We all are aware that a good night’s sleep is the secret to a healthy life. However, a good night’s sleep may look like an impossible goal when you are wide awake at 3 am and you feel that you are doomed to toss and turn all night every day. Sleep issues are particularly epidemic among today’s generation; however, the good news is that here is a tailored list of sound sleeping tips for your nightly needs. With these 8 easy to follow sleeping tips, you can transform yourself from an unhealthy situation to a healthy mind, body and soul.
Top 8 Easy to Follow Sleeping Tips That Will Help You Snooze Better
#1. Stick To A Sleep Schedule
Like everything else in life, your sleep cycle also demands consistency which implies that you must hit your bed and get up at the same time every day. This healthy practice is bound to increase your sleep quality in the long run and is a beneficial sleeping tip that will help you snooze better. If you honestly and religiously follow this sleeping tip/regime, it may surprise you to know that just after a few weeks you may not even need an alarm clock anymore. It has been reported that people who display irregular sleeping patterns complain of low and poor quality sleep. Irregular sleep patterns alter your melatonin levels and circadian rhythm, which are responsible for signaling your brain to sleep. Hence, this is one of those sleeping tips that is absolutely essential in order to primarily reinforce your body’s sleep-wake cycle.
#2. Limit The Day Naps
Power naps that are short have scientifically proven to be beneficial; however, irregular or long napping hours during the daytime can have a negative impact on your sleep cycle. Nighttime sleep can be largely interfered with if you indulge in long daytime naps. Daytime snoozing confuses your internal body clock. Even if you wish to snooze in the afternoon, limit that time to 30 minutes or less. This improves the daytime function of the brain. Further, you must ensure that you avoid taking a nap late in the day or close to bedtime. Restricting too much napping during the day is a great sleeping tip that will help you snooze better.
#3. Pay Attention To What You Eat Or Drink
Don’t hit your bed when you are either stuffed or hungry. You must avoid heavy meals within a couple of hours before bedtime. Late night meals negatively and majorly impact melatonin and the normal release of growth hormones. A study suggests that a high carb diet consumed at least 4 hours before bedtime will potentially make you sleep faster and is known to better your sleep quality. A low carb diet also helps you maintain the right sleeping pattern. Caffeine, alcohol, and nicotine deserve caution too. It takes hours for the stimulating effects of caffeine or nicotine to wear off and this can wreak havoc on the quality of your sleep. Even though caffeine has a number of significant benefits, but when it is consumed late in the day, your stimulating nervous system will prevent your body from having a naturally sound sleep at night. This is one of those sleeping tips that is advised to individuals who have trouble sleeping or are highly caffeine sensitive.
Consumption of alcohol is known to cause snoring, irregular sleep patterns and sleep apnea. It also negatively impacts the hormones. Alcohol is known to disrupt the melatonin production at nighttime which plays a very significant role in our body’s circadian rhythm. So it’s best to avoid alcohol at least 8 hours before sleep even if you wish to consume it. This is an easy to sleeping tip that will help you snooze better at night.
#4. Bright Light Exposure Is A Must
Exposure to natural morning light can make the night owls reset their natural biological clocks. Sunlight is very significant to keep a healthy mind and a healthy body.
Sunlight during the day exerts a controlling influence on the circadian rhythm of your body. Hence optimum natural sunlight exposure is one of the essential sleeping tips you should adhere to, to correct your sleep-related problems. Irrespective of the quantum of sleeplessness, sunlight exposure works like magic. Sunlight exposure also enhances daytime energy levels, productivity, alertness, and moods. Research says that bright light exposure has cured people with severe sleep issues; hence if you just have average sleeping window, you are bound to benefit from this natural sleeping tip that will help you snooze better at night.
#5. Working Out Sleep Problems
For all you couch potatoes out there having trouble sleeping, there is good news. You don’t need vigorous exercise to improve your sleep quality. Even if you exercise efficiently for just 15 minutes to start with, research says even that can immensely impact your sleep-wake cycle and lower the time it takes for you to fall asleep. Exercising regularly is a great tip that will help you snooze better at night.
