There are plenty of reasons why most people find it difficult to fall and stay asleep at night. From our emotional health, physical fitness, and general wellbeing to our nutrition, there is a wide array of factors that affect our quality of sleep.
What you may not realize is that this works both ways. Poor quality sleep also negatively impacts these aspects of your life. And over time, these issues can have a drastic impact on your life.
In case you are struggling to sleep well, you need to consult a GP who will be able to offer the necessary help and guidance. But meanwhile, here are some simple tips from Slumber Search on how to improve your quality of sleep:
- Follow a schedule throughout the week
Oversleeping during the weekends makes it much harder to wake up early on Monday morning since it interferes with your sleep cycles and resets it for a later awakening. Instead, try going to sleep and waking up at the same time every day, even during the weekends. This not only helps to improve your quality of sleep but also gives you extra time to be productive during the weekends.
- Exercise daily
Setting aside 20 to 30 minutes every day for physical exercise can significantly help to improve your quality of sleep. Regular exercise helps to expend the extra saved up energy inducing rest and subsequent sleep. Also, working out stimulates the release of adrenaline, which helps to keep your body alert. To maximize the benefits, you can fit in your exercise routine five to six hours before sleep.
- Refrain from consuming alcohol, caffeine, and nicotine
If you are looking to achieve quality sleep, you need to avoid stimulants. These compounds not only increase your heart rate and blood pressure, but they also help to keep you awake. Eliminating caffeine from your diet goes a long way in reducing your dependence on these stimulants.
- Try to relax before sleep
Meditating, reading, or taking a warm bath after a long day often makes it easier for you to fall asleep. If you don’t know where to start, lavender produces a soothing scent that can be used to lull you to sleep. You can also train yourself to associate some restful smells and activities with sleep and incorporate them into your bedtime routine.
- Regulate the temperature of your bedroom
Unusually warm or cold temperatures tend to disrupt sleep and affect your ability to fall asleep in the first place. Before going to sleep, try ot ensure that your bedroom is kept in a comfortable temperature. This includes using your air conditioning system, opening your windows, or adjusting the thermostat in your room.
- Sleep until the sun comes out
Did you know that sunlight helps to reset your body’s biological clock? With this in mind, waking up with the sun or using very bright lights in the morning can go a long way in helping maintain a healthy sleep and wake cycle. There are alarm clocks that recreate the effect of the sun gently waking you up in the morning every day.
- Switch off all other lights
It is a proven fact that light from electronic devices or even under the door can disrupt your sleep, especially if the light is flashing. This is attributed to the fact that the human body is programmed to wake up with light. With this in mind, switch off the light on your phone or any other device so as to give your body the chance to sleep uninterrupted.
- Refrain from using your phone as well as your phone
This also applies to your phone or any device that emits blue light, as they are disruptive to sleep. It is recommended that you put them down at least one hour before sleep. Perhaps even pick up a book.
