How to Improve the Quality of Your Sleep

Unfortunately, there is no simple solution since there can be many underlying causes of poor sleep, including stress, excessive snoring or sleep apnea, medications, hormonal changes, food additives and caffeine, low-grade aches and pains, systemic inflammation, and an uncomfortable bed. Many of these, of course, just go away if you're on the Baseline of Health Program, but there are actions you can take to help things along.

• Avoid alcoholic drinks in the late evening. Although alcohol can help you fall asleep faster, it prevents you from entering stage 3 and stage 4 sleep. In other words, you may get enough hours of sleep, but it won't feel like it.
• Cut back on coffee, tea, and other sources of caffeine. The half-life of caffeine is about six hours; in other words, it takes about six hours for half its impact on the body to clear. Obviously, any caffeine you have in the evening will have a notable impact on your ability to sleep that night.
• Don't eat a large, late evening meal before going to bed. You may be able to fall asleep, but again, as with alcohol, it will limit your ability to enter delta sleep. Even more important, though, is that it is physically exhausting trying to digest large meals while sleeping: you are likely to wake up in the middle of the night sweating profusely, breathing heavily, and feeling that alien creatures are beating you up from the inside out. The net result is that you are more than likely to feel exhausted in the morning. It is also imperative that you address any physical aches, pains, or discomforts, no matter how minor they might be, that could be interfering with your ability to sleep.
• Find a mattress that works for you. Most people use counterproductive sleeping surfaces—mattresses that are either too hard or that don't provide enough support. If you find yourself waking up stiff or with back pain, you need a new sleeping surface. If you have the money, try a memory foam mattress or one of the new adjustable air mattress beds. For less money, you can just use a feather mattress pad on top of a firm-mattress bed. The bottom line is that if you wake up stiff, achy, exhausted, or numb in any part of your body, you probably need to rethink your current sleep system.
• Do some form of vigorous exercise during the day, but gently stretch at night. Or get a massage. If having a regular masseuse is not in the cards for you, pick up a handheld mechanical massage device, such as a thumper type personal massage unit. And if money really is no object, check out some of the newer computer-operated massage chairs.
• If not a massage, try taking a hot bath or shower in the evening. If you've got the money and can afford it, a home far-infrared sauna can help.
• If you're exhausted during the day, you can take a 20-minute power nap; otherwise, avoid napping during the day as it can interfere with your normal sleep pattern."

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