How To Improve Circulation And Get Better Sleep
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Sleep is essential to one’s health. Getting a good sleep quality every night is crucial to allow your mind and body to recharge and prepare for the next day. However, getting a good night’s sleep isn’t always easy for everyone.
Several factors can affect your sleep quality, and poor circulation is one of them. Numbness, tingling, leg cramps or cold feet at night can have many causes, including poor circulation, nerve problems or simply lying in one position too long.
These symptoms can make it harder to get a decent sleep, so you wake up feeling tired. If they happen often, see a doctor. Poor circulation can be a sign of conditions such as peripheral artery disease (PAD), and early diagnosis helps.
Alongside medical advice, these everyday habits may help support healthy blood flow and better sleep.
1. Get A New Mattress
Although other factors cause poor circulation (e.g., health conditions, smoking, blood clots), your mattress can affect how comfortable you are at night. A mattress that’s too firm for you may not let your body sink in enough.
Your hips and shoulders then take more pressure, which can lead to numbness and frequent tossing and turning.
To promote a more comfortable sleep and improve circulation, consider getting a new mattress that will allow your body to sink on the surface comfortably. One type you can consider is an adjustable electric bed.
This bed is a mechanical bed frame that lets you adjust the position of the mattress. You can raise the lower part of the bed to elevate your feet, which some people find more comfortable.
2. Drink More Water
When you’re dehydrated, there is less fluid in your blood, and your heart has to work harder to move it around your body.
Thus, make sure you’re drinking enough water during the day. Many people like to start the morning with a glass of water and taper off in the last hour or two before bed to avoid bathroom trips. Staying hydrated may also help with muscle cramps.
3. Go For A Quick Stroll
Physical activity helps your blood circulation. You don’t need strenuous workouts to benefit. Even a brisk walk counts toward the CDC’s goal of at least 150 minutes of moderate activity a week. Try a walk in the morning or two to three hours before bed, since hard exercise right before sleep can keep some people awake.
4. Perform Some Stretches
If you don’t have time for a walk, gentle movement at home can get your blood flowing too.
One activity you can incorporate into your bedtime routine is gentle yoga, which can help put your mind and body at ease. Other moves you may also consider are:
- Squats
- Leg lifts
- Ankle rotations
- Ankle pumps
- Leg elevation against a wall
Find out which stretch you can perform comfortably and ensure to do it every night before sleep.
5. Massage Your Body
If you often have numbness or tingling in certain body parts, a gentle massage with your hands or a self-massage device may help you relax. It can also give blood flow a short-term boost. Persistent numbness is worth checking with a doctor.
6. Drink Tea
Another habit you can add to your bedtime routine is drinking tea. At night, choose a caffeine-free herbal tea, since green and black tea contain caffeine, and the CDC advises avoiding caffeine in the afternoon and evening. Some studies link regular tea drinking with heart health, but tea is not a treatment for poor circulation.
7. Practice Proper Sleeping Position
Even if you have the nicest mattress, sleeping in an awkward position can leave you with numbness or stiffness.
For instance, putting your arms behind your head or under your back while sleeping will restrict the blood flow in your arms and affect the rest of your body’s blood circulation. So, ensure you practice proper sleeping positions, such as sleeping on your side, keeping your arms at the sides, and using a pillow that helps keeps your spine and neck aligned.
Key Takeaway
Poor circulation and the discomfort it brings can disrupt your sleep. These tips may help you sleep more comfortably, but numbness, leg pain or swelling that keeps coming back needs a doctor’s evaluation.
Sources
- What Is Peripheral Artery Disease?, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
- Adult Activity: An Overview, CDC
- About Sleep, CDC
