Friday, September 24, 2021

How To Achieve A Better Night's Sleep

 Getting enough sleep is not an easy task if you have a lot on your mind or do not have the best bedroom setup. Simply adding something new to your routine like going to bed earlier and use a salt lamp could be the answer to getting better rest and feeling more rested each day. 


If you struggle to get a good night’s sleep, here are some answers to solve your problem. 


Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay 


Get rid of pests

Although it is rare, you may have pests in your bedroom that are causing you to have restless nights. 


Getting bed bug treatment is essential if you want to achieve optimal health and a restful night. Living with bed bugs will cause you to lack sleep and feel stressed, which is not good for your mental health. Get rid of them as soon as possible to attain health and happiness when you rest.


Eliminate distractions

Distractions before bedtime can cause your mind to work at a million miles per hour. If you sit on your phone before you go to sleep or have a ticking clock next to your ear, then you will likely find it difficult to drift off. 


Therefore, getting rid of distractions that hinder your ability to get to sleep will help you drift off more peacefully and get a better night’s rest. 


Invest in a better bed

Your bed is one of the top investments you can make in your home. After all, you spend most of your time there relaxing or asleep.


Getting a great bed will help you relax and make more use of it. You might avoid getting into bed 30 minutes before going to sleep because your bed is so uncomfortable. This could be the reason that you are finding it so difficult to get to sleep. If you go straight from your sofa to bed, you haven’t given your mind and body enough time to properly relax. 


Therefore, investing in a better bed will encourage you to spend more time there before you go to sleep and relax in order to drift off into a peaceful sleep.


Get a mattress topper

Although your mattress might be pretty comfortable, it won’t be as comfortable and dreamy as when you have a mattress topper. A mattress topper will add an extra layer of comfort, which can soften your body and help you feel more comfortable in bed. 


They don’t have to be expensive to be effective. A medium-thickness topper will add the right amount of comfort and not cause you to overheat during your sleep.


Use the right lighting

Lying in bed in darkness or bright lighting can cause you to feel uneasy before you sleep. Using a soft light can help your mind and body relax, which will assist in a better night’s sleep. 


Some great lamps to use before bed include salt lamps or lava lamps. These create a peaceful surrounding with soft lighting and a relaxed mood.


Set a schedule

Going to bed at different times each day is not doing your circadian rhythm any favors. Your circadian rhythm is your body’s natural body clock, it reflects your sleep-wake cycle. Thus, if you throw it off whack, you will find it challenging to get to sleep each night if your schedule is inconsistent.


A schedule will ensure that your mind and body know when it’s time to shut off, which will help you relax and prepare for bedtime.


Likewise, set an alarm each day for a similar time as it will regulate your sleep-wake cycle and ensure that when it hits bedtime, you are ready and able to rest.


Limit daytime naps

If you feel tired throughout the day, it is common to nap. If you really need it, then go for it. But, if you can hold out until bedtime, then it will help you fall to sleep and stay asleep. 


Daytime naps can reignite our energy, which can make us restless when we try to sleep just a few hours later. It can disrupt our sleep-wake cycle and truly mess with our bedtime routine. 


If you do nap in the daytime, allow yourself only 20 minutes. If you oversleep for a nap, let’s say you sleep 3 hours, then you will likely find it a real challenge to get to sleep. It could affect your sleep for the rest of the week.


Get enough movement in the day

If you lack physical movement in the daytime, then you will likely not feel like you need sleep in the evening. Your mind might be tired but your body is not. 


Therefore, it is essential to get enough movement and physical exercise throughout the day so that your body needs rest by the end of it. If your job involves a lot of sitting down, then make sure to schedule at least 30 minutes of exercise a day. This could be a gym class or a walk. 30 minutes of good exercise is enough movement to feel physically tired at the end of the day.


To increase your movement, it can help to walk instead of taking the bus. Or take the stairs instead of the elevator. These small changes can improve your physical health as well as your ability to rest.


Maintain a good diet

Taking care and putting attention to what you eat and drink might help you realize that what you are feeding your body is causing you to have restless nights. 


For instance, if you are drinking too much caffeine or drinking caffeine close to bedtime, it could be causing you to struggle to get to sleep. Likewise, if you eat too close to bedtime, then your digestive system will be working overtime and could cause disrupted sleep. 


Watch your diet and feed your body with goodness to attain better health and assist in better sleeping. Likewise, don’t eat or drink too close to bedtime as it can cause you to have an unnecessary bout of energy.


If you still struggle to get to sleep after using these tips, then here are some extra tips to do at bedtime to enhance your restful state. 


  • Avoid a screen 2 hours before bed. Although we said to avoid using your phone before bedtime, it can help to avoid screens altogether for at least 2 hours before bedtime. It can help our minds switch off. Instead, read a book or meditate. These are both mindful activities that can help our minds focus and feel relaxed.

  • Gentle exercise. Although you might do exercise during the day, it might not be effective enough up until bedtime. Therefore, doing some gentle exercise before you get into bed can help you feel relaxed mentally and physically. Bedtime yoga, pilates, or Tai Chi are great options to unwind and feel restful. 

  • Bedtime tea. Drinking anything before bedtime can sometimes cause a restless night if you need to keep getting up. However, if you stick to a small drink, it shouldn’t affect you too much. A small bedtime tea with non-caffeine natural ingredients can aid a night of better sleep. Good herbal teas to help with sleep include mint, chamomile, and ginger.

  • Play soft music in the background. If you find it difficult to sleep in silent environments, then playing some soft background music can help. Playing it quietly in the background so that you aren’t in complete silence but are not distracted. It can help your mind relax and avoid overthinking, which can help you get to sleep quicker.


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