Tip #5: Naps Won't Hurt You, BUT...

There is nothing inherently harmful about napping. In fact, naps are a recommended treatment for narcolepsy, and for those who feel unsafe driving because of daytime sleepiness, a nap can be a lifesaver. That being said, if you have insomnia and you've been napping, then those naps could be using up your sleep drive. So when you try to go to bed at night, you don't have as high a drive for sleep, and you have a harder time falling asleep.

If you are suffering from insomnia, and you've been napping, try cutting the naps out for a few weeks. You may find that you start having an easier time falling asleep.

Tip #4: Don't Exercise Before Bedtime

In general, exercise is good for you, but the timing of it is important. In many individuals, exercising in the evening can worsen insomnia. Thus, it is best to avoid exercising within 4-6 hours of bedtime.

For more insomnia tips, visit The Sleep Specialist at http://www.SleepSpecialist.com.

Follow-up to Tip #2: You'll Never Believe It

I was in the store today and I decided to look at the "Nutrition Facts" labels on the sodas. Guess what I found? A new hidden source of caffeine: Sunkist Orange Soda.

Needless to say, I was quite surprised. I already knew that Mountain Dew and the colas have caffeine, but I would never have suspected an orange soda.

So Here is the updated list, for hidden sources of caffeine:

1. Green Tea
2. Excedrin
3. Coffee Ice Cream
4. Chocolate
5. Sunkist Orange Soda

Visit The Sleep Specialist at http://www.SleepSpecialist.com for more insomnia info.

Tip #3: Don't Worry About Bedtime

Traditionally the advice has been "Go to bed at the same time every night." Well guess what? This is not necessarily the best advice. It is much more important to wake up at the same time everyday. So it should be "Wake up at the same time every day."

If there is one thing that human beings CANNOT do, it is to force themselves to fall asleep. The harder you focus on trying to make yourself fall asleep, the more alert you become. The more alert you become, the less likely you will fall asleep. It is a vicious cycle. Unfortunately, this cycle can occasionally snowball into a serious insomnia problem.

Rather than trying to control you bedtime, wake yourself at the same time everyday with an alarm clock. Even on the weekends or after a night of sleep deprivation. If you wake up at the same time every day, then your body's internal clock will better know what time it is. So when bedtime comes around, it should start making you sleepy at the right time.

For example, say you normally wake-up at 7:00 am every morning. But on Friday and Saturday night, you decide to stay up until 2:00 am, which is 3 hours later than your normal 11:00 pm bedtime. In order to "catch up" on lost sleep, you decide to sleep in until 10:00 am. Unfortunately, when Sunday night comes around, you have difficulty falling asleep because your body is no longer tired enough to go to bed at 11:00 pm. This can lead to insomnia, and a bad Monday.

Now imagine if instead of sleeping in on Saturday and Sunday morning, you had woken up at your regular 7:00 am wake-up time. On Saturday, you will be deprived of 3 hours sleep and on Sunday you will be deprived of 3 more hours sleep. You might be a little sleepier on Saturday and Sunday, but when Sunday night comes around, your body should be very ready to fall asleep. And a better sleep on Sunday night, means a better Monday. Not only did you have your fun on Friday and Saturday night, but your Monday is better. Plus, you have avoided potentially developing an annoying insomnia problem.

So the key is to only try to control your wake time. If you keep it at the same time every day, then the bedtime should just take care of itself.

Visit The Sleep Specialist at http://www.SleepSpecialist.com for more insomnia info.

Tip #2: Hidden Sources of Caffeine

My wife and I were out to dinner last night, and she asked the waiter if they had any "caffeine free" hot teas. The first things he said was, "Well, let's see, we have green tea..." We quickly corrected him, but he seemed completely surprised that green tea has caffeine.

So that's what gave me the idea for this post. I think most people know about the obvious sources of caffeine (coffee, tea, cola), but there are some that would surprise many people. Here is a short list of "Hidden Sources of Caffeine":

1. Green Tea
2. Excedrin
3. Coffee Ice Cream
4. Chocolate

That's it. I hope knowing this helps you sleep a little better tonight.

Visit The Sleep Specialist at http://www.SleepSpecialist.com for more insomnia info.

Tip #1: Stop Watching The Clock!

Where do you have to be in the middle of the night? Is there some important meeting that you can't miss at 2am? Do you have a date at 3am? If you think about it, there is really no need to know the time in the middle of the night. All you need an alarm clock for is to wake you up in the morning.

Having a clock on your bedside table is one of the worst things you can do for your insomnia. Most insomniacs end up worrying about either: 1) how much time they have left to sleep, or 2) how long they've been awake. This just creates anxiety, and anxiety feeds insomnia.

So put the clock on the other side of the room where you can't see it. Don't peek! You might find your insomnia gets just a little bit better.

Visit The Sleep Specialist at www.SleepSpecialist.com for more information about insomnia. If you are in the Portland, Oregon area and you need a sleep doctor, visit Westside Sleep Center, or call (503) 245-4556 to make an appointment to see Dr. Fromherz.