With age comes many foreign experiences to encounter every single day! These experiences usually demand seniors to do unusual tricks just to be able to live and cope with it. Sometimes, it feels like suddenly you’re pushed to a life of seniority you never knew it even existed. But like what I said earlier, you can still live your life to the fullest and not be bothered with these “foreign experiences”, that is, if you are willing to go the extra mile to make sure everything in your life is working the way it should be.
No matter how deep my first paragraph may sound, many seniors will agree: living in an aged body is like starting to know yourself all over again. Your body not functioning the way it used to; your living patterns are starting to go haywire–these are only some of the things you may notice as you go along however, the most annoying of all must be sleeping difficulties!
Sleep is very important especially to an aging body. It allows the body to recuperate. Without it, your immune system is weakened and bodily functions will start to run wild. Older people need 6 to 8 hours of solid sleep. Here are some relaxation techniques you can try to achieve better sleep:
·    Wean yourself from sleeping pills and other drowse-inducing substances. It may be hard at first but trust me, you’ll benefit more in the long run without these things. Your body can never relax if you are under these influences, yes, you may seem resting at the moment but in reality, your body and mind are more active than ever!
·    Try to limit your caffeine intake especially around sleeping time. It just hypes you up.
·    Play soft music as you lay in bed. Music is one of the most effective ways to induce a feeling, including “relaxed, sleepy” feeling. It is also the best way to drown your worries away, similar to meditation.
·    Take hot baths before sleeping. Not only will it make you smell and feel good, but it will also prepare your body for sleeping.
·    Prepare only light dinners that can easily be digested such as salad and soups. No need to keep your digestive system busy while you try going to dreamland.
·    Master the art of tuning out. When trying to sleep, tune out. Just plain tune out. Don’t think of anything—anything at all. Just enjoy the moment. Those that needed thinking can go wait tomorrow.
·    Exercise. A physically tired body leaves no room for thinking. Just make sure that you time your exercises well or else you’ll end up more active than ever.
·    Find a comfortable position. Sleeping on your own bed is way different than sleeping on the couch. This is because your bed knows your body well enough to provide you a good night’s sleep. This, you cannot get from the couch, I bet!