Sleeping is the single most important thing we do in a day. How much we sleep during the night determines how our day is going to turn out. So, getting a good nights rest should be our top priority. People tend to stay up watching episode after episode of their favorite T.V show or are busy playing video games. Even if you say that your reason to stay awake is work-related, that still doesn’t justify you not sleeping. Getting a good nights sleep should be up there with exercise and diet. Simply, because that is what glues it all together and makes it into something admirable. If you want to perform better at work, at the gym or just life in general, then take a look at your sleeping schedule.
It is important to get at least 6 hours of uninterrupted sleep for an adult. That is why it is so important for you to take advantage of your nights. And not think that you can make up sleeping in the afternoon or the evenings. Not getting enough sleep has a negative effect on your body, mind, and hormones. You might be reading this article and saying that you lay down at a reasonable time but you just can’t sleep. Well, there is a fix for that. A lot of people have trouble sleeping and they just lay there for an hour or two unable to sleep. But with the following sleeping tips, you will surely doze off in seconds.
Cut The Blue light Two Hours Before Bedtime
There are hundreds upon hundreds of studies done that tell us that blue lights in our phones and laptops imitate sunlight and resets our brain’s clock. That is why a lot of phones come with the night light feature. It is available on the IOS and Android devices both. So make use of them and turn the blue light of your phone off right after sunset. This is one of the biggest reasons why people have trouble sleeping. They will lay down in bed and keep using their phones. It is recommended to put all the screens down an hour or two before you sleep.
Avoid Sugary or Caffeinated Drinks In The Evening
Source: JOE.ie
Sugar and caffeine give our brain a surge of energy which is the last thing you need before sleeping. Even if you grab a cup of coffee at 6:00 PM and you lay down to sleep at 10:00 PM you should stop doing so today. Caffeine stays in our system for much longer than it’s effect does. Also, avoid drinking a soft drink with your dinner. Instead, opt for water. It is better for your skin, body, brain and for your sleep as well. Avoid sugary and caffeinated drinks around 5-6 hours before your bedtime.
Have A Certain Sleep Schedule
If you lay down to sleep at different times each night, you probably have trouble sleeping. And you think that what is disturbing your sleep. Well, look no further. Your body is a very fine-tuned machine, it makes up patterns and routines that is how it survives. So, if you try sleeping at 12:00 AM after sleeping at 10:00 PM for two days, you would notice that you can’t sleep. Even though you have been up for longer and are really tired. This is because you messed up your body’s internal clock. So, make yourself a bedtime and consistently lay down to sleep at the same time.
Drink Milk Before You Lay Down
Drinking milk before sleeping is a fairly common thing to do. It is warm and calms your body down. Milk also helps your bones become strong and the fat in it gives your body energy it needs throughout the night. It also helps you fall asleep because of a hormone called Melatonin. Melatonin is a hormone that regulates the sleep-wake cycle so it is pretty important for sleepy time. So listen to your mother and drink your milk before bed.
Take Supplements
If you feel that milk is too heavy for you, or you are lactose intolerant. No worries, since there are melatonin supplements available. A pill 15 minutes before bedtime should do the trick. Also, there are other supplements you can take for a better night’s sleep; L-theanine, L-Glutamine, Magnesium, and Glycine. If you decide to take any of these other supplements make sure to follow the instructions on the box. And take it along with Melatonin.
Pay Attention To Your Temperature
Source: Amazon
The temperature of the room you are sleeping in is important. Good room temperature is 22 Celsius or 72 Fahrenheit. This is not too cold nor too hot and is the perfect one for you to sleep in.
Buy a New Mattress
Mattresses are expensive, a good mattress can range from anywhere around 20,000 PKR – 45,000 PKR. Well, they are worth it. The better you sleep, the better you will perform in your life. And you can’t put a price on performance. Besides, mattresses are an investment. They will last you for more than 10 years and imagine all the wonderful sleep you will be getting in those 10 years.
Exercise
Source: Vox
Exercising is one of the things that keeps giving even after you are done with it. Your body will start craving sleeping during your bedtime if you have exercised that day. Since it wants to recover from the damaged it underwent in the gym. So, exercising for just 45 minutes 4-5 times a week will help you sleep better.
Avoid Eating Too Close to Bedtime
Having a big meal within 2 hours of bedtime is a bad idea if you want to sleep better. When you eat your body starts a process called Digestion. Your body uses its energy to process the food you have eaten and lets go of the fact that you have to sleep. This causes inflammation and makes your sleep very uncomfortable. So if you sleep around 11:00 PM avoid eating a heavy meal after 9:00 PM
Take Max 30 mins Power Naps
Power naps are a great way of feeling rejuvenated in the afternoon. But some people tend to take hours-long power naps. Then they just become little sleep nibbles. You wake up feeling more lethargic than before. And the energy of that “NAP” kicks in after hours. Conveniently when it is time to fall asleep again. So stick with 15-30 minute power naps at max.
Read also: How to be productive at work and consistently meet deadlines
