In this current hasty world, a goodnight sleep has become more like luxury than necessity. Not everyone is able to get proper sleep through out the day or night despite of it being a factor that affects a person’s overall wellbeing. This poor sleep schedule leads to many underlying issues such as decreased cognitive function, tired body, weakened immunity and increased stress level. It also causes premature aging. If you’re struggling to get this goodnight sleep, here are some tips that will help you get you the sleep that you wanted and help you wake up fresh to start up your morning with a positive mindset:
1. Establish a Consistent Sleep Schedule
In order to get a proper sleep, it is necessary that you regulate your body’s internal clock. It is recommended that you sleep and wake up at same time even during the weekends if you’re trying to regulate it. This way you will wake up and fall asleep at a fixed time without any effort. Try getting 7-9 hours of sleep that is recommended for an average adults. During the beginning phase, you may have to use alarm clocks for you to get habituated.
2. Create a Relaxing Bedtime Routine
Doing Relaxing stuffs before your bedtime signals your brain into believing that it is a time you relax and prepare for sleep. The relaxing activities may include warm shower, skin care, reading a book, meditating or stretching. Particularly avoid vigorous activities like exercise or using electronic devices during this time as they make it harder for you to fall asleep. You may write journals and listen to calming music during the process. This helps in calming your nerves and slowly makes you fall asleep.
3. Optimize Your Sleep Environment
The place where you sleep, significantly affects the quality of your sleep. It is necessary that the place you sleep is dark, quite and cool. Invest in comfortable pillows and mattresses and consider using blackout curtains and noise cancellation devices. Make sure you keep the place you sleep clean and tidy. If it is not clean, declutter your sleep surrounding and make it appear fresh. It is recommended to maintain a room temperature of 60-67o F for proper sleep and you may use earplugs for reducing noise.
4. Limit Exposure to Blue Light Before Bed
The hormone responsible for regulating sleep is called Melatonin. Now when you’re exposed to electronic devices like, phone, laptop, tablets etc., these devices emit blue lights which is responsible for interfering with the production of Melatonin. So it is recommended that you stop using these electronic devices at least 1 hour prior to sleeping. Or you could simply use glasses that block blue light or use “night mode” when using your devices.
5. Be Mindful of Your Diet and Hydration
What you consume on daily basis significantly affects the quality of your sleep. Avoid consuming Caffeine after 6pm and having heavy meals before you sleep as they disrupt your sleep in the middle. Also while drinking water is essential, drinking too much water also increases the likelihood of you waking up to use restroom in the middle of night that disrupts sleep. So limit your fluid intake before you sleep.
Conclusion
In order to improve sleep quality, you opt to bring changes to your lifestyle and a create a sleep friendly environment for your sleep. A good sleep helps you function well and have a better mood the next day for a fresh start. So it is necessary that you have a consistent sleep schedule.
