10 Ways To Get Better Sleep

Imagine crawling into a warm, cozy bed with freshly laundered sheets and drifting off into an eight-hour uninterrupted sleep. Lovely, isn’t it? How can you make that happen? First of all, let’s talk about sleep in general. Most of the time, slumber is an afterthought. We get it when we can, and we don’t think more about it. After all, life is busy, right? Countless studies have shown that our bedtime habits have a massive effect on our health and wellbeing. The statistics show that 35% of adults don’t get enough sleep (7 hours per day). 20 % of the teenagers get less than 5 hours of sleep, according to the survey conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Why Is Sleep Necessary?

We all know that sleep is necessary for our physical and mental health, but very few know how important it really is. Sleep deprivation is a topic of utmost importance in this era. It is even compared to alcohol intoxication; it may be helpful to think of it that way. So, would you really like to go to work intoxicated by alcohol? You certainly would not. Poor sleep has many adverse effects on some are mentioned below.

• Short sleep is associated with a drastically increased risk of weight gain and obesity in both children and adults.
• Sleeping less affects hormones that regulate appetite.
• Poor sleep can negatively impact some aspects of brain function.
• Sleeping less than 8 hours per night increases the risk of heart disease and stroke.
• Sleeping less increases the risk of type 2 diabetes.
• Poor sleep affects your body’s inflammatory responses.

Also Read: Importance Of 7 Hours Deep Sleep

10 Essential Tips To Get Better Sleep

Here are some essential tips to get you better sleep and kick off insomnia and have a fantastic start to the day.

1. Reducing the caffeine intake

The intoxicating nutty aroma and rich chocolatey taste make coffee the perfect wake up drink, with a consumption of 2.25 cups billion cups on an average basis, globally. Coffee helps to boost energy, focus and concentration. But, too much of it will take you down the road to insomnia. Coffee is referred to as the sleep’s enemy. It launches a double threat on your slumber as it blocks the neurochemical adenosine, which is what tells your brain that it is tiring. It releases many stimulants into your brain, like adrenaline, dopamine and glutamate. These stimulants are the real reason behind the surge in energy and focus. But, too much caffeine intake shows a detrimental effect on daytime functions. So, you might want to cut down its consumption for a sound sleep.

2. Regular Physical Exercise Is Must

Physical activity affects the overall quality of sleep. Regular Exercise has a humongous effect on our lives. A new study reveals that people sleep significantly better and feel more alert during the day if they get at least 150 minutes of exercise a week. It will help to gain muscle strength and cardiovascular activities will, in turn, help to increase the metabolic rate. The timing and intensity play a very significant role when it comes to exercise.

If you feel energetic after a high-intensity workout, then it is highly recommended to hit the gym in the morning. Not only will physical exercise help you get sound sleep but will also help you to be physically fit, which comes as an add on benefit.

Also Read: Tread Mill Or Jogging – Which Is Better At Burning More Fat?

3. Make Sleeping Schedule And Track Your Sleep

Join the 5 AM Club and make yourself a sleep schedule. But wait, just making a schedule will not do the magic for you. You will have to follow it every day to achieve that sweet good night’s sleep for a brilliant morning. Research shows that sleeping at the same time every day makes a routine for the brain to call off all its ongoing activities and relax. It is crucial to get 6-8 hours of sleep for an adult to function at its full potential. But do not forget to track your sleep as it will help you understand and evaluate if you are sleeping adequately or otherwise.

4. Turn Off All Your Electronic Devices

Electronic Devices like laptops, cell phones, etc. has taken over our healthy lifestyle and has significantly contributed to the issue of sleep deprivation. In this modern world, we cannot live without our phones; we are entirely dependent on them. Aren’t we? We start our day checking the notifications and end it just the same way. Research shows that reading or checking out mobile phones right before you sleep may reduce the good night’s sleep because whatever you just read will occupy your brain for some time.

Mobile phones also emit harmful radiation, which is really hazardous to our health. It is advised to switch all your devices to sleep before you hit the bed.

5. Keep Your Bedroom Quiet, Dark And Comfortable

It is really important to keep the room quiet, dark and comfortable as not doing so may lead to disturbed sleep. We sleep in sleep cycles of 3-4 hours and whenever we wake up in between that sleep cycle it breaks and starts a new one. The more the disturbance in the sleep cycle, the more will be your reduced chances to get a good night’s sleep. Make sure the room is either dark or the lights are soft, also ensure the temperature of the room if you are using an air conditioner and make sure to keep your pets out of the room you sleep in; not something you’d agree with, right? The temperature above 75 and below 54 degrees Fahrenheit can disrupt sleep. The effects of it will bring a tremendous amount of change in your lifestyle and health.

6. Avoid Napping

Are you one of those people who look for a power nap during anytime of the day? If yes, then taking a nap at the wrong time of the day can be counter-productive. The fact is, humans are hand-wired to feel a little tired in the middle of the afternoon. Most people’s cardiac rhythm dips between 1 PM to 3 PM resulting in that sleepy feeling. It is recommended to avoid taking naps during the day time to increase the quality of sleep at night. But keeping the naps short to 15-20 minutes can really be rejuvenating. According to various studies, it has been confirmed that a power nap can turn out to be good for health. But as we know, every good thing comes with some side effects if we overdo it.

7. Avoid Watching Television

Watching television and discussing topics that disturb mental peace can reduce the quality of sleep. You will keep on thinking about the same topic throughout the night and which will, in turn, lead to a disruptive sleep cycle. So, make sure you do not go down that road. The night should only be utilized for sleeping.

The emotional topic affects the brain and forces you to think more of those topics. It is really recommended to avoid watching television at night, before sleeping because it will occupy your brain and do some serious damage due to less sleep.

8. Don’t Go To Bed Hungry

Make sure you eat something filling at dinner, preferably something that will release nutrients over time, like a good meal with balanced nutrients. What you eat plays a crucial role when it comes to sleep. A balanced diet is an important factor. According to various studies, it is recommended to get a healthy diet; like the saying goes ‘Eat Breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar’. The stomach can digest well when our body is in awoken state and performs at a comparatively slower rate when the body is asleep. You may really want to consider eating spicy at dinner- Eat clean and healthy.

9. Do A Brain Dump

If you’re trying to process a lot of thought, it can certainly affect your sleep. How many times have you laid in bed at night unable to get the worries of your day off your mind? Try a brain dump to get a good night’s sleep that involves letting go of everything that you have gone throughout the day, everything that you did and the list continues. Your mind should be free of thought and must not wander to places, people, situations when it comes to sleeping.

If you will keep on thinking about your day or your conversation with your loved ones, then the chances are there that you will wake up with a frowning face in the morning when your alarm clock turns on.

10. Listen to soothing music while you fall asleep

“Ok Google! Play me some sleep music for an hour.” Let google do that part for you. Music will help you to sleep and make it a sound one. Google does help you to sleep, many people find it difficult to sleep at night and google helps by playing white noise, raining sounds, nature music etcetera. The music continues for an hour and by that time you will be in a deep sleep. You can easily access google assistant in your phone or you can own a google home mini. Google itself turns the music off after an hour. This is probably one of the best uses of Google Assistant.

Also Read: Losing Weight With Protein-Rich Diet Can Give You Better Sleep