Having a good night's sleep is one of the proven best ways to stay healthy. Proper brain functioning, excellent exercise performance, regulation of hormone production, good quality of life, and reduced risk of injury are what you benefit when you have a quality sleep.
However, most people wish they could get more hours in a day to do more, and they end up cutting back on their sleep for this. Poor sleep hygiene is what you'll get for this kind of self-imposed mistreatment. Poor sleep is a known cause of type-2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and insomnia.
In this article, we have collated tips to help you get better sleep. Dive in and find a solution to your sleep hygiene issues.
Limit your daytime naps
Sleeping during the day messes with the night. If you must sleep, make it a quick nap. Nothing more than 20 to 30 minutes. It shouldn't be too close to the evening. A perfect time would be shortly after your lunch, around 2 pm.
Physical activities
Do you wish to improve your sleep and health? Exercise regularly!!! The more physical activity you do, the higher the chance of more relaxing sleep. Just make sure you don't do anything too exerting a few hours to your bedtime.
No alcohol, caffeine, or smoke
Alcohol, caffeine, and nicotine negatively impact a healthy sleep cycle. These substances would mask your sleepiness and prevent you from sleeping well later in the night. It takes a long while for their effect to wear off. If you must take any of them, it's advisable you consume them before noon.
Reserve your bed for sleep
The bed is not an office, don't use it as your workspace. This will help you mentally associate the bed for what it's meant for, sleep, or sex.
Stick to a sleep schedule
It's necessary to maintain a sleep schedule. Make sure to sleep and wake at the same time every day. Make it 6 hours and stick to it. If you have to make a change, it must not be more than 1 hour more or less.
Exposure to daytime light
Your body is designed to naturally keep track of time; this is known as your circadian rhythm. Natural light in the daytime helps you maintain a proper circadian rhythm which promotes healthier sleep at night.
Watch your dinner
A light meal is the best thing to have for dinner. If your stomach is stuffed, you'd be unable to sleep quickly due to the discomfort. If your stomach is empty, you'd also wake up before your scheduled time.
Optimal bedroom environment
Dim the lights, subtly scent the room, reduce loud sounds, set your room's temperature to about 6 to 10 degrees Celsius below body temperature, and get a good mattress. Optimizing your sleep environment makes for better sleep.
Reduce blue light
Blue light exposure causes a lot of rapid eye movements while sleeping. Avoid digital screens about 2 hours before bed.
Conclusion
Sound sleep plays a vital role in maintaining good physical and mental health. It is recommended that you get quality sleep of about 7-8 hours per night to enhance optimal health and wellbeing. However, the above tips will help you improve your sleeping habit and improve better body performance.
This article does not rule out the possibility of sleep disorders. See your doctor if these tips don't help.
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