Sleep plays a major role in your physical and mental health. Getting enough sleep protects our mental health, our physical well-being, growth and development, helps us feel rested, energized, and able to accomplish our days’ tasks successfully, safely. A routine of good sleep can improve your overall health and wellness drastically. Unfortunately, there are so many factors that can interfere with sleep: work, stress, responsibilities, illness, and other factors. Insufficient sleep can lead to chronic health issues, such as obesity, heart disease and diabetes, safety issues if we are operating vehicles or machinery, or can cause mental deficiencies in learning, working and communicating. If you are looking to improve your overall health, try these 10 ways to help achieve a better night’s sleep:
1. Keep a Consistent Sleep Schedule
To achieve this goal, set a bedtime that is early enough for you to get eight hours of sleep, the recommended amount of sleep for a healthy adult. Do not go to bed unless you are tired. Try to wake up the same time every day, even on weekends and vacations. Limit any daytime naps to 30 minutes, and avoid napping late in the day, as this can disrupt sleep. Consistency is key with a sleep cycle.
2. Watch What You Consume Before Bed
It is important to avoid large meals within a couple hours of bedtime, as this may cause stomach discomfort. Similarly, it is important that you eat enough so that you are full and will not be woken up with hunger. Late night snacking choices (i.e. sugary items) can affect sleep quality as well.
Caffeine, nicotine and alcohol have stimulating properties and, if consumed within a few hours of bedtime, can disrupt your good sleep habits. Caffeine can stay in your body for 6-8 hours; It stimulates your nervous system and inhibits your body from naturally falling asleep. Alcohol can increase the chances of sleep apnea and snoring, which can make for a restless night’s sleep.
Additionally, avoid drinking any fluids 1-2 hours before bed. Excessive urination during the night makes for wakefulness, ruining sleep quality.
3. Create a Relaxing Pre-Bedtime Routine
Establish a relaxing bedtime routine, such as a lavender bath, relaxing music, or time to read a book before bed. Taking a warm bath or shower has been shown to help you relax and improve your sleep quality. A cup of chamomile tea has been shown to improve restfulness. Relaxing music or a book can help calm and tire the mind.
4. Rest Your Mind
It is important to try and ease any concerns or worries before you sleep. Try writing any frustrations, worries or to-dos down, so you can “set them aside” until tomorrow. Other ways to work on this during the day are to set goals, get organized, and find a meditation to practice using throughout the day when stress or anxiety overwhelms you, so it is not on your mind all night. (There are some amazing phone apps that many people have found very helpful and easy to use!)
5. Make the Bedroom Your Sanctuary
Create a room that’s ideal for sleeping. Keep your room quiet, dark, and cool. A bedroom that is too bright can make it difficult to rest peacefully; Room-darkening shades can help block out light. Other ways to make the environment ideal for sleep is to use a face mask to cover your eyes, earplugs and a white noise or sound machine to block any external noises like traffic. Keeping the room a cool temperature helps promote good sleep. A bedroom that is too warm increases body temperature, increases wakefulness, and decreases sleep quality. Use your bedroom for sleep and sex only.
6. Increase Day Time Light Exposure
Your body has a rhythm much like a clock, called circadian rhythm; it tells you when it is time to sleep and time to wake. Natural sunlight helps keep this rhythm, reduces the time it takes to fall asleep and increases the duration of good sleep. Getting outside for some sun and fresh air is an instant mood booster, as well as a way to keep your rhythm in check.
7. Get Physical
Move your body every day. Being active, with regular physical activity, whether walking or running, cardio or weight workouts, yoga or gardening, can help make your body more tired, and help you get better sleep. Avoid doing any of these activities (except a yoga/meditation or something similar) close to bedtime.
8. Avoid Blue Light Screens
Avoid using phones or ipads with blue light-emitting screens in the bedroom, as that type of light is a stimulant to your brain. Blue light tricks your brain into thinking it is daytime; So, if you must use a blue-light device, purchase special glasses that block blue light.
9. Take a Sleep Supplement
Melatonin is a sleep hormone that tells your brain to relax and your circadian rhythms to adjust. Melatonin comes in a supplement form, which has become a popular sleep aid to assist in falling asleep faster. Just 2mg before bed can help people fall asleep faster and improve the quality of their sleep. Other supplements that may help with sleep include lavender, a powerful, calming herb; magnesium, to improve relaxation; and Ginkgo biloba, a natural herb that aids in stress reduction and sleep.
10. Upgrade Your Bed
When all else fails, perhaps you just need a new mattress, more comfortable pillow, or higher quality bedding. The quality of these items can affect sleep in a big way. A new mattress can reduce back pain, a new pillow can eliminate neck stiffness, and higher thread-count sheets can add to your comfort level. Although replacing a mattress can be expensive, it is recommended to do so every 6 years. Tip: Flipping the mattress frequently can make your mattress more comfortable and last longer.
If you are tired of feeling tired, give these 10 tips a try. You may be falling asleep faster, sleeping more soundly, and waking up feeling more rested in no time! And of course, if you feel like your sleeplessness may be due to a bigger issue than you can control, consult with a doctor, so you can get the sleep you need.
