Oh, and Be Sure Not to Forget to Close Your Eyes

With the temperatures staying hot and muggy, even at night, getting to sleep in the evening can be difficult. For people without air conditioners, "tropical nights" can sometimes be unbearable. The following is some advice to help you get to sleep in August.

First, keep in mind that you should do whatever you can to stop your body from generating any heat at night. Human beings are supposed to have a body temperature of 36 degrees centigrade at all the times, except while sleeping when the body lowers one or two degrees. It makes sense, therefore, that you sleep most soundly when your body is a little bit cool.

The simplest way to keep your body from producing any heat is to move as little as possible. It is not a good idea to exercise, even light stretching, before going to bed. Instead, take a lukewarm shower and go directly to bed.

Remember not to use cold water when you take a shower to cool off. Even though cold water can bring temporary satisfaction to your body, it eventually causes your body to generate more heat because it makes your blood vessels shrink, and then produce heat while expanding back.

Cold showers can be refreshing during the day, but at night a strong possiblity exists that they will disturb your sleep.

Second, try not to excite the sympathetic nerves. They're the ones associated with stress and When these nerves gets stirred up, they cause your heart to beat faster and your blood pressure to go up, thereby making it hard to fall asleep.

So it is a good idea to relax and avoid getting upset or agitated in the evenings when preparing to go to sleep. Also, avoid watching horror movies, for they also can alarm your sympathetic nerves.

Third, during the daytime, be active and move your muscles as much as possible in order to tire your body enough to help you sleep at night. This is one of the easiest but effective remedies for sleeplessness.

Fourth, limit how much alcohol and caffeine you consume. You may think alcohol helps you fall asleep, but in fact it interferes with your ability to sleep deeply.

Drinking prior to sleeping can make you feel more tired when you wake up the next morning. As for caffeine, taking it stimulates the nervous system and makes it difficult for you to fall asleep. Avoid beverages that contain much caffeine such as green tea, coke and of course, coffee.

by Hong Hye-gul