Sleep is an essential determinant of your physical and mental well-being. If you regularly toss and turn in bed, other aspects of your life, such as work productivity will suffer. While sleep disorders might prevent you from enjoying a good night’s sleep, sometimes it occurs due to unhealthy habits and lifestyle choices.
Seven Tips to Help You Get a Good Night Sleep
You can improve erratic sleeping patterns by following these guidelines:
1. Understand Your Sleep-Wake Cycle
This cycle is determined by your body’s circadian rhythm, a 24-hour internal clock that influences biological functions. The sleep-wake cycle refers to your body’s intervals of alertness and sleepiness. Once you understand this rhythm, you’ll be resting and working at the same periods every day.
Try to maintain the same pattern daily, including the weekends. This sync will make it easier to sleep because it will be a natural part of your everyday routine. Although they’re refreshing, daytime naps should be as brief as possible. Longer ones will negatively affect your overall sleep patterns.
2. Control The Lighting in Your Bedroom
Exposure to light also influences your circadian rhythm. When it’s dark, your body secretes a hormone known as Melatonin, which makes you sleepy. During the day, exposure to sunlight in the morning and natural light during the day maintains your sleep-wake cycle.
Avoid intense artificial light during the night, including the blue light that’s emitted by TVs, smartphones, and other computing devices. They make it harder for your body to produce Melatonin and have a good night’s sleep. Instead of watching mentally stimulating content, listen to soothing music and dim the lights.
3. Watch What You Eat and Drink
Your diet affects your sleep pattern in various ways. Caffeine, alcohol, and nicotine-laced foods and drinks keep you alert for hours after use. Avoid having big meals within two hours of going to bed. Spicy and acidic foods are also likely to cause heartburn or stomach aches.
Drinking lots of liquids increases your bathroom breaks, while sugary foods and refined carbs increase wakefulness at night. If you don’t suffer indigestion, you may take light snacks such as bananas and yogurt before bed.
4. Get Comfortable
One way of enjoying a comfortable sleeping environment is by regulating your bedroom’s temperature. Make sure it’s neither too high nor too low. You should also sleep in a quiet room, devoid of distractions from external and artificial lights.
The type of bedroom furniture, fittings, and their arrangement also influence your sleep patterns. Buying a high-quality, comfortable mattress and pillows have immense health benefits. It reduces back and shoulder pain, as well as body stiffness.
5. Have A Healthy Workout Routine
Other than improving your overall health, regular exercise increases the chances of getting a good night’s sleep. It does so by boosting the production of natural sleep hormones such as Melatonin. Early morning or daytime workout is more beneficial for your circadian rhythm.
Working out too close to bedtime is not advisable because your body produces hormones, such as adrenaline, which increase alertness. Once you make a habit of exercising regularly, you’ll fall asleep faster and longer, while experiencing reduced anxiety.
6. Establish A Sleep Ritual
Children listen to lullabies, bedtime stories, and get tucked in to help them sleep. As an adult, having a bedtime ritual prepares you for a quiet, restful night. It includes taking a relaxing shower or bath, meditating, dimming the lights, and listening to soothing music or audiobooks.
Over time, these activities signal the body that it’s time to shut down for some much-needed rest. A stress-free and decluttered lifestyle during the day helps you sleep faster at night.
Try to avoid random actions that break this ritual, such as checking social media and emails in bed. If something is bothering you, note it down for consideration the next day when you’re more relaxed.
7. See A Specialist to Rule Out a Sleep Disorder
If you’re still having trouble sleeping even after taking the above precautions, consider seeing a specialist. Common sleep disorders include insomnia, sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome (RLS), narcolepsy, and bruxism.
Stress, PTSD, and unhealthy lifestyle choices, such as alcohol and drug abuse, are a contributing factor to some of these disorders. Insomnia is also more prevalent in older people. Alzheimer’s and other conditions associated with aging might also change one’s sleeping patterns.
A specialist may recommend various treatment options depending on your exact type of sleep disorder. They include cognitive behavioral therapy sessions and medication. Your body might also need sleep supplements such as Melatonin, glycine, magnesium, and lavender.
Final Thoughts
If you consistently follow the tips outlined in this article, you’ll soon enjoy increased relaxation. A peaceful, good night’s sleep will be a reality, rather than something you only dream of. The long term effect of such quiet nights is a long, healthy life. At Peace Revolution, we enjoy creating awareness on how to experience inner peace. Please browse our blog for more informative articles.
This is a collaborative post supporting our Peace In Peace Out initiative.