How to Get Better Sleep At Night
Did you know that getting at least eight hours of sleep each night lowers your chance of developing type II diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and obesity? Your health depends on getting excellent, uninterrupted sleep. Unfortunately, it’s also one of the last things that the majority of us consider when attempting to boost productivity.
However, improving your sleep should be one of the first changes you make to develop a healthy and successful lifestyle for yourself, just like eating well, staying hydrated, and exercising gently.
In addition to all the physical health advantages, getting a better night’s sleep will help you feel less stressed, remember things better, and have more energy. When you think about it, the notion that you may become slimmer, healthier, and less stressed simply by getting more restful sleep at night seems like science fiction. Yet it isn’t. Let’s find out more about improving your sleep so you can enjoy all these advantages.
How Much Sleep Really Is Necessary?
Many people may tell you that they don’t require a lot of sleep. The majority of us actually require a lot more than we do, though. There are a select few fortunate individuals who can function normally on just six hours of sleep each night due to their genetics and a rare gene mutation.
However, given the tremendous demands on people’s time nowadays, many still consider six hours of sleep to be a good amount of time. Let’s find out how much sleep you actually require each night and how to make sure you get it.
Sleep For 7 to 9 Hours Every Night
While the amount of sleep that each adult needs varies significantly depending on their individual circumstances, most adults require between seven and nine hours of sleep per night. You must experiment if you want to be certain that you are getting adequate sleep for yourself. Start with the longest duration rather than the shortest.
Sleep Quality Is Important, Too
Theoretically, a person who gets adequate sleep each night ought to be able to fall asleep in about 20 minutes without much trouble and awaken when the alarm goes off in about 20 minutes without much difficulty. You should then have enough energy to get through the rest of the day and be as effective as you need to be.
Concerning Segmented Sleep
Instead of sleeping during one lengthy night, some people have tried sleeping for two shorter periods of time. This idea came about mostly by the fact that many of us lead busy lives that don’t allow for nine hours of sleep every night, and that some houses in the past may have employed two sleeping shifts.
Prehistoric humans would visit friends, engage in sexual activity, worship, and engage in other relaxing activities as they slept for the longest periods of time. Without sunlight, one cannot accomplish much, hence not much activity. They would then return to their previous state of sleep until daylight after a few hours.
More sleep issues to consider
The most important fact about that historical period is that there was no electricity, hence the length of the night was longer because there was no artificial illumination. With this pattern, they were sleeping in two about five-hour stints for a total of about 10 hours each night. Additionally, people did not live off the land like they do today and did not have regular employment, so their use of time was different.
Individuals who don’t need or want to adhere to the standard daily schedule that most people with average day jobs and typical social lives have can find success with this sleeping technique. So, if your schedule is flexible, it might work for you. Aim for two shifts of five hours each, which should provide you with the seven to nine hours of sleep per night that you require.
The most important thing to do is to determine what fits your lifestyle the best. Most likely, given the way people live nowadays, maintaining a regular sleeping and working schedule at night is simpler for you.
Creating a Comfortable Sleep Environment
No matter what time you want to go to bed, it is imperative to create a sleep-friendly environment. You should make sure that wherever you sleep is the proper temperature, cozy, and conducive to falling asleep. Your mattress is actually where it all begins.
Get the Right Mattress and Bed
Knowing your budget, your preferred sleeping position, and any physical conditions that can affect your ability to sleep will help you choose the best mattress.
Know the Mattress Styles You Prefer – You must select an innerspring mattress if you prefer a springy bed, while memory foam is the best option if you prefer a firm mattress. An innerspring mattress with a memory foam top might is good if you prefer something that provides both. Some mattresses, like the Sleep Number bed made famous by nighttime advertisements and the bionic lady, are filled with air, allowing you and your partner to adjust the hardness of the mattress together.
Understand Your Sleeping Style – Unbelievable as it may seem, the sort of mattress and pillows you choose depend on the position you choose to sleep in. For instance, an innerspring mattress may be preferable than a foam mattress if you prefer to sleep on your side since it may reduce pressure points on your hips and shoulders.
Dealing with Allergies — Finding a mattress that doesn’t aggravate your allergies is especially useful if you have allergies to dust, pets, or the environment. Memory foam has antibacterial properties and is mold and dust mite resistant. To assist prevent the same issues, you should cover the innerspring mattress with an allergy-resistant cover. If you do have sensitivities, you should also see if the product you desire is approved for use with other materials
A mattress is a major purchase that shouldn’t be made on a whim. Before ordering, give it serious consideration and visit actual stores to test out mattresses. To avoid wasting money, try to buy mattresses that have a lengthy return policy. A quality mattress ought to last five to ten years.
