Sleep Solutions To Your Energy Problems
The most important source of energy is sleep. Everyone has to sleep. As much as we'd like to cut out some sleep to get in a few more hours of work or play, eventually it will catch up to you. The average adult has to sleep 6-8 hours a night, there really is no way around it. However, some people find that even after 8 hours of sleep they still feel tired and run down. This isn't a problem with the amount of sleep that you're getting, but the quality of the sleep you get.
Sleep Environment
To start make sure you give yourself a fighting chance, try to provide the best sleep environment possible. Pillows are important. First off, make sure you change out your pillows every 18 months. Microbes, bacteria, and dust will settle into pillows, allowing it to double its weight within just a few years. If your pillow is old, go get a new one. Make sure that the pillow provides you with enough support. There are many new memory foam pillows out on the market that are excellent for that. The key is to find the one that is best for you. For a look at a few of the best pillows on the market see our Sleep Enviroment Equipment Section.
Mattresses are also important. If you find yourself falling towards the middle of your bed every night, try flipping the bed over. The other side might be a little firmer in the middle. If that doesn't work, break down and buy yourself a new mattress. If you can't afford a new mattress at the moment, think about getting a mattress pad to put on top of your bed. A new mattress pad will provide you with a little more cushion and might not have you rolling to the center of the bed every night. To see a selection of mattresses and mattress pads see our Sleep Environment Equipment Section.
Finally make sure you have a calm, quiet environment to sleep in. Some of you may not be able to help that, noisy neighbor in the apartment above you, cars racing outside, screaming kids, etc. In this case, I suggest you buy yourself a nice pair of earplugs, available at your local drug or grocery store. Some people also find it helpful to have a noise machine to calm you while you fall asleep, With most machines you can choose from rain forest sounds, the ocean, crickets, even city sounds. For a selection of great sleep machines see our Sleep Environment Equipment Section.
Sleep Aids
If you still have a problem falling asleep, even after you've changed out the pillow, the mattress and the noise, try helping yourself to sleep with some mild non-addictive sleep aids. Melatonin is sold at most local drug stores as a supplement, and will aid you in falling asleep. Tylenol PM is also a mild sleep aid, but be warned too much acetaminophen could eventually deteriorate your liver. If the melatonin doesn't work I suggest using Simply Sleep, its from the makers of Tylenol PM, its just missing the acetaminophen. These sleep aids are gentle. They won't knock you out completely and aren't addicting, but they should help you get the sleep you need. For a complete list of sleep aids and other energy supplements see our Energy Equipment Section.
Time and Naps
Once your environment has been set its time to figure out how much sleep you need. Most people find they don't need exactly 8 hours of sleep as long as the quality of sleep is good. A lot of people find it helpful to sleep about 6 hours a night and take a couple of 10-15 minute power naps throughout the day. If you wanna try the 6 hour a night route make sure when you wake up in the morning to open the shades and let the sun hit your eyes. This will produce a natural response in your body and help you wake up faster. A little cold water in the face also helps, just don't let yourself lounge around in the morning, get up and get going or you'll start to feel tired. When you take a nap, make sure its short 10-15 minutes. This will keep you from falling into rem sleep. Once you fall into that it'll be much harder to wake up and you might feel more tired after your nap than before. Taking naps throughout the day should also help boost your energy levels, you'll give your body a couple of times a day to try and boost its energy lessening the energy slumps you normally feel after lunch or after work.