An interesting perspective on sleeping healthy.

Seventy-four percent of adults and teenagers feel as though they do not receive enough sleep every night. Although these people may be receiving enough hours of sleep, they may be spending more of it in REM sleep, instead of non-REM sleep. REM sleep is rapid eye movement sleep. When you are sleeping in REM sleep, you are subject to an active mind. Non-REM sleep, the deeper mode of sleep, can be increased by preparing yourself for sleep earlier. Slowly shutting down all five of your senses can reduce REM sleep, increase stamina,boost alacrity during the day, and improve concentration.
    •Taste   Before resting in your sleeping boat, you should have yourself a warm cup of milk. Open your refrigerator and pull out the gallon of milk. Pour yourself eight ounces of milk and roast up a cup of milk in a microwave for thirty seconds to a minute. The toasty calcium in the milk will relax your tense muscles from an operose day at work or school and have you ready for a night in the castle in the sky. After enjoying the luscious cup of milk make your way to the restroom and brush your teeth.
    •Smell   Remove unwanted smelly odor from your room with a odor-free disinfectant spray. Spray your bed, blankets, other cloth items, and just the air in general. You may want to caution against spraying wood furniture because it may leave unsightly spots. After spraying the room with the disinfectant, spray the same items with a lavender-scented spray. Once you’re done, burn lavender oils in an oil burner. Lavender helps ease the mind and body from stress. Bathing before you sleep will help rid any body odors you have produced and have picked up throughout your hectic day, leaving your body smelling good and saving your nose the pain of smelling the day all over again.
    •Hear    Have you ever awakened to a sudden noise in your dark box scared that a zombie is groaning you name, to only realize your dad is awake for a midnight snack? Well you can eliminate this problem and also release endorphins before you go to sleep. Playing classical music for 30 minutes before you go to bed will release endorphins and make it easier for you to be lulled into a non-REM sleep. The music also allows a white-noise effect that will allow your mind to be devoid of noisy interruptions.
    •Sight     Shutting down your sight sense is not as easy as closing your eyes and counting sheep. You must ease your mind into the state of sleep. Watching tv must be limited to no later than one hour before your bedtime. Watching tv can excite your mind thus, making it harder to put it down for a good nights rest. Instead of watching tv, you can turn off all the lights in your room except for a bedside lamp. Find a calm novel that will help you focus on the book and not the stresses of the day. After reading for an hour you should prepare to make your room as dark as possible. Turn off all lights, lamps, ceiling lights, and night lights. Turn off any electronics emitting light like computers, cell phones, and tvs.  Close all your blinds to stop from car headlights, street lights, and other beams coming into your room. And the final ones you want to cover up are the LED lights. These are the small lights that fill our room off of our radios, tvs, cable-boxes, etc. Take a small index card and cover these so they won’t interfere with your ability to sleep. Your mind now should be as clear as your room is dark.
    •Touch  What you feel will contribute to most of how you sleep. If you are uncomfortable then you are most likely to be deprived of your non-REM sleep. First bathe for bathing will help you relax and clear your mind from the day’s hardships. After bathing, you want to put on loose fitting clothes. Avoid wearing tight clothes like jeans. Wearing pajamas and a baggy shirt will give the best comfort. Clean off your bed. You don’t want to be in wondrous dream about accepting the Noble Peace Prize and then wake up because your face lands on your tv remote from shifting around in your sleep. Make sure the only things on your bed are a cover, pillows, and your body. Make sure you have pillows that are the size that you find most comfortable. Keep your room at a cooler temperature versus a hotter temperature. Your body falls asleep faster in a colder state. Always have your favorite blanket to keep you warm.
    With all these steps, you can completely shut down your five senses into a sleeping state, keeping you in non-REM sleep longer, making your days more enjoyable, keeping you energized, and focused throughout the day. If you continue this routine, it will quickly become a good habit. Healthy sleeping habits lead to even deeper sleep and  ameliorate your health all around. Those with healthy sleeping habits are less likely to have heart diseases, diabetes, and neurological problems.  Healthy sleeping habits can result in nothing but good news for your health.