Lower the Room’s Temperature
One of the most challenging aspects to manage because it will have an impact on your budget and largely depends on the type of house you reside in. But between 60 and 67 degrees Fahrenheit is the sweet spot for most folks to fall asleep.
Circadian Rhythms – For the majority of healthy people, keeping the environment cooler will help you manage your biological clock. Lack of enough cooling while sleeping can interfere with your natural rhythms and make it more difficult to fall asleep.
Allergies – If you frequently experience allergies, keeping your room at a lower temperature (about 61 degrees Fahrenheit) is a great approach to lessen allergy issues. If using an air conditioner is necessary, this will lower humidity, which also lowers allergies and dust mites.
Blankets – Most people find that they sleep much better when wrapped in cozy blankets. You must do this in order to make the space cooler so that you can cover up. Although it might appear counterproductive, this is the case. Additionally, some folks adore utilizing weighted blankets.
Sleeping Longer – If the room is maintained colder, you will be able to fall asleep more quickly and sleep for a longer period of time than you would otherwise. Doing it at room temperature will also help because your body naturally lowers its temperature when it gets ready for sleep.
More Benefits Of Having The Right Temperature
Sleep Quality – You’ll prevent night sweats and other problems that can disturb your sleep when the room is on the chilly side and you utilize the proper blankets and mattress. Your body will begin to naturally warm up as you get closer to waking up.
Health and Aging – Research indicates that sleeping in a space that is between 60 and 68 degrees Fahrenheit can encourage your body to naturally create more melatonin, a hormone that is also thought to have anti-aging properties. By the way, melatonin enhances the quality of your sleep.
Help with Metabolism – If it’s chilly enough, your body releases the melatonin hormone while you sleep. Your body also uses this period to breakdown fat. Although the process is complicated, you should be aware that your body will store the proper kind of fat, increasing your resting calorie burn rate.
As you can see, maintaining a cooler ambient temperature in your bedroom will have a real positive impact on your health in addition to helping you sleep better. Who knew that getting a good night’s sleep each night in a cold environment might help you get fit, lose weight, and enhance your health?
Prepare Yourself to Get Better Sleep
Your room’s atmosphere is another factor that influences your ability to sleep. Included in this are your decorating choices and intended uses. In general, organize your bedroom so that it is obvious to you that you are there to sleep and rest. There are several inexpensive ways to accomplish this.
Make the Space Peaceful – While everyone has a different definition of what constitutes peace, you may use color theory to select a color scheme that you like and that is both tranquil and peaceful. Generally speaking, the most serene environment will be created using colors of green and blue from the natural world.
Keep Work Out of Your Bedroom – Try to make your room as work-free as you can by the time it’s time to go to bed, even if you do have a home office that must be in the bedroom. So that you cannot see it from your bed, conceal the work area with a room divider.
Get Rid of All the Clutter – Mess and disarray create stress and anxiety. Your bedroom should be organized such that it is simple to keep clutter to a minimum.
Make Sure It Gets Very Dark – When choosing window coverings, opt for blackout shades and liners to ensure that the space becomes very dark. You don’t want the lights from the window to spook you out of your sleep.
Install Fans and Ventilation – You want to maintain a cool, fresh atmosphere in the room. Avoid letting fans blow directly into your face but maintaining a light breeze in the bedroom will enhance sleep.
When you finally settle down to sleep, you want the environment to be calm.
More Tips To Get Better Sleep
Purchase the Right Mattress and Pillows – A comfortable mattress and pillows that suit your sleeping preferences are also crucial for creating the ideal resting environment. Spending more money here can really pay off because you won’t need to replace them very frequently.
Everyday Room Cleaning – Create a cleaning regimen so that your space remains clear of dust and clutter. It shouldn’t take too much effort because all you’ll be doing in the room is sleeping, relaxing, and having sex.
Setting the right atmosphere for sleep ensures that you utilize the area for its original purpose. That is getting peaceful and rejuvenating sleep each and every night of your life.
Understanding what you need to have a good night’s sleep and being ready to invest in it are prerequisites for creating the ideal sleeping environment. Your health is always worth the investment. By getting more rest each night, you can make sure that both your physical and mental performance is at its highest level each day.
