Health World News and Features

Sleep is as essential as balanced diet and regular exercise to stay fit and healthy. But today’s lifestyle seems to have overlooked the necessity of sleep-hence, it is sometimes ignored.

The fact remains that sleep is one form of pleasure that our body longs for at the end of every day – and if we deprive ourselves of a sound, rejuvenating sleep, the end effect is a cascade of numerous health problems. Below is a list of how to get a relaxing and rejuvenating sleep.

* Try to go sleep at the same time each night and get up at the same time each morning – this will help establish your sleeping pattern or rhythm which is essential in a regular sleep-wake cycle.
Try not to take naps during the day because it may disrupt your rhythm and make you less sleepy at night.

* Avoid caffeine, nicotine and alcohol late in the day. Caffeine and nicotine are stimulants that may keep you from falling asleep. Alcohol is often used as a depressant but it’s actually a stimulant that will make your body’s entire system in hyper mode. People falling sleep drunk are more unconscious than asleep because of the alcohol overload in the system.

* Get regular exercise, but try not to exercise close to bedtime because it may stimulate you and make it hard to fall asleep. When we perform physical activities, a hormone called adrenaline is released. When the physical activity is finished, it take a little while for this hormone to subside.

* Make your sleeping place comfortable. Be sure that it is dark, quiet and not too cold or two warm. If light is a problem, try a sleeping mask. If noise is a problem, try putting on earplugs.

* Follow a routine to help relax and wind down before sleeping such as reading a book, listening to soft music, or taking a bath. This approach is individualized because one routine which is effective to one may not be effective to another.

* If you have problems sleeping, consult your doctor. You may have physical or psychological disorders that keep you from sleeping.

* Remember that there are natural means to help solve sleeping problems. It may not work as dramatic as a pill, but you can be certain that you will be reaping its benefits once it takes effect.
One example is Leizenzi herbal food supplement from Better Herbs Inc. It will not make you sleep immediately, but once its effects are manifested by the body, it will improve your sleep quality and length.

It will not make you sleepy during day, only at night because its action is on the brain and body’s sleep-wake cycle. It helps establish your sleeping pattern by regulating the body clock. Leizenzi, or formerly Better Sleep is now available at Mercury Drug and Watsons.

Manila Bulletin