To be healthy, most individuals are aware that they must eat well and exercise often. What about sleep, though? We sleep for nearly a third of our lives, and sleep is critical for good health. However, many of us have trouble sleeping. Four out of five people claim they have sleep troubles at least once a week and feel tired when they wake up.
If you’ve never heard of sleep hygiene, it’s not the same as brushing your teeth before going to bed. The word refers to all of the factors that go into establishing an ideal sleeping environment in your bedroom, exercising, and even getting the best weighted blanket and pillows.
So, how do you improve your sleeping skills? To find out, grab a pillow, curl up, and keep reading.
1. Maintain a Regular Sleep/Wake Schedule
We all lead busy lives, and getting to bed at the same time every day might be difficult. Having a consistent sleep and wake-up schedule is, however, the most common advice from sleep experts. “It’s important to keep your circadian rhythm in sync, and it should be practiced even on weekends; self-regulation is a crucial solution for how to sleep.”
If your sleep schedule is constantly all over the place, the easiest method to begin working toward a consistent and healthy routine is to wake up at the same time every day; your body will gradually adjust and follow suit, allowing you to fall asleep at the same time every night.
2. Turn off Electrical Devices Before Going to Bed
You should turn off phones, TVs, laptops, and tablets at least one hour before bedtime if you want to get a deeper sleep and have fewer racing thoughts after lights go out. Since blue light stimulates the brain and keeps you attentive, try to encourage yourself to try to turn off your devices early.
Even gadgets with nighttime settings emit blue light, so you should turn them off early as well. If you absolutely must use a device at night, experts suggest wearing blue blocker glasses to filter out part of the wakefulness-inducing light waves from your screens.
Beyond the blue light problem, which many scientists are still debating, digital devices are simply too distracting for someone who is trying to sleep. After looking through hectic work emails, seeing what everyone else is up to on Instagram without you, or recovering from a particularly thought-provoking article, how can you possibly sleep soundly? Put your laptop and phone far away from your bed every night if you’re having problems unplugging (preferably in another room).
3. Avoid Alcohol or Caffeine Before Bed
Sure, a glass or two of wine will give you that relaxing, drowsy feeling, but as it wears off, you might find yourself awake sweating, having headaches, or the need to urinate repeatedly.
Alcohol is complicated since it helps to trigger the mechanism that makes us tired at first, but this doesn’t last and can disturb REM sleep as well as your capacity to sleep all night.
Caffeine, which can be found in coffee, chocolate, some teas, and sodas, is a booster that can linger in your system for up to four hours. As a result, even a 4 p.m. cappuccino could contribute to midnight tossing and turning.
4. Exercise During the Day
Working out is good for your overall health and can improve the quality of your sleep, particularly if you do it early in the morning or early in the day. Many of us are fatigued at night after engaging in strenuous physical activities throughout the day. These physical activities exhaust you and help you fall asleep more quickly.
Regular physical activity has been linked to better sleep in certain studies. This also creates a positive feedback cycle in which greater sleep leads to better results when exercising, working, or studying.
Apart from exercising to get a better night’s sleep, we should also exercise to keep fit and healthy. We can live a healthier life by following a lifestyle that includes adequate rest at night and physical activity during the day.
5. Tuck Yourself in a Good Blanket
Even on the hottest nights, having a lovely blanket to wrap up under can help you sleep better. In addition, being nestled into a warm blanket encourages the release of serotonin. This is a chemical produced by the body that promotes relaxation and serenity, allowing you to sleep well.
A weighted blanket for example will be loved by those who want a little additional comfort and assurance from their blanket. Deep pressure stimulation, a therapeutic treatment that applies forceful, controlled pressure to generate a feeling of relaxation, is the source of inspiration for weighted blankets. Using a weighted blanket can help you sleep better.
Now that you know the sleeping habits to practice, you can achieve a good night’s sleep by living a healthy lifestyle and making easy behavioral modifications.
About the Author/s
The New Jersey Digest is a new jersey magazine that has chronicled daily life in the Garden State for over 10 years.
