Quality sleep is essential for the proper functioning of your body. The following are steps that you should consider taking if you are having trouble sleeping.
Keep Your Room Cool
Make sure your room is not too warm so that you get an easy time falling asleep. This is because as you lie down, your body temperature cools down and increases upon waking up.
Consider taking a warm bath before sleeping, for it helps in cooling your body temperature afterward. Also, adjust your thermostat to a temperature of between 15.6 to 19.6 degrees centigrade. Temperature adjustments vary from one person to another, but you do not want to wake up with a headache due to high temperature levels.
Have A Sleeping Schedule
Having a schedule will make your body get used to your waking up and sleeping patterns. Therefore, making it easy for you to sleep once your bedtime comes. This body system is referred to as the circadian rhythm. It makes your body active during the day but sleeps when night falls. Make sure you have a regular sleeping schedule to sleep and wake up at around the same time daily. Make sure to have sufficient sleep of about seven to eight hours a day.
Take soothing Liquids instead of caffeine. Caffeine tends to keep you alert and awake. Avoid taking caffeinated drinks such as coffee, soda, or chocolate. Caffeine stimulates your brain hence giving you trouble sleeping. Keep away from beverages that are rich in caffeine, especially in the afternoon. Instead of caffeinated drinks, you can opt for soothing beverages like chamomile tea which relaxes you.
Grab A Book
Reading will help you relax your body before it goes to sleep. Especially for kids, bedtime stories go a long way in making sure that they sleep for long. It is advisable to read from a hard copy book as opposed to an ebook. This is because electronic devices produce blue light, which reduces the production of melatonin. Lower levels of melatonin make you get tired on the following day.
Switch Off Electronic Devices
Electronic devices prevent you from enjoying a good night’s sleep. This is because of the emission of blue light, whose effects have been discussed above. Hence, you should turn off the television, laptop, or phone an hour before your bedtime. However, if you need to use electric lights or read from your phone, you can consider getting less harmful items. If you live in Australia, it will be wise to visit Block Blue Light Australia, to know how useful it is to own blue-blocking products and light-friendly bulbs that will help fix your sleeping problems.
Be Comfortable
Firstly, ensure that you have a comfortable mattress to allow you to get quality sleep. It should not be too stiff because medium-firm mattresses prevent muscle discomfort hence granting you a good sleep. After getting the right mattress, you should now seek a good quality pillow. Poor quality pillows may bring negative impacts to your neck, causing discomfort.
Also, consider using a weighted cover to reduce body tension and improve the quality of your sleep—the clothes you wear to bed matter too. Choose comfortable pajamas or nightdresses that will maintain the correct body temperature as you sleep.
Avoid Day Time Naps
People affected with insomnia often get sleepy during the day with a strong urge to take naps. Naps may make you more efficient during the day. Moreover, it might be the only thing you need to get back to normal functioning. However, taking regular long naps may disrupt your sleeping pattern, making you have difficulties getting asleep. Napping late towards evening especially poses a significant threat to quality sleep.
Exercise
Taking part in physical exercises contributes to getting quality sleep. This is because exercises reduce cortisol levels, the stress hormone, by producing serotonin in the brain. This enables you to relax and sleep well. Take care not to overstrain yourself with exercising because it leads to poor sleep.
Aim to do your exercises in the morning to enjoy its health benefits, including better sleep. You could engage in activities like:
- Jogging
- Running
- Cycling
- Walking
Try To Stay Awake
Most of the time, when we get to bed, we overthink about falling asleep. Interestingly, focusing too much on falling asleep increases your chances of having trouble sleeping. This is because the stress that is produced when you force yourself to sleep prevents you from falling asleep. So, play tricks with your brain and try to keep yourself awake. Do you remember that meeting that you tried not to doze off by all means but ended up sleeping through it? Yes, this is a very applicable technique. Except now, you need to apply it during your bedtime.