Sleep Tip #1

Have you ever had any difficulty falling asleep? Do you ever awaken in the middle of the night, only to have difficulty returning to sleep? Have you ever awoken from a 6-8 hour sleep and yet do not feel rested? These can be signs of stress related insomnia. Stress, especially due to muscle tension, can be the main source of poor sleep. Tense muscles can also create the distraction that keeps you from falling into a restful state of sleep or can awaken you in the middle of the night when you have drifted into a lighter stage of the sleep cycle.

There are many things that you can do to break out of a bad pattern of poor sleep. This tip focuses on the most useful technique to minimize and, hopefully, prevent insomnia (or poor sleep.) It may take some regular practice to become a master of the relaxation prior to sleep, but it is worth the effort. Practice of deep relaxations focused on muscular relaxation has been the most effective tool for controlling stress related insomnia. This requires you to learn to become aware of where you