How To Sleep Better

Your sleeping patterns can have a major impact on your mental and physical health. Sleep is also known to affect how much energy you have and things you can get done throughout the day, it may even affect your weight. Quite a few of us tend to have difficulties such as not being able to fall asleep or constantly being awoken during the night. 

Most of the time the culprit would be your habits and routine during the daytime. A few simple changes can have a satisfying outcome with you getting an uninterrupted well-deserved rest. Preparing a better version of you to take on the day.

Cycle

One of the key tips to getting a consistent sleeping pattern is to identify your body’s natural sleep-wake cycle. Sticking to the same cycle will have a better impact as opposed to switching the timings even if it’s the same number of hours of sleep. This can be done by the following steps;

To set your body’s internal clock in place it is ideal to figure out a bedtime convenient for you. then it is mandatory to stick to this bedtime by trying to go to sleep and then waking up at the same time. Your body will pick up on this routine in no time and if you are getting enough sleep, you wouldn’t need an alarm to wake up.

If you’ve missed sleep it is advised to not sleep in and rather opt for a nap during the daytime. This is to prevent affecting your sleep-wake cycle.

At the same time if you’re someone who prefers to take naps occasionally, you’re better off limiting them to a maximum of 20 minutes.

Meals

 The meals you take can be a major factor in your sleep patterns. Having a well-balanced breakfast will alert your body of the tasks ahead by increasing energy levels and lowering stress. It is also common to feel drowsy after dinner, this would be an optimal time to occupy yourself with something and prevent yourself from falling asleep only to wake up later during the night.

 Opting for a diet rich in vegetables, fruit and healthy fats may help you fall asleep and stay asleep for a longer period of time. Foods that are rich in sugar or are refined carbs may end up causing you to stay awake at night.

 Limiting your intake of caffeine would also help as it can have effects that last up to 12 hours. Similarly, nicotine is another substance that has been known to disrupt sleeping patterns.

 Avoiding drinking too many liquids before your bed time will also save you a number of trips to the bathroom during the night.

Exercise

 Studies show that people who exercise regularly during the day sleep better at night.

The exercises need not be strenuous as even walking a few miles per day would improve your quality of sleep. Although this doesn’t happen immediately as it would take some time or regular activity in order to see the results.

Light

 Another factor that affects your sleep cycle would be the exposure of light. The naturally occurring hormone, melatonin is controlled by the exposure to light which in turn manages your sleep-wake cycle. Melatonin is released when it’s darker, prompting you to feel sleepier. Therefore, this can be controlled by your day-to-day activities and exposure to light.

 It is essential to spend more time in the daylight and spend more time outside. Whether it’s spending work breaks by going outside or working next to a window, getting as much sunlight as possible is beneficial.

 Whereas during the night, it is ideal to avoid screens or television an hour before your bedtime. Keeping the lights down will also help suppress melatonin being produced.

Is there a quick fix to improve your sleep?

 In all honesty your sleep schedule cannot be fixed if your daily habits and routine are not consistent. There are plenty of medications that you may be able to purchase over the counter yet they can often lead you to being dependant on them and burn out.

 If you are unable to make any major changes to your lifestyle there are a few options that you can try in order to improve your sleep. Improving your sleep environment can have an overwhelming result. This is done by creating a space that would help you wind down.

Eliminating loud noises or disturbances while keeping your room at a lower temperature may help.

The ambience of the environment can be improved by consuming a warm drink that would create a calm and restful atmosphere. As a suggestion Secrets of tea introduces their Valerian Deep Sleep Tea which has been incorporated with 100% natural ingredients. The tea has been created with the inclusion of valerian root, lemon balm and chamomile which have been known for their properties to help people relax wind down and relieve stress.

Make your bed comfortable to sleep in. it is essential that you make relaxation your goal and not just sleep. By doing a non-stimulating activity such as reading a book, this will further promote your goal to relaxation.

If you carry out these steps, eventually your sleep schedule will be back on track and you will be able to have a good night’s sleep. Most people undergo these issues which causes distress, therefore it is essential that your prioritize your sleep schedule as it has an overall effect on your lifestyle.