Tossing around in bed on a sleepless night is a nightmare for many. Find out ways you can have the best snooze by following the tips in the article.
Many of you struggle with sleepless nights after you abruptly wake up at 3 AM. Falling asleep after that is no less than a nightmare. The good news is, you will be able to control this situation by following and maintaining a few simple habits throughout the day. Researchers like to call it sleep hygiene. This is where you incorporate a few good practices in your daily routine that will help you to improve your sleep and get more hours of restful sleep. Read on below to know how you can grab a restful nights sleep even if you combat conditions such as shift work, jet lag, or insomnia.
Create The Perfect Environment In Your Bedroom
It is important to set the stage to achieve deep uninterrupted sleep. In other words, the bedroom ambiance needs to be cool, dark, and quiet. You need to create a comfortable bed with bamboo bed sheets and remove outside noise from reaching your ears. For this, you can use an appliance that creates white noise or earplugs in the stores. Your brains deduce any kind of light as a powerful signal to wake up, so be sure to darken your room using blackout shades or heavy curtains. You can also use eye masks as a last measure.
The room needs to be ventilated well to avoid the stuffy feeling, and the temperature needs to be between 60 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit. The next thing to focus on is getting comfortable pillows and mattresses. If your mattress has been with you for a while, you should consider changing it, as most mattresses can wear out after ten years. If you find your sleep interrupted because your pet just happens to climb into your bed in the middle of the night wanting to sleep with you, you need to take measures to restrict its entry into the bedroom late at night.
Go To Bed Only If You Feel Tired
You should head to bed only when you feel tired enough to fall asleep. Hitting the sack when you are still feeling alert will only lead to you getting frustrated. If you see that even after 20 minutes or so, you are still unable to fall asleep, you should get out of bed, head to the other room, and try to relax by reading a book or listening to some soothing music. You should also keep all your electrical gadgets like cell phones and iPads away from your bedroom as the light from these devices, and the TV will surely keep you awake.
Create A Consistent Sleep Schedule
If you practice going to bed and waking up every day at around the same time, your body will set its internal clock according to this pattern. This will help it to expect sleep at the same time each night. Try to maintain this routine even on weekends so that your body can get used to this pattern.
Exercise Early
Physical activity in the form of exercise helps you get tired, inviting sleep faster and improving your sleep quality. But you must be sure to finish it well before your bedtime. The hormone cortisol is responsible for keeping the brain in an alert state, and this hormone is secreted when you exercise. This will keep you awake and alert, which is why you need to finish your workout at least 3 hours before you plan on hitting the bed. You can also do it earlier in the morning to be on the safe side.
Avoid Drinks Or Food That Interfere With Your Food
There are many drinks such as coffee which are stimulants keeping you awake. The caffeine in coffee, tea, cola, chocolate, and some medications is why you will keep feeling alert when you want to go to sleep. So its best not to drink these drinks within four to six hours of your planned bedtime. Tobacco has a similar effect on sleep, so best to refrain from smoking as your bedtime nears. On the other hand, some supplements help induce deep sleep. Resurge promotes deep sleep and weight loss and will surely help you to fall asleep sooner and lose weight in the process, so be sure to check them out.
Limit Alcohol Consumption
Many people think alcohol may help sleep, but you should know that it works as a stimulant after a few hours, degrading your sleep quality and making you wake up multiple times throughout the night. Try to limit your alcohol intake to just 1 or 2 drinks per day, and try not to drink within 3 hours of your bedtime.
Get A Pre-Sleep Routine To Help You Fall Asleep
The time you spend between waking up and going to bed is crucial to getting good sleep at night. As the evening progresses to bedtime, you need to engage in relaxing activities, such as taking a warm bath, do some relaxation exercises, and read a book. This will help to relax your mind and body and induce sleep. Keep away from stimulating activities and avoid engaging in anything that triggers stress – as this will keep your mind alert and deter you from sleep.
Don’t Keep Tracking The Time.
If you are in bed and cant fall asleep, staring at the clock and counting minutes will not help you fall asleep any time soon. Thinking how the night is slipping by while you are still awake will only stress you out more and make it tougher for you to fall asleep. If you cant fall asleep even after trying for 20 minutes, get out of bed and engage in a relaxing and calming activity such as meditation or breathing exercises with the lights dimmed low. Once you start to feel drowsy, go to bed.
Most of the tips mentioned above will be easy for you to incorporate into your daily routine. Good sleep hygiene is the first step towards better sleep. But if your difficulties still don’t resolve after taking these steps, you need to consult with your physician to see if other serious sleep disorders are lurking around.
Sleep disorders such as obstructive sleep apnea may cause breathing difficulties that hinder you from getting quality sleep. Your physician may refer you to a sleep specialist that can better diagnose and treat your condition.
In most cases, sleep breathing disorders like sleep apnea can be treated with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy. This treatment uses the right CPAP mask type to deliver oxygen into your lungs and open up your airways.
Just relax and try these techniques to achieve a peaceful slumber.
