Sometimes, the stress that comes with adulthood can get the best of us and ruin a lot of things in our lives – most of all our sleep schedules. Several habits like taking naps during the day, not exerting yourself enough, or taking your phone or other electronic devices to bed can mean that you’re stuck with sleepless nights and days filled with exhaustion.
If you’re not careful, these patterns can develop into actual illnesses like insomnia and stress, which is why it is essential to work towards developing habits that encourage sleeping at night instead of discouraging it.
According to the Real Simple blog, about one third of adults in a 2,000 people survey were unsatisfied with their quality of sleep. While this may be a direct result of not having the right mattress for you, there are other things you can do to get better sleep.
Get a lot of Sunlight
Your body’s circadian rhythms are regulated by the part of your brain that tabulates your exposure to light. SImply put, this means that when you spend your days in a lot of sunlight, your brain ends up adjusting to that daily rhythm.
This means that you’ll automatically start feeling sleepier at night.
We’re not asking you to spend your days out in direct sunlight either – just open your windows and push the curtains back a bit during the day. This will illuminate your living space with enough daylight for this to work.
Leave Electronics Out of Bed
Most people have a habit of using their phones or other devices in bed, especially when they should be sleeping. If you want to program your brain into thinking that the bed is for sleeping only, turn your phones and laptops off before you hit the hay.
https://www.pexels.com/photo/a-woman-using-a-smartphone-7341879/
If you want, you can read a book before bed, but make sure you’re not reading it for too long – this is precious sleep-time you’re spending here!
Relax Before Bed
If you have trouble falling asleep, take steps to relax and unwind before bed. This may include a bubble bath or a cup of warm milk or chamomile tea, but as long as it helps you feel drowsy, relaxed, and ready for bed, it’s the right thing for you.
Avoid Heavy Dinner
If your body is too busy digesting that giant dinner you had just an hour before bed, it won’t be able to unwind enough for you to sleep. You might also end up waking up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom, and it won’t be easy falling back to sleep.
This is why experts recommend avoiding heavy dinners before bed, and because it causes heartburn and a lot of other stomach issues.
Avoid Working Out
Working out before bed might make it hard for you to unwind. In fact, it makes it impossible for people to fall asleep until at least three to four hours later. This is because it leaves you feeling refreshed and energized – you don’t need all that to fall asleep.
On the other hand, working out in the morning or three to four hours before bed five times a week can help you fall asleep easier and have deeper, more regular sleep. This means that working out may be a good idea but only if you do it at the right time.
