We all know there’s nothing worse than a bad night’s sleep. But how can you help yourself get the best sleep possible? Keep reading for some top tips.
1. Determine how much sleep you need.
If you’re waking up feeling unrested, you may be undersleeping or oversleeping. The ideal amount for an adult is 7-9 hours, however, this may differ from person to person. The best way to find out how much sleep you need is to let yourself fall into your natural sleep cycle. Go to sleep early, and let yourself sleep until you wake up naturally.
2. Go to the bed at the same time each night.
Setting yourself a routine is the best way to make sure you’re getting the right amount of sleep, but you have to stick to it, even on the weekends.
3. Eating the right foods before bed.
Eating a healthy diet will help ensure you’re getting a sound sleep each night. Your physical and mental health both play a big part in your sleeping pattern, so living the healthiest life you can ensure you sleep better.
4. Exercise.
Exercising for 30 minutes five days a week can help you fall asleep faster, and stay asleep longer. Cardio in the morning is perfect for waking yourself up for the day ahead, and yoga before bed is a great way to wind down and relax.
5. Limiting blue light exposure.
Turning off all electronic devices 30 minutes before going to bed allows your body the time it needs to wind down and sleep properly.
6. No caffeine before bed.
Caffeine is a stimulant, designed to energise you. Cutting out all caffeine for the 5 hours before you go to bed will ensure that you’re not consuming too close to bedtime.
7. Keep a cool room.
Your body temperature drops by 1-2 degrees as you’re falling asleep. By keeping your room cool, it helps facilitate the temperature drop and therefore helps keep you asleep through the night.
8. Don’t nap!
As much as an afternoon snooze can feel like exactly what you need sometimes, it isn’t always the case. If you nap too much in the day, you’ll struggle to sleep through the night. Any nap you take should be at least 5 hours before you go to bed, and only for 15-30 minutes. More than 30 minutes may result in you feeling drowsier than you did before your nap.
9. Get plenty of sunlight.
Catching the sun reinforces your circadian rhythm, improving your level of sleep. Getting sun in the morning wakes you up, and the lack of sun at night helps you produce melatonin, a sleep-inducing hormone.
10. Practise relaxation exercises if you can’t sleep.
Whether it’s reading, counting sheep or simply controlled breathing, reducing stress will help you sleep.
Adapting these 10 tips into your routine will surely have a noticeable difference in your sleeping pattern. For more information, try looking at the Sleep better tips from savvysleeper.org.