12 simple tips to improve your sleep
Sleeping asleep may seem like an impossible dream when you wake up at three in the morning, but good sleep is more in your control than you think. Following healthy sleep habits can make a difference between insomnia and restful sleep. Researchers have identified a variety of practices and habits – known as “sleep hygiene” – that can help anyone maximize the number of hours spent sleeping, even those whose sleep is affected by insomnia, jet lag or alternate work. Here are some simple tips to make your dream sleep a reality at night:
Avoid caffeine, alcohol, nicotine and other chemicals that interfere with sleep Improve
Caffeine products reduce the quality of a person’s sleep. As any coffee lover knows, caffeine is a stimulant that can keep you awake. Avoid caffeine (found in coffee, tea, chocolate, cola and some painkillers) for four to six hours before bedtime. Similarly, smokers should refrain from using tobacco products near bedtime.
Although alcohol may help to sleep, after several hours it acts as a stimulant, increases the number of awakenings and generally reduces the quality of sleep later at night. Therefore it is best to limit alcohol consumption to one or two drinks a day, or less, and avoid drinking within three hours of bedtime.
Turn your bedroom into a sleep-stimulating environment
A quiet, dark and cold environment can help boost sound hibernation. Why do you think bats are clustered in caves to sleep during the day? To achieve such an environment, reduce the level of external noise by ear plugs or “white noise”. Use heavy curtains, blackout shades, or eye mask to block out light (light is a strong signal that tells the brain it’s time to wake up).
Keep the temperature comfortably cool and the room well ventilated. Make sure that your bedroom is equipped with comfortable mattresses and pillows. (Remember that most mattresses wear out after ten years.) Also, if a pet wakes you up regularly during the night, you might want to consider keeping him out of your bedroom. It will help reduce your bedroom activities to sleep and sex only. Keeping computers, televisions and work materials out of the room reinforces the mental connection between the bedroom and sleep.
Create a calming routine before bed
Reading light before bed is a good way to prepare yourself for sleep. Ease the transition from waking time to bedtime with a period of relaxation activities for an hour or so before bedtime. Bathed (rise, then hypothermia promotes drowsiness), read a book or exercise relaxation exercises. Avoid stressful and stimulating activities – doing work, discussing emotional issues, etc. Physically and psychologically stressful activities can cause the release of stress hormone cortisol, which is associated with increased alertness. If you tend to take your problems to bed, try to write them down, then set them aside.
Go to sleep when you are really tired
The fight for sleep is only conducive to frustration. If you are not asleep after 20 minutes, get out of bed, go to another room, and do a comfortable job, such as reading or listening to music until you feel sleepy.
Don’t be a 24-hour night watcher
Stare at the clock in your bedroom (either when you are trying to sleep or when you wake up in the middle of the night) can increase stress, making it difficult to sleep. Turn the watch face away from you. If you wake up in the middle of the night and can’t go back to sleep in about 20 minutes, wake up and engage in a quiet and relaxing activity like reading or listening to music. And keep the lights dim. Bright light can stimulate your inner clock. When your eyelids hang and you’re ready to sleep, go back to bed.
Use light to your advantage
Natural light keeps your internal clock in a healthy sleep cycle. So, let the light first thing in the morning and out of the office for the sun holiday during the day.
Keep your inner clock set with a steady sleep schedule
Having a regular sleep schedule helps ensure better quality and steady sleep. Going to bed and waking up at the same time each day puts the “internal clock” in your body to expect to sleep at a certain time night after night. Try to stick to as much of your routine as possible on weekends to avoid sleeping leftovers on Monday morning. Waking up at the same time each day is the best way to set the clock, and even if you don’t sleep well the night before, helping you sleep extra helps you unite the next night.
Snap early or not at all
Many people make naps a regular part of their day. However, for those who find that sleeping or staying asleep during the night, afternoon napping may be a culprit. This is because the end-of-day nap reduces sleep while driving. If you need a nap, it’s best to keep it short and do it early in the day.
Lighten in evening meals
Pepperoni pizza at 22:00 may be a recipe for insomnia. End dinner a few hours before bedtime and avoid indigestion foods. If you feel hungry at night, snacks (in your experience) won’t bother you.
# 10 Balance Balance Intake
Drink enough fluids at night to prevent waking from thirst – but not too much and near bedtime, as you’ll wake up from having to go to the bathroom.
Early exercise
Exercise can help promote a restful sleep if done several hours before going to bed. This can help you sleep faster and sleep better, as long as it’s done at the right time. Exercises stimulate the body to release the stress hormone cortisol, which helps stimulate the brain’s stimulating mechanism. That’s good, unless you’re trying to sleep. Try to finish the exercise at least three hours before bedtime, or exercise early in the day.
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Follow through
Some of these tips will be easier to include in your daily and night routines than others. However, if you stick to it, your chances of a comfortable sleep will improve. However, not all sleep problems are easily addressed and can indicate a sleep disorder such as apnea, restless leg syndrome, narcolepsy or another problem in clinical sleep.
If your sleep difficulties don’t improve with good sleep hygiene, you may need to consult your doctor or psychiatrist. Doctors often refer their patients to The Psych Professionals for more in-depth interventions to manage behavioral sleep, a more advanced approach than sleeping hygiene.
So, if you tried the above twelve tips and still find yourself counting the sheep night after night, it is time to make an appointment with one of our experienced psychologists.
