A Good Night’s sleep is ought to be an individual’s number one priority. Your sleeping schedule determines how your next day is going to turn out. Getting enough sleep should be considered as an essential need for the body, similar to having breakfast or staying healthy. The sleeping schedule affects your physical and mental health, including concentration and alertness. Having healthy sleeping habits will often lead to sleep better and have good sleep hygiene. Yes, that’s a word!
Top 15 Tips To Sleep Better
1. Stick To A Sleep Schedule
Sticking to a sleep schedule will help your body rest. Gradually, your body will get used to this pattern if you continue sleeping at the same time, giving the body enough rest after an exhausting day. Age doesn’t matter in this concept. It can be a toddler, young adult, teen, working, or old age. It’s your body who needs to get used to it. Continue sleeping at the exact time set every day, and soon your body will get used to it, in no time it’ll become a habit.
2. Avoid Unnecessary Afternoon Naps
Having power naps which last 15-30 mins are completely different from an hour or more long hour nap. Power naps have positively resulted in the individual improved cognitive performance i.e. the ability of an individual to perform activities. It reduced fatigue, imbibed optimistic mood, and alertness. However, naps which last longer than 15-30 minutes might affect your health if it continues to be a regular habit or if these naps last for 2-3 hours. It will gradually lead to sleep problems at night, poor cognitive functioning, dazed, and disinterested.
3. Inculcate A Relaxing Bedtime Ritual
A relaxing bedtime ritual could be anything from reading a book to listening to soft instrumental music. It should be something that takes your mind of things that happened throughout the day. Before you go to bed, you need to prepare to sleep by calming yourself. The things you do to calm yourself will be a part of your relaxing bedtime ritual.
4. Make Sure You Own A Comfortable Mattress And Pillows
The most important part is the place where you sleep or rather on what you sleep. You need to have a comfortable mattress and pillows which will give you a peaceful sleep. You’ll be glad, and this place, your bed, will give you a relaxed feeling. Blanket or no blanket, it’s your choice. However, the choice of mattress and pillows are essential for a good night’s sleep. It is also a one-time investment for at least five to six years or even longer.
5. Avoid Caffeine Consumption Late In The Day
Caffeine is solely responsible for simulation; it causes alertness and wakefulness. In other words, you are focused once you have a cup of coffee. You don’t want this to happen right before you sleep. So its better to avoid coffee before you head to bed.
6. Focus On Your Bedroom Environment
The bedroom environment concerns your room’s temperature, mattress, pillows, night lamps, soothing room freshener, a bottle of water, a warm blanket, placing of your bed and windows, adjusting your fan, or A/C speed. Your comfort is of utmost importance in your bedroom.
7. Relaxing Bath/Shower
A bath is a good way to relax your mind and get all freshen up and cleaned up. Here’s the catch: temperature matters. A too hot or too cold shower will affect your sleep. Instead, have a shower or draw a bath in lukewarm water. It helps you relax and also cleanses you. For those few minutes you’ll be disconnected from the entire world, i.e. you won’t be anywhere near any electronic gadgets.
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8. Avoid Exercise During Nights
Stick to a proper schedule of exercising. You are free to exercise during the morning, afternoon, or even evening but avoid exercising during night as it increases your body temperature, and metabolism, and you are all energetic and more focused.
9. Avoid Heavy Meals In The Evening
Consuming heavy meals in the evening means calories that are not burned by any kind of physical activity. As a result, it gets stored as fat which will lead to unnecessary weight gain or increased blood sugar. To satisfy this hunger, consume small light snacks or have fruits, juice, tea, etc.
10. De-Stress Yourself
There are various ways to de-stress yourself one of which is to meditate in silence. It keeps your mind calm and avoids any other thought that causes you stress. You could listen to music, get creative, start drinking tea, or do things to divert your mind.
11. Breathing Technique
4-7-8 breathing technique:
- Allow your lips to gently part.
- Exhale completely, making a breathy whoosh sound as you do.
- Press your lips together as you silently inhale through the nose for a count of 4 seconds.
- Hold your breath for a count of 7.
- Exhale again for a full 8 seconds, making a whooshing sound throughout.
- Repeat 4 times when you first start. Eventually, work up to 8 repetitions.
12. Block The Blue Light
Avoid stressing your eyes from the excess of blue light which is emitted from tv/laptop/tablet/mobile phones. Your eyes need rest from constantly working on laptop and scrolling through apps. Make it a habit to keep your phone on Do Not Disturb mode and avoid using it as much as you can once you prepare yourself to sleep.
13. Drink Tea Or Warm Milk
Chamomile tea has been used as a natural remedy to reduce anxiety, inflammation, and insomnia. Fun fact, chamomile is commonly regarded as a mild tranquilizer or sleep inducer as it contains an antioxidant called apigenin, which may help initiate sleep. Those who are not a fan of Tea, there is an option of consuming cold milk before going to bed, which cools down your body temperatures. It contains an amino acid called tryptophan that produces sleep-inducing chemicals serotonin and melatonin that helps you sleep better. It’s not just an Urban legend, it is legitimately true.
14. Avoid Looking At Your Clock
It’s actually true when we constantly sneak a peek to the clock you tend to either count the number of hours left to sleep or you might even stress about the same. It’s best that you don’t have a glance at the clock once you are all comfortable and ready to sleep.
15. Limit Your Bed Only For Sleep
Your bed is a sacred place only meant for sleep. Do not watch movies or have a snack or a chat with friends. The bed needs to be limited only to sleep and give rest to your body. It’s completely understandable that it’s the most comfortable place to be, however, but only reserved to sleep.
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