6 Lifestyle Changes for Better Sleep

Sleep is not a luxury for those who are busy or lead a hectic lifestyle. It is essential to good health, productivity and stress management. However, many of us struggle with sleep on a regular basis. Insufficient sleep is now recognized as a pandemic and it has been linked to a range of serious health problems including obesity, diabetes, hypertension, depression and even cancer.

Luckily there are also some things we can do that will help us get more restful sleep and have an overall happier state of mind. Here are 6 ways to improve your quality of sleep:

Reduce screen time before bedtime

There are multiple ways in which technology can interrupt your sleep. The first is by keeping you up with blue light. Beside providing mood lighting, blue light is emitted from the screens of your devices including your phone, TV, laptop and even the thermostat.

When you are exposed to blue light it signals your body that it’s time to wake up. This can cause difficulty in falling asleep and even affect your REM cycle. For this reason, try to avoid using your devices about an hour before bed. If you absolutely have to use them, wear blue light blocking glasses.

You can also download apps that will automatically filter out the blue light. Another thing that can disrupt your sleep is noise. It is recommended to sleep in a quiet environment to avoid being woken up by outside noises. Be sure to turn off your devices to avoid notifications.

If you feel that these things cannot be avoided, you can use earplugs or earphones to drown out the noise and help you fall asleep.

Exercise regularly

Exercising is not only great for your physical health but also for your mental and emotional health. This is especially true for sleep. Exercising regularly can help you sleep better and longer as well as reduce stress.

Exercising during the day can help to reduce stress and increase serotonin which is responsible for your mood and sleep. The best time to exercise is in the late afternoon or early evening.

This will help you to fall asleep faster and stay asleep. The best exercises to help you sleep include yoga, swimming, walking, and tai chi.

Eat well and healthy

Eating a balanced diet is essential to good health but it is also important for good sleep and restful sleep. Eating a balanced diet can help to regulate the hormones and chemicals that are released during sleep.

You should try to avoid caffeine and sugar in the afternoon and evenings. This is because caffeine is a stimulant that will keep you awake and sugar can cause sugar spikes and dips that can disrupt your sleep.

Caffeine is found in coffee, tea, soda, chocolate and energy drinks and it can take up to 8 hours for it to leave your system. It can be beneficial to reduce caffeine intake after lunch time so that you will be able to sleep better at night.

 

Avoid caffeine after lunch time

As mentioned above, caffeine is a stimulant and should be avoided before bedtime. It can take up to 8 hours for it to leave your system. Drinking caffeine in the afternoon can affect your sleep and keep you awake.

For people who do not like going to bed without something in their system, caffeine can be a way to help you wind down and fall asleep easier. It can be found in tea, coffee, and some sodas.

It is recommended that you avoid caffeine after lunch time to ensure that it does not affect your sleep. If you do choose to have a caffeinated drink, be sure to keep the amount you intake to a minimum.

Create a sleep ritual

Sleep is a ritual in itself. It is a daily ritual that is performed regularly by millions. In fact, it is the most common ritual in our lives. And yet, we don’t treat it like one.

We don’t have any kind of ritual for sleeping. We just hop into bed without any pre-sleep ritual. Such ritual can be of great benefit for both the mind and body. When you create a sleep ritual, you are creating a ritual for sleep. You are making it special.

You can mix it up and do what feels right to you. Some ideas are to put on your sleep clothes or pajamas, take a warm bath or use aromatherapy. Doing these things will help to take your mind off of the day and get it ready to sleep.

Set the right environment

There are many ways you can set the right environment for sleep. The first is to make sure that your room is dark. Darkness stimulates melatonin production which is essential for a good night’s sleep.

You can do this by keeping the curtains drawn or investing in an eye mask. Another thing you can do is to keep your room cool. The cooler the room is, the better sleep you will have.

You can do this by turning on a fan or opening the window slightly.

Conclusion

Besides, the above-mentioned points, there are plenty of other ways to improve your sleep. These include keeping a sleep diary, exercising regularly, practicing stress management techniques, getting enough sleep and more.

If you want to improve your sleep, then start with one of the 6 changes above. Once you see an improvement, you can add in another sleep improvement technique. Before long, you will be sleeping like a baby!