Sleeping quality is necessary for a healthy life. Having a consistent sufficiently long sleep schedule will improve your physical and mental health. If you sleep well, you will be skinnier, less stressed out and you will live longer than those who have irregular or insufficient sleep schedules. Good quality sleep decreases blood pressure and lowers bad cholesterol. Also, sleep prepares our brain for the next day by forming new neuronal pathways that that positively affects learning, concentration, decision making and your creativity for the next day.
The Sleep Book: How to Sleep Well Every Night
It is recommended that most adults get at least 7-8 hours of sleep and children at least 10 hours, however, this will vary from person to person. Even 1 to 2 hours of sleep deprivation can have adverse effects.
Sometimes, people are not aware of how badly the lack of sleep affects them. In some professions, such as medical workers, pilots, and commercial drivers, having an inadequate amount of sleep can leave disastrous consequences.
Statistics show that drowsiness causes at least 100,000 car accidents per year. However, this can be avoided if you follow these directions.
How To Sleep Better
1. Follow a Schedule
Having a consistent sleep schedule is mandatory. Try to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, 10:00 pm to 6:00 am is the optimum time for sleep. If you had to stay up past your bedtime for whatever reason, don’t oversleep and try to get up at the same time you usually do. If you sleep past the time you usually wake up, you’ll start having problems with your sleep schedule which will negatively affect your health.
2. Get Some Sunshine Every Day
Researchers advise at least two hours of sunlight every day to maintain your biorhythm, which is essentially your energy cycle. Make an attempt at getting sufficient sunlight every day. You should try taking a walk or reading a book on the porch, anything to get those rays.
Related: 11 sleep mistakes you should avoid to get better sleep
3. Get a Move On!
A daily aerobic exercise can help improve your sleeping schedule. Studies show that people who do aerobics for at least 30 minutes a day fell asleep faster and had better quality sleep. So try to take a jog or hit the stationary bike. However, try not being active later than 2 hours before you sleep or it might make you too pumped up to go to sleep. This only works with aerobic exercises. Therefore, weightlifting won’t help with sleep.
4. Don’t Eat Too Late
Avoid eating food an hour before you to bed. Digesting food during the night negatively affect your sleep quality and can give you heartburn, stomach problems and cause issues with the bowels. If you’re hungry, try having a light snack, but nothing heavy.
5. Take a Warm Bath Before Bedtime
Relaxing in a warm bath before sleep will increase your body temperature, and decrease it later. This heat up/cool down process follows the natural sleep pattern of your body thus aiding in sleep.
Want to make this bath more relaxing? You GOT to try these!
6. Have a Ritual
Every night before sleep have some ritual, such as reading or meditating, at the same time, and you will fall asleep faster. The habit will tell your body that you’re about to go to sleep and will make sleeping easier.
7. Drink Less In The Evening
Don’t drink anything two hours before sleep to avoid getting up during the night to use the toilette. Interrupting your sleep with bathroom breaks will interfere with your schedule and decrease sleep quality.
8. No Nicotine
We all know that there are a bunch of health risks associated with smoking. Another way it harms your health is that the nicotine acts as a simulator which can keep you awake. If you can’t or don’t want to quit cigarettes, try having one no later than two hours before you go to sleep.Warm Fuzzy Winter Sleep Socks 3 Pairs (NonSlip4, 09-11)
9. Socks & Gloves
Warm yourself up with socks and gloves. The heat will widen your blood vessels in arms and legs and will help you fall asleep. The blood circulates directly under the skin when the blood vessels are expanded, and they become cooler. When the blood reaches your organs in that state, it decreases your body temperature and helps you fall asleep.
10. Room Temperature Is Important
Sleeping in a room that is too hot or too cold will negatively affect sleep. Your body will have to work to maintain your body temperature which interferes with sleep. So to have the highest quality of sleep set your thermostat to 68 degrees Fahrenheit.
11. Avoid Sleeping Attempts
If you’re having trouble sleeping, avoid lying awake in bed. Researchers show that this can slow down the sleeping process. So if you really can’t sleep, try doing a relaxing activity like meditating or reading a book for 20 minutes before trying to go to sleep again.
12. A Few Drops of Valerian
People have used this plant for a long time for faster and better sleep. You can buy Valerian based products in most pharmacies, or you can order it online. If you decide to try this, follow the instructions carefully and talk to your doctor if you’re taking any medications as Valerian might interfere with them.
13. Drink Some Hops Tea
Hops tea or tincture, especially when combined with Valerian, has been known to help insomnia and help you fall asleep faster.
14. Try to Stay Awake
Instead of tumbling in bed, looking at your clock and desperately trying to fall asleep, try to stay awake with opened eyes. Keeping your eyes open will tire them out and can help you fall asleep. might sound counter-intuitive, but it has worked for some, and it;s worth trying if you tried everything else.
15. Yoga or Meditation
Yoga for Sleep Disorders and Insomnia
Try gentle yoga or stretching followed by a simple meditation before you go to sleep. Close your eyes for five to ten minutes and don’t pay attention to anything except your breath. Avoid energetic yoga or ashtanga yoga as that will make you full of energy.
16. Avoid Caffeine
Pay attention to what kind of food you consume. Stop drinking coffee and other drinks that contain caffeine in the evening. Caffeine’s effects last up to seven hours, so it is recommended to avoid drinking coffee after 3:00 pm. Chocolate and some sodas have the same effect.
You now have lots of new ideas to sleep better. Try out some of these tips today and wake up tomorrow in a good mood, fresh and full of energy!
