Here are 11 tips for those seeking a more restful night’s sleep:
- Stick to a regular sleeping schedule. Going to bed and waking up at the same times each day will soon lead to higher quality sleep. If possible, try to schedule your sleep times in line with your body’s natural sleep cycles.
- Create a healthy sleeping environment. For a restful sleep, you need the temperature, light, noise and humidity levels in your bedroom to be just right. If you are too cold or too hot at night, getting to sleep and staying asleep will be harder.
- Keep pets out of your bedroom. Pets can often disturb you during the night if you allow them to sleep in your bedroom.
- Invest in a comfortable mattress. If your mattress is too firm or too soft for your body, getting a good night’s sleep will be even more difficult. Read these Nectar reviews and find the best mattress for you.
- Commit to regular workouts. Undertaking some form of exercise each day, be it running, walking, cycling, dancing, or swimming, will help keep your stress levels low and make getting to sleep at night easier. However, avoid any vigorous workouts just before bed. Reschedule that high-intensity spin class for the morning hours.
- Limit your caffeine intake. Caffeine is found in all kinds of beverages, including tea, coffee, coca-cola, and energy drinks, and is a stimulant that will make it hard for you to get to sleep. Try drinking herbal tea or warm milk before bed instead.
- Don’t overeat at night. Overindulging in food or booze late in the evening will impact your body’s natural sleep cycles. While alcohol might cause you to initially fall asleep faster, the quality of the sleep will be poor.
- Stop smoking. While quitting smoking can be challenging, the nicotine found in cigarettes is a stimulant that causes lighter, more disrupted sleep.
- Relax before bed. Possible activities to do before bed to help you sleep include taking a hot bath, gentle yoga exercises, and listening to relaxation music.
- Put pen to paper. If you take some time just before bed to outline your plans for the next day on paper, you won’t have to lie in bed worrying about how things will play out.
- Don’t stay in bed. If you find yourself still awake after you’ve been in bed for a while, get up. Worrying about not being able to sleep will make the task even more elusive, so get out of bed and do something else relaxing until you feel tired again.