A good night’s sleep is more therapeutic that you know. In fact, it is as significant as a healthy diet or exercise. Research shows that poor sleep brings with it immediate negative impacts on your exercise performance, your hormones and your brain function.
It can also bring about an increase in the risk of diseases and weight gain in case of both kids and adults.
So you know that if you want to optimize your health or lose weight, then a good night’s sleep is all that you want. Here are some of the tips that will help you to grab a good night’s sleep. Have a look.
- Set a Schedule and Stick to Your Regular Sleep Schedule – You should go to bed at a set time every night and get up at the set time every morning. Insomnia can result if you disrupt the schedule. Sleeping on the weekends can also make it hard to wake up early on the Monday morning. This is because it resets your sleep cycles for awakening later. You should not take a nap within 8 hours of going to bed.
- Pay Attention to What You Eat and Drink – You must not retire to bed stuffed and hungry. Your discomfort can keep you awake for hours together. So avoid heavy meals within a couple of hours of sleep. You should stay away from nicotine, alcohol and caffeine which can wreak havoc on your quality of sleep. Although alcohol can make you feel drowsy, it can disrupt your sleep at night.
- Reduce the Blue Light Exposure – It is true that exposure to the blue light is beneficial, but the light exposure has the opposite effect. This is primarily because it tricks the brain into thinking that it is still daytime. The production of hormones like melatonin which helps you to relax and get deep sleep get reduced because of that. The blue lights that the smartphones and the computers emit in the large amounts happens to be the worst in this regard. There are several ways in which the blue light exposure can be limited like the following –
- Download the apps like flux for blocking the blue light on the computer or laptop
- Wear the glasses that block blue lights
- Install apps that block blue lights on smartphones. These are available both for the android and the iPhone
- You should stop watching television and turn off the bright lights about a couple of hours before heading to bed
- Exercise – You must try to exercise about 20-30 minutes a day. The daily exercise often helps people to sleep although a workout before bedtime can interfere with the sleep. For the maximum benefit, you should try to get the exercise about 5-6 hours prior to going to bed. You should refrain from exercising about a couple of hours before bedtime.
- Improve the Sleep Environment – Some changes in the environment can send a powerful signal to the brain that it is time to sleep. Here is what you can do –
- Use ear plugs to keep the noise down
- Keep the room cool around 18-degree C of 65-degree F with optimum amount of ventilation
- Ensure your bed is comfy with bed covers that allow you to stretch
- Reserve the bed for just sleeping
- Have a Relaxing Bedtime Ritual– Reading, a warm bath or another relaxing routine can make it easier for you to fall asleep. You can train yourself to associate with some restful activities and make them part of the bedtime ritual.
- Don’t Force Sleeping if You Are Tossing and Turning – Even though sticking to a sleep schedule is absolutely essential, you can’t force to sleep. Instead of tossing and turning, get out of bed and try to engage in something that is relaxing like reading. You should try to sleep when you start feeling tired. In this case it is a good idea to keep your mind occupied. But make it a point a to avoid activities that can make you feel awake like watching TV, playing on the phone or using the computer.
snoring - See a Doctor if the Sleeping Problem Continues – If you have problem in falling asleep night after night and keep feeling tired then you should see a physician without delay. There can be a number of issues that can keep you from sleeping like snoring or ailments like sleep apnea. So you must consult with your doctor who can provide you with snoring remedies if required and can also detect any other underlying problems ensuring that you are able to grab a good night’ sleep before long.
The above are some of the things that you should try in order to grab a good night’s sleep at night so that you can start fresh every day and take the world in your stride.