Top 5 Tips For A Better Night’s Sleep

Sleep is one of the fundamental components of a person’s health and well-being. However, some people are deprived of it due to many reasons such as a noisy environment, an uncomfortable place to sleep, poor diet, lack of exercise, or an underlying health condition.

And why is that?

Even though you practice a healthy lifestyle, if you don’t have regular quality sleep, chances are your efforts are only being wasted because having a good night’s sleep is just as important as caring for your mental and physical health.

It’s believed that lack of sleep is notorious for different medical conditions such as diabetes, obesity, and heart ailments. So, if you’re one of those who have sleeping problems, try these tips to ensure that you’re always rewarding yourself with a good rest:

1. Make Your Bedroom Conducive To Sleep

Many people have trouble sleeping because their environment is unpleasant. Ensuring that your bedding and mattress are comfortable is not the only factor.

Remember that your room is primarily a place for sleep and rest. Create a conducive sleeping space by removing things that may remind you of work, such as books, paperwork, and electronics.

If you get easily disturbed by noise, you may soundproof your room to filter out the sound coming from the outside effectively.

Exposure to light is another reason why some people have a hard time sleeping. 

To help with this, you may install dim lights in your room. If you need to go to the bathroom at night, these won’t fully initiate wakefulness. If you tend to wake up after sunrise, install blackout curtains or use a sleep mask to keep your bedroom dark or cover your eyes.

2. Stick To A Consistent Sleep Schedule

Keeping a regular sleep schedule is essential to maintain the circadian rhythm or the human body’s natural sleep-wake cycle. 

Sleeping at the same time every day and getting at least eight hours of rest not only improve sleep quality but also allow the body to gain sufficient energy to fuel you up the next morning.

If your body is used to the sleeping pattern that you have, you’ll no longer need an alarm clock to wake up because you’ll surely get up at the same time each morning. Following a sleep schedule also prevents feelings of tiredness and sluggishness as you wake up in the morning.

3. Maintain An Active Lifestyle

A couple of minutes of exercise anytime of the day may help combat sleep difficulties. The stress hormone cortisol is activated when you exercise and this harmonizes the sleep cycle.

Just keep in mind not to exercise an hour before your bedtime because the stimulating nature of cardio workouts may not induce sleepiness.

However, if you have a medical condition that doesn’t allow you to do vigorous physical activities, there are low-impact activities that you can engage in, such as yoga for gentle stretching or relaxing at the spa.

4. Watch Out What You Eat And Drink

Drinking products with too much nicotine, alcohol, caffeine, and certain kinds of food such as chocolate, cheese, curry, as well as salty and sugary food could sabotage your sleep because they contain ingredients that act as a stimulant, making your mind and body active.

Aside from paying attention to what you drink and eat, being stuffed or hungry could also be a reason for sleep disruption, so make sure to eat adequately, at least, two to three hours before sleeping just to give the body some ample time for digestion. 

Drinking too much liquid at night can also disturb your sleep because you’ll have to go on a couple of trips to the bathroom. 

5. Consider Taking Supplements

If you have insomnia or other sleep disorders, it’s essential to consult your doctor so that they can help you deal with the underlying reason why you’re having trouble sleeping. 

In some cases, they recommend the use of supplements that may induce relaxation to make you fall asleep faster. The most common supplement is the melatonin supplement.

Melatonin is a hormone responsible for the sleep-wake cycle, so taking it before bedtime is believed to help improve sleep quality. It’s also believed that some CBD can help with sleep. 

Cannabidiol is thought to activate the receptors in the endocannabinoid system, which is essential in maintaining bodily functions such as sleep regulation and the improvement of the circadian rhythm.

Final Thoughts

If you have trouble sleeping, it’s important to know the reason behind it to deal with it easily. 

To help you achieve quality sleep, you may optimize your bedroom and make it a conducive place to rest, stick to a sleeping schedule to maintain your body clock, eat healthily, and try taking in supplemental vitamins.