Sleep, are you getting enough sleep? For some people, four to six hours is sufficient. Other people just don’t feel good with less than eight hours. People need more or less sleep at different stages of their life. Women may need more or less sleep at different times of the month.

The easiest way to know if you are getting enough is by noticing each morning: do you feel rested? Do you wake up without an alarm clock and feel ready to get out of bed and start your day?

Not getting enough sleep is one of the most direct ways we self-sabotage our success and well-being. When we rest better, we not only feel better, but we are calmer, smarter, more rational, more pleasant and we look better. Why wouldn’t we choose to have that every day?

1. Set the stage: turn off your computer and television at least an hour before you want to fall asleep, and turn on some relaxing music. Get a taste of what your stereo system will do when the recording is done, will it trip? or “wrrrr” – this will make a difference as you fall asleep. My CD player makes a very soft “wrrrr” noise (although I honestly can’t remember the last time I was awake when the CD finished).

2. Music without words: Words can provoke and direct your thoughts more than instrumental music or pure vocal sounds.

3. Music with natural “breaths”: Music in which the soloist takes natural pauses to breathe can help you slow down your own breathing. Try the flute, other wind instruments or the voice (either without words or in a language you don’t know. Understand).

4. A good book: To read before bed, try to stay away from material that makes you think about the things you are faced with during the day. Magazines or stories that distract you from your own life can help you fall asleep.

5. Pictures: If you find that your mind is racing when you are trying to sleep, imagine a point of view from which you are traveling down a highway. See your thoughts as signs that it is happening. Focus on letting them go.

6. Progressive muscle relaxation: Imagine a ball of light traveling the length of your body, starting at the top of your head, moving down to the tips of your toes, and then moving up again. As it passes through your muscles, they fill with light and relax.

7. Nap: If your sleep has been interrupted or there have been unavoidable nights late into the night, an afternoon nap can help you catch up. Experts advise that naps should be taken earlier in the afternoon, rather than later, and that we should keep them to 30 minutes or less. This will avoid interrupting your sleep at night.

8. Lavender bath: take a warm bath and add a couple of drops of lavender oil. Lavender has natural relaxing properties.

9. Chamomile tea: calms the nervous system and helps promote restful sleep.

10. Take 500 mg of calcium with 250 mg of magnesium before bed: calcium has a calming effect and magnesium works together with it.

The advice and information in this article is not a substitute for medical advice. If you suspect you have a serious sleep problem, such as sleep apnea, or if you experience insomnia or extreme fatigue, see a healthcare professional.

(c) Copyright 2005, Genuine Coaching Services.