Recent surveys have found (68%) of women admit to sleeping less than recommended average of eight hours per night. 65% of people claim to lose sleep due to stress. Time to go back to the issue of Balance on meditation/relaxation techniques…

So what can we do about it? Participants with insomnia who reported using complementary or alternative medicine were asked if they thought their treatment had helped them sleep.

Nearly half of those who used herbal therapies or relaxation therapy said they felt that their therapy had helped their insomnia “a great deal”.

Time Magazine’s tips for how to get a good nights sleep –

• Try to keep to the same bedtime schedule.
• Keep your sleep environment cool, dark and uncluttered.
• Sleep on a comfortable mattress and pillows.
• Avoid caffeine in the PM, and try to finish eating 2-3 hours before bedtime
• Nicotine and Alcohol should be minimized close to bedtime..
• Exercise regularly. It is best to complete your workout at least a few hours before bedtime.
• Minimise computers, TV and arguments in the last half hour before bed.

For more information, The Better Sleep Council offers a booklet you can download that can help improve the quality of your life by improving the quality of your sleep:

www.bettersleep.org/OnBetterSleep/download_guide.asp