Healthy Sleep, I’ll say it from personal experience, that the feeling that you get after waking up fully refreshed in the morning, having had a fresh 8 hour sleep, is second to none. But I haven’t experienced this feeling too often myself, and the same is with most of the people nowadays. The reasons are too many to count, but they all stem from the modern lifestyle. Work focused, stress inducing. All this has made sleep disruptions very common. Of course you are tired of all the tossing and turning or waking up groggy, who wouldn’t be?
So, it’s time to uncover the secrets to that better sleep that you have been hoping to get every night.
In this blog, I am going to talk about seven tried-and-true strategies that will help you to drift into your dreamland and come out of it refreshed easily.
Stick to a Sleep Schedule
The first thing to lock down when you are looking for better sleep on a regular basis is consistency. A routine is what your body actually thrives on, no matter what you believe. When you start going to bed and waking up at the same time everyday, your body’s ‘internal clock’ starts getting used to it. Keep doing it and in only a few days, your body will start to wind down and activate itself at the same time everyday. That’s the first step to getting a sound sleep.
A side note, if the time you want to sleep and wake up is too far away from the times you are currently clocking, then don’t make that change suddenly. Keep it gradual, like shifting the bedtime and waking up time by 15 minutes every week. And on weekends, resist the temptation to sleep in too long, because if you don’t, you will disrupt your rhythm again, staring at another tired Monday morning.
Create a Relaxing Bedtime Routine
The next thing to take care of is setting a ritual for yourself before you go to sleep. The thing is, your bedtime routine should be less of a routine and more of a ritual so that your brain can really ease itself to sleep when the time is right. Don’t worry, this ritual isn’t something elaborate, just simple activities like reading a book, listening to calm music or very light stretches will do the job.
Just like establishing a routine, the key is consistency. Whatever light activity you prefer, doing it every night before bed will create a bond in your brain between that action and sleep. Keep in mind though, don’t do anything overly stimulating like scrolling on your phone watching reels or watching intense stuff on TV. Stuff like this will keep your mind active when it should be winding down.
Optimize Your Sleep Environment
An ideal bedroom is the one which brings out sleep from within you the second you enter your bed. If that’s not the case, then you’ll find yourself trying hard to sleep. But how to make your bedroom like that? It’s a bunch of simple things that you can do to make your bedroom a sleep haven.
- Lighting: Keep your room as dark as possible when you want to sleep. Prefer using blackout curtains or an eye mask to help block out unwanted light.
- Noise: Not possible to make the room completely quiet? Go for earplugs. Even better, use a white noise machine because it not only blocks any other sound, it calms your mind too. If not a machine, play those sounds on your phone or a speaker.
- Temperature: A cool room, within the range of 16 and 20°C, is perfect for sleep. Since your body temperature naturally drops as you sleep, a cooler room only aids in that process.
Also, don’t forget to make sure your mattress and pillows are comfortable and supportive. Your mattress and pillows can be a very big reason for waking up sore and irritated even when you sleep for a healthy amount of time. So, they are causing that discomfort, it is absolutely worth it to invest in the best quality replacements. Do it, and you’ll see the change.
Limit Screen Time Before Bed
We’ve all heard it before that screens are the enemy of sleep. But why? Your phones, tablets and laptops emit blue lights, which have scientifically been proven to be similar to UV rays on the light spectrum. This blue light interferes with the melatonin production in your body, the hormone that regulates your sleep cycle.
Ideally speaking, you should avoid being in front of any screen for at least an hour before your bedtime. If this is impossible, for work reasons or any other, there is a ‘night mode’ in almost every modern device, consider toggling that on. It reduces the emission of blue light to a great extent. You can even use blue light-blocking glasses.
But the best option is always to replace that 1hr of screen time before bed with a calming activity like journaling, meditation, or simply reflecting on your day and how you can do better tomorrow.
Watch What You Eat and Drink
Your diet also plays a key role in your sleep. Whatever you consume during the day, but especially in the evening can and will significantly impact your ability to fall asleep.
- Caffeine: Contrary to popular belief, caffeine is not an energizer, but it works in a very mysterious way. The moment you consume it, it stops the brain from receiving adenosine, the chemical that your cells release to let it know that they have consumed energy. So, it keeps you awake and alert. It will stay in your system for hours, and will keep you up when you should be winding down.
- Alcohol: Another thing that people tend to do a lot is having alcohol at night, especially a glass of wine. While it might make you drowsy initially, alcohol tanks down the quality of your sleep, which will lead to restlessness and finding yourself up in the middle of the night.
- Late-Night Meals: Having something heavy or spicy at night can also have a negative effect on your sleep. It can cause discomfort or even indigestion, both of which will make it harder to fall asleep. If you really crave a late night snack, then go for something light and sleep-friendly, like a banana or a handful of almonds.
Get Plenty of Natural Light During the Day
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Don’t think it doesn’t matter what you do after waking up. In fact, your whole sleep cycle is very heavily influenced by the exposure to light in the morning. Getting that early morning sunlight is the best way to regulate your internal clock and send your brain the signal that yes it is time to be up and running.
If you are struggling to stay up in the morning, try spending at least 15–30 minutes outdoors under the natural sunlight. If you live somewhere where natural light is hard to come by, like in harsh winter months, you can use a light therapy box to simulate sunlight.
On the flip side, during night time, especially before bed, dim your lights and reduce exposure to artificial light. This helps your body prepare for sleep by enhancing the production of melatonin.
Manage Stress and Overthinking
Probably the biggest reason that people don’t sleep healthy today is stress. Our competitive lifestyles keep us looped in the thoughts of “what ifs” and “to-dos”. And these thoughts come out especially when you are about to sleep and are thinking about absolutely nothing. There are many practices to ease us with our stress, you can try those.
To state a few, there’s meditation, yoga, or just simple deep-breathing exercises that will greatly help you to calm your mind and body. If it’s planning for the future or worries about the past, then you can also try journaling, I know it helped me a lot. Journaling helps you to process those worrying thoughts and let go of them, at least for that night.
At The End, Waking Up Fresh Is All That Matters.
If you think that there is just one solution that works for everyone, then you can’t be more wrong. However, the seven steps we have discussed in this blog, if you do fit them with your lifestyle, then you are very likely to start having healthier sleep. It won’t happen overnight, that I can say for sure, but it will. All you can do is follow everything consistently, then just stay patient.
Sure, you can do more than just having a healthy sleep cycle to increase your productivity, but know one thing, that you can’t have an ounce of productivity without having a healthy sleep. A body and mind that is not well-rested will never be able to reach their full potential. Of course, the benefits don’t just stop at increased productivity, but your mood will improve significantly, you’ll have sharper focus, and you’ll have greatly improved your physical health as well.
So take the first step tonight, dim your lights, make your room cooler, put away your phone timely and embrace deep sleep. Transform your nights and ultimately, your days.
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