Hi,

Thank you for taking our quiz. Here are some ideas that you could apply now to get better sleep.
These are general ideas, so please let us know if you have specific questions by emailing us at dream@corcasleepcenter.com or call at 303-440-1033.

If have trouble falling asleep in the evening:

• Try to prolong the winding down time. For many people one hour of winding down (including not using any electronics) is plenty, but if you have trouble falling asleep, then you may need to allow two, three hours for winding down.
• Rub oil all over your body; shower right after to remove the excess oil. Use coconut oil if you tend to run warm, or sesame oil if you tend to run on the colder side. This will sooth your body and set you up for relaxation.
• Drink a cup of caffeine free tea.
• Read for a while.
• Listen to a podcast or music with the light off.
• Relax the muscles of your jaw and face and breath slowly and regularly.

If you wake up after a couple of hours of sleep or in the middle of the night, around 1 or 2am:

• Get up, sit on a chair, make sure you are warm, and meditate for a few minutes. Sitting in the dark, feeling your body and really being aware of emotions and sensations can most effectively relax you and help you fall back asleep.
• Listen to a podcast or music with the light off.
• Be aware that alcohol may also cause insomnia after 3 to 5 hours of sleep. Simply drink less and earlier in the evening so the alcohol can clear out of your system.

If you wake up really early in the morning:

• Try a 21-day routine of meditating every day, even for just 10-15 minutes a day. This is because many people who wake early have too much stress in their body
• For some people reading something light (no electronic devices) helps them get sleepy again.

If you feel tired during the day or when it's too early to go to sleep and too late for a nap:

• Plan taking a nap or rest period earlier in the day between Noon and 3pm. Lay in your bed, set up at timer for 30 to 45 minutes and rest. If you doze off it' great, but even just resting is helpful. It will accomplish two things. First, it helps you avoid crashing of energy early in the evening and also the danger of napping too late in the day which usually leads to insomnia. Second, it helps your insomnia by providing relaxation and more energy for the brain to do its job.

If you wake up at different times in the morning:

• Going to sleep time can vary a little, but waking up at the same time in the morning gives our body a cue to maximize the quality of the sleep at night, it also calculates when to get sleep in the evening,. It is consistency in the morning that eventually will lead to a nice grogginess in the evening, to prepare for a better sleep. It takes time to get this consistency, so try it for 30 days before deciding if it's helpful.

Try these out, and remember, they are most effective when applied to each person based in its individual needs. So let us know if we can help make this possible for you by replying to this message or calling us. Little changes make a huge difference when done consistently, at the right time for the right person.

Damiana Corca, Acupuncture Sleep Specialist
Corca Center in Boulder & Denver, Colorado

Hi.

Since you have answered No to all questions, you most are not suffering from any sleep disorder. Good for you.

Damiana Corca, Acupuncture Sleep Specialist
Corca Sleep Center in Boulder & Denver, Colorado