Causes For Insomnia
Here's some causes for insomnia that you probably didn't think of.
Your sheets and your bed...
If you're having trouble sleeping you may need to get a new bed.
This can be crucial in maintaining a full nights, restful sleep.
The Sheets Satin sheets may be sexy, but they may be too slippery or non-breathing for comfort.
If muslin sheets are too rough, buy smooth cotton percale.
The Mattress If you decide to buy a new mattress or bed, decide what basic mattress type you want: innerspring, foam, or waterbed.
If you decide on innerspring, check for the firmness most comfortable for you-the thicker the wire and the more turns, the firmer the support.
Decide in the direction of too firm rather than too soft, since mattresses tend to get softer with age.
If you decide on foam, remember that the heavier the foam mattress, the higher the density and the firmer the support.
You also can get a layer of soft foam around a core of firm foam or around an innerspring mattress to give you both support and a soft feel.
A foam mattress can be used on a box spring or on a platform.
Got a "wavy" waterbed?" Based on research these are definite causes for insomnia.
If you decide on a waterbed anyway, get a "waveless" kind with built-in baffles and a liner and heater.
You also can get waterbeds filled with a gel-like material.
And there are mattresses that combine types, such as a foam mattress on top of a waterbed.
Once you buy a mattress, remember to turn it over and turn it end for end occasionally, so that you will get even wear.
But remember to put this all in perspective.
True, you need a comfortable bed, one that does not give you backaches or other problems.
However, in many cultures, people sleep on a hard floor without problems.
Others sleep in hammocks that sag in the middle.
Around the time of Louis XIV of France, people slept almost sitting up (as evidenced by the beds in Versailles).
Causes for insomnia include back trouble caused by a mattress.
If you have back trouble, you should sleep on a firm mattress.
Dr.
Arthur Michele, in his book Orthotherapy, recommends that people with lower-back pain use a bed board of 3/4-inch plywood cut to 1 inch less than the dimensions of the mattress and placed between the box spring and the mattress for better support.
In some hotels, you can request a bed board to be placed into your bed.
If you wake up in the morning stiff from arthritis, you may want in to try sleeping on a mattress pad of sheep's wool.
A study reported in The Medical journal of Australia found that a woolen underlay decreased movement in sleepers and improved the sleep of many people with arthritis.
The Pillow If you tend to get a stiff neck, you may want to get a special contoured pillow, or try sleeping with a small, soft pillow to avoid unusual angles or stress on the neck during sleep.
Causes for insomnia include breathing and heartburn difficulties.
If you have problems with heartburn or have breathing difficulties, you may sleep better if your head and upper trunk are elevated about six inches.
Elevate the head of the bed by putting wooden blocks under the head bedposts or use a wedge-shaped pillow.
Your sheets and your bed...
If you're having trouble sleeping you may need to get a new bed.
This can be crucial in maintaining a full nights, restful sleep.
The Sheets Satin sheets may be sexy, but they may be too slippery or non-breathing for comfort.
If muslin sheets are too rough, buy smooth cotton percale.
The Mattress If you decide to buy a new mattress or bed, decide what basic mattress type you want: innerspring, foam, or waterbed.
If you decide on innerspring, check for the firmness most comfortable for you-the thicker the wire and the more turns, the firmer the support.
Decide in the direction of too firm rather than too soft, since mattresses tend to get softer with age.
If you decide on foam, remember that the heavier the foam mattress, the higher the density and the firmer the support.
You also can get a layer of soft foam around a core of firm foam or around an innerspring mattress to give you both support and a soft feel.
A foam mattress can be used on a box spring or on a platform.
Got a "wavy" waterbed?" Based on research these are definite causes for insomnia.
If you decide on a waterbed anyway, get a "waveless" kind with built-in baffles and a liner and heater.
You also can get waterbeds filled with a gel-like material.
And there are mattresses that combine types, such as a foam mattress on top of a waterbed.
Once you buy a mattress, remember to turn it over and turn it end for end occasionally, so that you will get even wear.
But remember to put this all in perspective.
True, you need a comfortable bed, one that does not give you backaches or other problems.
However, in many cultures, people sleep on a hard floor without problems.
Others sleep in hammocks that sag in the middle.
Around the time of Louis XIV of France, people slept almost sitting up (as evidenced by the beds in Versailles).
Causes for insomnia include back trouble caused by a mattress.
If you have back trouble, you should sleep on a firm mattress.
Dr.
Arthur Michele, in his book Orthotherapy, recommends that people with lower-back pain use a bed board of 3/4-inch plywood cut to 1 inch less than the dimensions of the mattress and placed between the box spring and the mattress for better support.
In some hotels, you can request a bed board to be placed into your bed.
If you wake up in the morning stiff from arthritis, you may want in to try sleeping on a mattress pad of sheep's wool.
A study reported in The Medical journal of Australia found that a woolen underlay decreased movement in sleepers and improved the sleep of many people with arthritis.
The Pillow If you tend to get a stiff neck, you may want to get a special contoured pillow, or try sleeping with a small, soft pillow to avoid unusual angles or stress on the neck during sleep.
Causes for insomnia include breathing and heartburn difficulties.
If you have problems with heartburn or have breathing difficulties, you may sleep better if your head and upper trunk are elevated about six inches.
Elevate the head of the bed by putting wooden blocks under the head bedposts or use a wedge-shaped pillow.
Source...