Do you often find yourself tossing and turning in your bed, unable to sleep? Are you constantly waking up in the middle of the night, knowing that you won’t manage to go back to sleep? You are not alone – it is estimated that around 70 million Americans suffer from sleep disorders. These numbers are devastating but come as no surprise, considering the hectic schedule and fast paced life of the average person. The National Sleep Foundation recommends 7 to 9 hours of sleep every night, however, many people have trouble sleeping at all. Luckily, poor sleep can be treated and improved, so before you reach for sedatives and other sleep medication, find out how to sleep better at night naturally.
Sleep Routine
Developing a healthy sleep routine is essential to getting better sleep. Ideally, you should aim for 8 to 9 hours of sleep, and stick to your natural sleep-wake cycle, also known as circadian rhythm. This means that you should go to sleep and wake up at the same time every day. To maintain your sleep routine, try to stay awake during the day and avoid long naps. Also, don’t sleep in on the weekends, as this can disturb your natural sleep-wake cycle. If you’re wondering how to sleep well every night, you have to stick to your natural bedtime schedule. After a while, you’ll be able to fall asleep easily and wake up without the irritating sound of your alarm.
To have a better understanding of your circadian rhythm, you can use a sleep tracking app that will help you analyze your sleep patterns. That’s one of the many perks of living in the 21 century – we can use technology to track our simple daily habits!
Stay Active
Staying physically active has many health benefits, one of them being better sleep. People who exercise regularly are less likely to have trouble falling asleep, as exercise can increase sleep quality. This is why you should choose a physical activity that you enjoy, and stick to it. You’ll get to stay in shape and sleep peacefully – amazing right?
Try to exercise during the day or at least 3 hours before going to bed, because exercising before bedtime can disrupt your sleep.
Avoid Big Meals
Having a feast right before bedtime is definitely a bad idea – you don’t want to deal with heartburn or indigestion. Avoid eating big meals late at night, especially meals with sugar and carbs, because these can interfere with your sleep cycle.
Instead, have a light snack and make sure your dinner is ready a few hours before bedtime.
Limit Fluids
If you want to know how to sleep better at night naturally, you need to be mindful of what you drink during the day and right before bedtime. If you’re already having trouble sleeping, try to limit your caffeine intake. Drinking too much caffeine during the day will disrupt your circadian rhythm and make it harder to fall asleep.
Alcohol is a huge no, because it can have a negative effect on your sleep. Another thing to avoid is drinking too much water, as it results in frequent bathroom trips during the night.
Calm Your Mind
Is there something that’s keeping you up at night?
Sometimes, the stress and worries of everyday life can be overwhelming. Our brains are constantly stimulated during the day, so it’s difficult to slow down and unwind at night time. It may be even harder if you’re anxious, or going through a stressful time. You might be losing sleep over someone, or something, that’s out of your control. This is why you should always try to take care of your mental health and face problems head-on.
Try to Relax
How to sleep better at night naturally if you’re constantly stressed? Consider trying out some relaxation techniques before going to bed. Activities such as journaling and coloring can help you calm down and clear your mind. Pick up your journal and write about your day. Have a warm bath and light a lavender scented candle – this relaxation method might do the trick!
There are many breathing techniques that are proven to slow down the mind and relax the body. If you still haven’t tried meditating, now is the right time. You’d be surprised how big of a difference breathing can make – you might be just a couple of deep breaths away from absolute tranquility. So next time you’re having trouble falling asleep, listen to a guided meditation, and slowly drift off into peaceful sleep.
Go Offline
As mentioned earlier, when your brain is overstimulated, it likely won’t slow down. This is why you need to take a break from social media and go offline a few hours before bedtime. Stopping the flow of new information will help your brain quiet down, so before going to bed, make sure you put all of your gadgets away.
Lights Out
Another thing that makes it harder for your brain to quiet down is light exposure. If you’re trying to fall asleep faster, your mind shouldn’t be alert and stimulated. This is why you need to turn off all the lights in your bedroom and close the blinds.
Say goodbye to your screens: television, phones, tablets and video games should be turned off an hour before bedtime. The blue light from your devices can restrict the body’s production of melatonin, which promotes restful sleep. You can get a pair of blue light glasses to help you block this harmful light, or simply put your devices away and give your brain some time to cool down.
Sleep Environment
A peaceful environment is extremely important for getting a good night’s sleep. How to sleep well every night if you’re constantly awakened by noisy neighbors or traffic, your room is too hot or too cold, and your bed isn’t as comfortable as it should be? To improve your sleep, you should look into every tiny detail of your sleeping environment and try to make it as peaceful and as soothing as possible.
The ideal bedroom should be dark, cool and quiet. Not everyone is able to have this, but all of us can make some easy adjustments that can improve our sleep habits. If you can’t avoid noise from traffic, use ear plugs or play white noise while sleeping to mask the sounds. Invest in a good mattress and pillow that suit your body – this will help you fall into deep slumber and wake up feeling well and rested. Reserve your bed for sleep and don’t bring your laptop, work, or food in your sheets. This should be your calm, peaceful environment that you use only to rest and recharge.
Developing good sleep hygiene can greatly improve the quality of your life. This is why you should learn how to sleep better at night naturally and try out some of the sleep tips above. So get ready and put on your coziest pajamas, because sweet dreams are coming your way!