Do you lie waiting to fall asleep, but the dark game of hide-and-seek goes on till way past midnight?
Is every night for you a dark episode of tossing and turning in bed, and no real sleep?
Halfway through the night, do you find that you’re no longer asleep? Somnum interruptus.
Do you wake up in the morning not feeling refreshed?
Even if the answer to many of these questions is a fatigued “Hmm…”, you aren’t doomed!
From sticking to a sleep schedule to making time in your daily routine for physical activity, this blog offers you simple yet effective tips to consider for better sleep.
- Keep to a Sleep Schedule
Ensure to clock 7-9 hours of nighttime sleep daily—for a healthy adult, at least seven is recommended. To be well-rested, you wouldn’t need to kip for more than 8 hours.
Go to bed and get up at the same time every day, including weekends. Your body’s sleep-wake cycle can be disciplined only through consistency.
If it’s been within about 20 minutes of going to bed, and you haven’t fallen asleep yet, just walk out of your bedroom and read or listen to soothing music—anything that relaxes you.
When you’re tired go back to bed. If needed, repeat it, but stoically stick to your sleep schedule and wake-up time.
- Mind What You Eat and Drink
Going to bed either hungry, or stuffed with food, makes your body moan. Heavy or large meals, nicotine, caffeine, and alcohol within a couple of hours of bedtime shuts the door on your sleep.
While nicotine and caffeine keep the brain stimulated for hours, not letting sleep set in, alcohol might tug down your eyelids at first, but later in the night it can hurl a spanner at them.
- Construct a Conducive Environment
Cool, dark, and quiet does it! Illumination sources—lighted windows, incandescent lighting, light-emitting screens—and noise pollution after dark are demons that terrorize sleep.
Invest in devices for a conducive surrounding that includes good-quality black-out curtains, noise-wicking earplugs, and optimal air-conditioning
Better sleep is also promoted by a rejuvenating bubble bath, relaxation techniques, or calming activities before bedtime.
- Say Nay to Daytime Naps
Your sleep mechanism could be bamboozled by long daytime naps. Nap for not more than an hour and late in the day.
Late-in-the-day napping is cool to adjust your sleep debt if you work the graveyard shift.
- Tweak your Daily Routine for Physical Activity
Better sleep is promoted by tiring your body with constructive physical exercises, however, not too close to bedtime. What also helps is spending time outdoors every day.
- Pacify your worries before bedtime
Worries or concerns are at daggers with sleep, so before bedtime, try and get them resolved. Set them aside for tomorrow after jotting down what’s on your mind.
What also promotes better sleep is effective management of stress. Getting organized, setting priorities, delegating tasks—these are the basis to start with. You can also ease anxiety by meditation.
Conclusion
A night without sleep on occasion is everyone’s bane. However, contact your health care provider if you often have trouble getting to sleep.
Sleep improves automatically when any underlying causes are duly diagnosed and properly treated.
