6 tips to Sleep Better at Night
When it comes to a good night's sleep, many factors can interfere. From work stress to family responsibilities, unfinished projects, unexpected challenges and illnesses; it's no wonder that quality sleep has became much more of a luxury than an ordinance nowadays.
Here are 6 tips to help you fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer.
1. Include physical activity in your daily routine
Regular physical activity has been proven to promote better sleep quality and duration as long as not done too close to bedtime which could keep you awake. Spending time outside being exposed to sunlight is another great way to help you fall asleep when the darkness arises.
2. Pay attention to what you eat and drink
It's important not to go to bed hungry or stuffed as both will impair your ability to stay asleep and make things harder for yourself. It is also important to limit the consumption of alcohol, caffeine and nicotine prior to bed which can wreak havoc on sleep quality. These are all sleep disruptors and take hours to be removed from your system, so pay attention to that.
3. Create a restful environment
Create a cool dark and quiet room to be in the best possible conditions for deep sleep. Exposure to lights, direct or indirect, affects the quality of sleep and makes it hard to stay asleep. Creating a dark room is one of the most important tips of all sleeping tips and one of the greatest way to do so anywhere at anytime is to wear a sleep mask. You can get some of the most and best sleeping masks on the market right here.
4. Stick to a sleep schedule
Humans are creatures of habits and creating healthy and regular sleep schedules, will help you to get your body and mind used to falling asleep at a certain time. The recommended amount of sleep for a healthy adult is at least seven hours and better yet if you can get 8. Sleeping more than this is counter productive and doesn't provide any additional benefits. So stick to an 8 hour window for sleep and follow a proper routine. This will reinforce your body's sleep-wake cycle.
If you find that after 20 to 30 minutes you aren't asleep yet, just leave your bedroom and go do something relaxing like reading a book or listening to soothing music until you are tired and ready for bed again. There is no need to stress and stay in bed trying to force yourself to sleep because it will simply not work.
5. Limit daytime naps
Daytime nights that are longer than 30 minutes are known to prevent you to sleep at night. But if you are a shift worker and work nights, it might be a totally other story and feel free to sleep during the day to pay back your sleeping debts.
6. Manage your worries
If you have anything on your mind or there's conflicts going on in your life, if you can resolve them before bed, it will help you out. If not, make a point to acknowledge what is going on and tell yourself that you will leave it alone for tonight and get back to it tomorrow. Writing your worries down on a paper is also an easy way to empty your mind and feel like you got stuff off your chest.
If you still struggle with sleep, find a good sleep clinic or doctor who can help you with this. You might have an underlying medical issue that is affecting your sleep quality.