? Thank you. Lydia
Answer
First of all never nap after 3pm in afternoon and never more than 20 minutes no matter what time you nap as then you start going thru the stages of sleep. You want to just feel refreshed. Also follow these tips belowTry these tips religiously for about 6-8 weeks but many have seen results
in as little as 2 weeks.lYou must go to bed and awaken the same time each day regardless
of how little or how much sleep you got the night before.
This starts to reset your sleep clock.
3 hours before bedtime stay away from
tea, coffee, caffeine, caramel colored soda like, coke,pepsi, ginger ale,
or root beer, chocolate and exercise .All these make for restless sleep.Do the following religiously for 4-6 weeks although some have seen changes in as little as 2 weeks.
Make sure room is quiet and dark. When you go to bed if you start to
twist and turn or if you wake up in the middle of the night and cant
go back to sleep, twist and turn for only 20 minutes, then get up, go
into a different room and read a book or magazine only! No computer!
When you start to doze immediately go back into the bedroom.This retrains
the brain into thinking that the bedroom is for restful sleep only. Do
this as many times as you awaken thru the night, it will lesson.
30 minutes before bedtime take a hot bath and immerse hands under the
water.Latest research states that the palms of the hand when immersed
in hot water send signals to the brain to relax. 15 minutes before bedtime\
drink a glass of warm milk. Milk when heated contains tryptophan, a natural
amino acid sleep inducer should do the trick. If this fails you should consider seeing a sleep center.
Your local hospital can refer you. Also go to sleepnet.com click on disorders insomnia
for more tips. Feel free to email again karel
