I was having sleepless nights and was searchig for remedies on the net and got a nice article. Thought i will share this with all ..especially Manoo the Busy bee :D :D :D

So here it is for u all:

Are you aware that with less sleep your workouts will be less effective and that your body will be more likely to store fat? It is a vicious cycle. You get prone to stress, which in turn, makes you resort to food to soothe and comfort yourself. The hormone cortisol, which is directly related to stress levels, is produced in excess if you are sleep deprived. As its level increases, the effectiveness of your workouts decreases as it depletes muscle. But not to worry! Help is at hand. An Expert has devised a few tips that, if followed meticulously, will help you get a good night's sleep.

• Keep yourself busy and occupied during the day. For some people, an afternoon snooze may cause sleep depletion at night.

• Before you actually hit the sack, prepare the room a little in advance. Dim all the lights in the house, particularly in the bedroom.

• Never have a forty-wink session on the sofa. When you feel sleepy, simply get into bed.

• Don't convert your bedroom into either a workplace or an entertainment centre. Maintain its sanctity as purely a place to sleep in.

• Close your eyes and imagine a soothing scene if sleep eludes you. At this juncture, you could also resort to time tested deep breathing techniques.

• Still not able to sleep? No point in forcing yourself - you will only become wide awake with all that unproductive effort. Instead, get out of bed and engage in reading or other light activity. The minute you feel sleepy, get back to bed.

• Don't keep consciously looking at the clock. You will never be able to sleep if you are conscious of the time.

• Always sleep on your side or back - never on your stomach.

• Don't let your pets disturb your sleep. Never have them with you in your bedroom. Get them their own warm, cosy beds.

• Don't resort to swallowing pills to get you out of your misery. It might become an addiction and you may also get immune to them.

• A glass of warm milk taken at bedtime also helps induce sleep Gently massaging feet (with or without moisturiser) also helps at times.

Follow these Expert devised tips and you are on your way to a restful night's sleep! Do get back to us with the positive results and you are welcome to add tips of your own to help other sleep deprived people.

4 steps toward a good night's sleep

Slow release This simple technique, known as progressive relaxation, helps relax your muscles, one body part at a time.

As you're lying in bed, clench your right fist as tightly as you can. Hold for about 10 seconds, then release the tension immediately and completely, as though you were turning off a switch. All the tension will drain out of your body. Feel the looseness in your right hand and notice how relaxed it feels. Now do the same thing with your left hand; then clench both fists simultaneously and slowly relax them.

Next, bend your elbows and tense your arms. Hold a moment. Then relax your muscles and let your arms sink into the mattress. Continue by tensing and relaxing your head and brows. Then squeeze your eyes and clench your jaw. Finally, tense and then relax your stomach, lower back, buttocks, thighs, calves and feet. By the time you're finished, your whole body should feel limp, relaxed and ready for sleep.

Take a bite of the forbidden fruit Chocolate is never more seductive than when you're on a diet, and no lover is more appealing than one who's unavailable. Sleep, too, becomes terribly tempting when you can't have it.

So if you have trouble falling asleep, imagine a time when you had to stay awake but didn't want to – for example, when studying for an exam. Picture yourself struggling to stay awake. Imagine the weariness overtaking your whole body as you struggle to keep your eyes open. Finally, you will just give in to the urge to fall asleep. Practice this imagery as you lie in bed at night.

Take steps to end insomnia Instead of tiptoeing around the kitchen looking for a midnight snack, try taking a hot bath. If you'd like nothing better than to drift off to sleep surrounded by the aroma of fresh flowers, try adding some pure essential oils to a hot bath before retiring for the night.

Do some exercise Exercise can be a big help in getting a good night's sleep. But exercising late in the day can put your body into overdrive, making it a lot harder to drop off. How late is too late for an exercise? Well, that depends on your body, but experts recommend that ideally a workout should be finished before 7 p.m.

Source: Pagkis blog