A comfortable bed (is it large enough for you?)

A dark room (if outside light's bothering you, consider thicker curtains)

Optional:

An eye pillow (see Tips)

A set of earplugs

Give each of the techniques described here at least 15 minutes, before moving on to the next one (but try not to keep an eye on the clock, as that's counter-productive).

Clock to the wall: When you go to bed, turn your alarm clock towards the wall so you don't worry about the time.

Establish a regular sleeping schedule and stick to it. Don't stay up for that great late night movie--just tape it.

Be careful about exercising just before going to bed. A short burst of intense exercise, e.g. doing thirty push-ups, can help you fall asleep. But extended, gradual exercise like a twenty-minute walk can release those natural stimulants which will keep you up.

Make your own eye pillow. Take an eight to ten inch square of nice fabric and sew two opposite sides together. Sew a third side and turn inside-out. Fill with flax seeds. Mix in some lavender, or cinnamon and dried orange peel...whatever scents appeal to you. Sew the final side. Don't overfill it or it might be too heavy for you. Before sewing the final side, use safety pins to close it and try how it feels.

2torial #0445: Learn2 Cope With Insomnia Douse the midnight oil... Reading this at 4 a.m.? Or are you reading it at 4 p.m., but through bleary eyes? Then you probably need no introduction to insomnia. For one reason or another--whether it's stress, eating habits, lack of exercise or something else--you've found your sleeping habits disturbed. Insomnia often results from such imbalances. Here are some simple yet effective remedies to this problem. You can use the following steps individually, or combine them in a greater effort. We'll start with strategies to help you fall asleep tonight. Then we'll move on to general lifestyle recommendations that encourage healthful sleeping. It's important to recognize that, if worse comes to worse, you can get by on a few hours of sleep a night (at least in the short term). Worry shouldn't compound one sleepless hour into five. Choose one of these exercises and stick with it for a while, rather than jumping around a lot. Count your breaths Counting practices are probably the best-known method to calm a person to sleep. Don't resist the thoughts that come into your head, but try not to follow them either. Instead, accept them and provide yourself with an alternative focus. Notice as the thoughts float into your consciousness...then observe as they float away. Count an inhale as one, an exhale as two, and so on. When you reach five or ten, go back to one. Relax your breathing. Breathe as slowly and deeply as you comfortably can. There doesn't need to be any strain--only calmness and gratitude that you can rest now after all of the activity day. "Turn off your mind...relax and float downstream," sang the Beatles, quoting the Tibetan Book of the Dead. You can also try counting a succession of visualized objects (such as the stereotypical flock of sheep jumping over a fence), but counting breaths has an advantage: they're real, and you probably won't feel as silly as you might when tracking imaginary items. Try the body sweep In this exercise you move your attention slowly up your body. As you pass over it with your awareness, flex and relax each muscle group that you pass. Once again, the goal is not to fight off the thoughts that arise, but to keep yourself detached from those thoughts, letting them depart rather than chewing them over. Breathe low and easy. Start at your toes. Flex your toes, and relax. Then flex your toes and your feet and relax. Then your toes, feet, and ankles, calves, etc. If you aren't sure that you're flexing the correct muscle group, don't worry--a calm attitude is more important than precision.   Feel your body getting heavier and sinking deeper into the ground. Work up your belly and chest, and then move up your back. Then move your awareness from the fingertips to your hands, and up to the shoulders.   From your shoulders, go up to the neck--contract all the muscles front and back, and feel the tension flow out as you release.   Lastly, work up to your head and face. Some people carry a lot of tension, often related to anxious thoughts, in the muscles of the mouth, jaw, ears, eyes, and skull. Flex each these, or close them shut tightly in the case of the eyes and mouth. Exhale as you release, allowing all tension to flow out of you. Try some other relaxation techniques Temple massage: Using both thumbs, press on each eyebrow starting at the nose. Exert light and steady pressure, moving outward slowly to the ear. Stop every 1/4 inch, and stay on that point for about 15 seconds. Then use four fingers on each hand to continue the process, running back from the ear to nostrils.   Riverbed visualization: In bed with your eyes closed, imagine that you are lying in the warm sand next to a quickly flowing river. Fragrant flowers bend in the breeze nearby. Lean over and pick one, and wrap one of your worries in the petals, and place the flower out into the current. Watch and listen as it floats away. Eye Pillows: These are soft, weighted bags which place even and gentle pressure on your forehead and eyes. They help the facial muscles release tension, and they have another interesting effect as well: See Tips for direction on how to make one of your own. Keep your eyes still. Next time you're thinking hard instead of sleeping, notice what your eyes are doing. According to some experts, there's a relationship between restless eye movements and restless thinking. As your eye movements quiet down, so does your mind. And as your mind quiets down, your chances for restful sleep improve. Reduce caffeine and alcohol intake Coffee and caffeinated tea are great quick-fixes for drowsiness, but they also keep you awake and upset your body's natural balance. Likewise, alcohol will make you drowsy, but only temporarily. At least make an attempt to cut back, and don't have either after dinner. Avoid relying on "the old swig" method or any other temporary supplement to aid your sleep: your body should be able to accomplish this job on it's own. Consuming a lot of alcohol might put you to sleep, but it won't be the good-quality rest that your body needs. Use your bed for sleeping Don't eat, read, or study in your bed. Get into bed when you are ready to sleep and leave it when you rise. Otherwise, you may send your body conflicting cues for bedtime and waking life. If you find yourself tossing and turning yet again, get out of bed and find a comfortable chair to rest in until you feel tired again. Get some exercise One simple and effective solution for sleep imbalance is physical activity. While releasing pent-up stress, exercise also releases chemicals in your system that are natural stimulants. This decreases the need for caffeine or other external supports. You'll also be more tired at bedtime. It's important to realize that even a little exercise can be very helpful. Some people shy away from exercise because they feel it'll be too difficult or painful. Just choose an activity and a duration that you can do comfortably. Afterwards you'll be surprised how good you feel. Consult your health-care professional for advice on an exercise program suited for you. Revise your diet Cut back on late-night snacks and heavy dinners. These may keep your metabolism working overtime. Some experts recommend taking your last food at least three hours before bedtime.   For lunch, trade the usual plate of pasta and glass of Cabernet for a lighter, high-protein lunch. This will ease early afternoon drowsiness, and you won't be as tempted to take an afternoon nap. Chocolate and sweets create an imbalance of high- and low-blood sugar levels. Trim the consumption of these as well. Be careful with naps Naps can be a great pleasure. But if they affect your regular sleep patterns, consider cutting back. And certainly, try to avoid nodding off at any time closer than seven or eight hours before your bedtime. -end- Learn More!