7 Answers For Better Sleep
If you are having trouble sleeping, below are seven things you can do that will help you enjoy a better and restful night’s sleep:
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Cut The Blue Light
Screens emit a blue light that also suppresses the production of melatonin. It is light that works as an alert stimulus that frustrates your ability to fall asleep. Circadian-rhythm researcher and neurologist, George Brainard, advises people to avoid the TV and laptops at least half an hour before bedtime and not to use their smartphones when in bed.
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Exercise
Not only is exercising essential for you to stay fit and healthy but also plays a significant role in helping you experience better sleep. According to a study done by Oregon State University and Bellarmine University, working out regularly can be a non-medicinal alternative for improving sleep. The research showed that 150 minutes a week of moderate exercises is enough to improve a person’s sleep.
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Turn Down The Heat
Have the bedroom in a conducive setting that encourages you to sleep about an hour before going into the room. The temperature should be around 15 – 19 degrees Celsius (60 – 66 degrees Fahrenheit). The body has different cycles that include the circadian (sleep-wake) cycle and a temperature cycle. During the night, the body temperature takes a dip and bottoms out as morning approaches (a couple of hours before waking up). The drop in body temperature stimulates the body by triggering sleep signals to the brain to release melatonin. So, keep the room cool and snuggle up under comfy covers.
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Eat Right
Take caution with your diet because what you eat can affect your sleep habit. For instance, caffeinated drinks make you more alert and tend to linger in the body system. As such, it is advisable to avoid taking such beverages six hours before bed. On the other hand, spicy foods can also affect your sleep habits by triggering different issues such as heartburn and bloating. Also, avoid taking high-fat diets during the day because they cause drowsiness.
Eat a diet that consists of beans, nuts, pumpkin seeds, fish, fruits and leafy green, and that it has nutrients such as vitamins B, magnesium, and calcium which are believed to improve sleep.
Louisiana State University did a study in 2014 that involved different participants with some drinking a glass of tart cherry juice twice daily for a fortnight. The findings showed that those who drank it slept longer (around 85 minutes more) than those who did not take the juice.
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Skip The Nightcap
If you are into the belief that a pre-bedtime drink helps with sleep, then consider taking water or a sleep-inducing tea as opposed to that nightcap, be it alcohol or coffee. For instance, taking alcohol will trigger a consolidate slumber for the first half of your sleep and then disrupt it considerably in the second half.
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Better Mattress
A better mattress can help you sleep, especially if your mattress is old. Mattresses over 10 years of age should be replaced with one like this from Mattress One – this will help aid sleep.
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Meditate Or Relax
In as much as health experts advocate for meditation, this is not for everyone. But meditation is a practice that can help free the mind from anxiety and stress-related issues. it has been found that meditation can help treat and prevent insomnia. Keeping a gratitude list or writing down things that bug you can be an effective meditative approach to help improve your sleep. A hot soak in a candle-lit bathroom following by resting in a room that has a soothing and refreshing scent also helps.