Vigorous exercise is; however, the best, but even light exercise is better than no activity. With time, you can increase your exercise duration when your body gets used to it. You can simply start with moderate intensity activities, such as cycling on a level ground and brisk walking. Exercise has a stimulatory effect on our bodies that enhances alertness and increase hormones like adrenaline and epinephrine. These hormones keep depression, anxiety and stress at bay. All these problems interfere with you getting a good night sleep.
Remember while exercise helps getting rid of sleep issues, you must ensure you exercise during the right time of the day. Exercising just 4 to 5 hours before sleeping does not have a positive impact on your sleep cycle. Instead, it can heighten your sleep problems. Out of all the sleeping tips, this one is particularly the most efficient one as it not only relieves you of your sedentary lifestyle, but also improves the quality of your sleep.
#6. A Relaxing Bath Before Bed
One of the most popular and easy to follow sleeping tip that will help you snooze better is taking a blissful shower or a bath at least an hour before you hit the sack. There is nothing more relaxing than this. A shower before bedtime can help you cool off, trigger sleep, inculcate deep sleep patterns and help you fall asleep faster. A bath always makes you fell lighter and fresher. Psychiatrists and psychologists use a bedtime bath as a therapeutic tool to establish healthy sleeping patterns and improve insomnia. Even a quick bedtime bath can prove to be muscle and nerve relaxing, stress busting and sleep boosting miracle worker.
#7. Ensure You Have The Right Bedding
Maybe a lot of tossing and turning that you do has less to do with you and more to do with what you are lying on. Sleepless nights can be sourced to uncomfortable mattresses and pillows. Chances are that the mattresses you expect to give you a healthy good night’s sleep are not as healthy themselves and may have run out their life expectancy. So if you have been using a mattress for more than 8 to 10 years, its time to get a replacement. Always choose quality pillows and beddings that suit your body type and ranges high on your comfort meter. A lot of back pains, joint pains and shoulder pains can be inflicted on you if you are not sleeping on a comfortable bed or a pillow. Since beds and pillows are a very significant part of your sleeping environment, it is important that you must invest in quality and comfortable bedding for enhanced sleep and to snooze better. For all the people who have been sleeping in the same bed for over 10 years, this is one of the quick fix easy sleeping tips that you must adhere to right away for a better sleep at night.
#8. Your Sleep Environment
Your bedroom environment plays a key role in getting you a good night’s sleep. Factors like temperature, furniture arrangement and choice, sound, light and wall colors are significant aspects of your sleeping environment. Sometimes too much external noise or external light can cause sleepless nights and long-term health issues. In order to optimize your bedroom environment, ensure the colors you use on your walls are tranquil, the furniture you wish to place in your bedroom is comfortable and soothing. Try to reduce the external noise, artificial lights and ensure your room is quiet, comfortable, relaxing, welcoming and sleep enduring. This is one of the most practical sleeping tips that can not only enhance your sleep quality, but also inculcate relaxation as a part of the process.
Your bedroom air is also important. If you like smelling good things, you can make your bedroom more soothing with aromatherapy. Wall Street Journal reported in 2008 that the scent of lavender helps women with insomnia fall asleep faster.
Take Away
If optimum health and well-being are what you are looking for, then make a good night’s sleep your top priority with these easy to follow sleeping tips. Healthy sleep habits have a significant impact on the quality of life and therefore one should religiously start adapting and practicing these easy to follow sleeping tips that will help you snooze better.
Also Read:
- Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome (DSPS or DSPD): Diagnosis, Treatment, Prognosis
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- Sleep Paralysis: Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, Prevention, Treatment, Home Remedies
- What is Sleeping Beauty Syndrome?
- How To Get Better Sleep | Natural Sleep Remedies
- Is Sleeping in Afternoon Good or Bad for Your Health?
- How Much Sleep is Actually Needed for Good Health & Ways to Get Required Sleep for Good Health?