Introduction
As with food and physical activity, sleep is one of the fundamental components of healthy human functioning. This is because it is fundamental in the healing process of the body and the mind and has an impact in issues to do with memory, mood and immunity. The quality of sleep that you have every night determines the quality of life that you will have in future, but this is a challenge to most people who get to sleep between 7-9 hours at night. Below we list the seven best tips that will teach you how to fall asleep faster, stay asleep longer, and wake up refreshed.
1. Set some sleeping pattern and ensure that it is followed to the letter.
When you stick to a particular time for going to bed and waking up, you are able to have a proper functioning of the circadian rhythm. Staying awake at the same time each day, including weekends, helps to honour the body’s natural biological rhythm and make it easier to go to sleep. Early to bed also means setting the time you retire as early enough to ensure you have enough time for pre-sleep preparation.
2. Sleep set up
The bedroom needs to be conducive to sleep. Prioritize the following elements to create an optimal sleep environment:
- Darkness: Eliminate natural light from the room, or use an eye mask to prevent light from getting in.
- Quiet: Purchase a set of noise reducing headphones or utilize white noise machine to block unwanted noise.
- Comfort: Select an ergonomic bed and pillows, as well as comfortable bedding that allows the body to rest and maintain zero gravity spinal position.
- Temperature: Keep the room temperature moderate, it is suggested that the temperature should range from 60-67oF or 15.5-19.4oC.
3. Create a proper sleep timetable
Establishing a pre-sleep routine can help make your body understand it is time to sleep and stop the production of hormones that keep you awake. Create a set of behaviors that should be replicated each evening, some of which are reading, mindfulness, or low impact exercising. Include some relaxing features, for example, lowering the brightness of the atmosphere, taking a cup of warm tea like chamomile tea or engaging in activities that can make the body relax.
4. Avoid screens before bedtime
You could be damaging your health by constantly use of blue light emitting devices such as smart phones, tablets, and computers. These devices should not be used at least an hour before going to sleep, or mieux the blue light emitted by the screen. If you can’t help it, then you could use those blue light blocking glasses that are available in the market or install a program that blacklists the sites you need to stay away from during the hours that are supposed to put you to sleep.
5. Try to be very conscious of what you eat and your fluid intake.
Replacing certain foods and drinks you take during the day with others has a great effect on the quality of your sleep. Incorporate the following healthy habits into your daily routine:
- Avoid stimulants: These are stimulants and can hamper your sleep cycle; caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol. Reduce these products’ consumption, in particular, in the evening before going to bed.
- Eat a balanced diet: Take Fruits, vegetables, lean proteins and whole grain products. These are foods which contain compounds that promotes sleep but at the same time, they do not cause addition to excessive weight which is bad for sleep.
- Stay hydrated: It is important to stay hydrated at all times including when sleeping. Adult men and women should drink about 10 and 8 cups of water daily, respectively, and it’s also wise to avoid taking drinks a few hours to bedtime.
6. Exercise, but not in the evening
Physical activity in at least 5 times a week has been found to help in improving sleep quality since it relieves stress. Recommend at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity including walking or swimming several days a week. On the other hand, vigorous exercise during evening should be strictly discouraged as this will only make one gain more energy, hindering sleep.
7. Manage stress and anxiety
Cortisol’s negative effects include interrupting your ability to sleep during the night and even wake up rested in the morning. Incorporate stress-management techniques into your daily routine, such as:
- Deep breathing exercises: Finally to reduce stress practice slow and deep breathing so as to minimize on stress.
- Progressive muscle relaxation: Consciously pull various muscles of your body and then relax all the muscles to reduce physical tension.
- Journaling: Tackle ideas, emotions, and anxieties with a journal so you can free up your thoughts before sleeping.
- Social support: It is crucial to engage with friends, family, or a therapist in order to establish regular support system and a way to manage stress.
Conclusion
We have also seen that sleep is crucial for health and can even be considered a fundamental human need. Introducing these top 7 sleep hacks into your everyday life will enable you to get better sleep and thereby improve your standard of living. It can be quite easy to make changes that make a big impact on the quality of one’s life, so don’t wait and incorporate these habits right away.
0 Comments