The Dos and Don’ts of the Best Bedtime Routine
Establishing an effective bedtime routine is one approach to promote more comfortable sleep at night. Here are some dos and don’ts for bedtime that you might want to take into account as you prepare yourself for better sleep.
Do not use electronics two hours before going to bed
Many individuals enjoy watching movies before bed, but the truth is that using technology and movies to fall asleep are bad for getting a good night’s sleep. At least two hours before bedtime, turn off all technology and devote that time to quiet, low-tech activities.
Do: Establish a peaceful environment
It’s time to quiet down the environment now that the technology has been turned off. Even while you do need to put your gadgets away, it’s good to play some soothing music in the background two hours before bed. When you finally settle down to sleep, you want the environment to be calm.
However, the music shouldn’t be anything that makes you feel energized or want to sing along at the end of the day. The goal is to establish a peaceful atmosphere. If you can’t handle silence yet, perhaps listen to some natural sounds. Two hours before going to bed, you should definitely strive for silence.
Do: Take a warm shower or bath
In today’s demanding atmosphere, the majority of people often shower in the morning before going to work. The truth is that taking a bath before bed is much more conducive to a restful night’s sleep than it is to hair styling and other things. It’s customary to take a warm bath before going to bed in many cultures, including Japan.
All the bacteria, pollen, and other environmental toxins are removed from you by taking a warm bath. Warm baths or showers can also be quite soothing for your muscles and aid in falling asleep. To take a warm bath before night, you don’t need to wash your hair first. If you’d rather, you can still do it in the morning.
Never consume caffeine before bed
Caffeine use after 2:00 pm generally won’t improve sleep for most people. If you can, stay away from it altogether; if not, stay away from it at least after 2 PM. If insomnia is a problem for you, you might need to quit even earlier.
Try various non-caffeinated beverage options. For instance, if it’s cold where you are, consider drinking hot lemon water instead of hot tea. Even though you won’t be adding anything to your digestive system to make it more difficult to fall asleep, you’ll still be warmed up.
Avoid consuming alcohol before bed
The same applies to drinking alcohol right before bed. Avoid drinking alcohol of any kind after 6 o’clock since it can disrupt your circadian rhythm. Even if you believe the relaxation is helping you sleep better, it isn’t.
It’s acceptable to enjoy a glass of wine with your supper, but if you start to get insomnia, you may need to cut out alcohol entirely. Alcohol affects everyone differently, but most individuals will gain from avoiding it right before night.
Avoid consuming liquids before bed
Getting up to go to the bathroom is one of the top culprits for ruining a good night’s sleep. To prevent this, make sure to use the restroom shortly before getting into bed, but also refrain from consuming any drinks at least an hour before going to sleep.
However, don’t let yourself become dehydrated before bed if you want to sleep through the night. Maintaining enough hydration throughout the day will prevent you from needing anything that would wake you up immediately before bed.
Do: Improve your bedroom
Make your bedroom a peaceful haven for sleeping. Purchase the greatest window coverings, bedding, pillows, and mattress that you can afford. You will sleep more when everything is done to make it easier for you to unwind and fall asleep.
Create a peaceful haven in your bedroom for rest and relaxation. When you do this, you’ll notice that you start to feel relaxed as soon as you enter your room. The quality of your sleep is significantly influenced by the paint colors you select, the bedding you select, and the mood you create.
Do: Lower the temperature in your bedroom
Depending on where you live, you might want to think about buying an air conditioner for your wall or window if your bedroom doesn’t already have one. For the finest, highest-quality sleep, it’s preferable to keep your room between 60 and 68 degrees, as was already mentioned.
Setting the thermostat lower benefits your body in general, aiding in the recovery from colds and allergies and promoting healthy hormone production. It also helps you sleep better.
Do: Eat two hours before sleep
Eating and drinking both have the potential to disrupt restful sleep. When you don’t want to sleep while you are still digesting meals, you also don’t want to go to bed hungry. To minimize needing to get up to use the restroom or other problems, try to restrict meals at least two hours before going to bed.
In order to prevent hunger from interfering with your ability to go asleep, eat a small, high-protein snack, such as a slice of cheese or a handful of almonds, if you find that you are starting to feel hungry at the two-hour mark. However, avoid eating any closer to bedtime than that.
Do: Calm down
Make sure your surroundings are conducive to unwinding for the last few hours of the evening. Then you can take your evening bath, unwind with a good book while lounging in your cozy pajamas, and perhaps even engage in some light meditation to prepare your mind for rest and relaxation.
For you and your entire family, make the final two hours before bedtime peaceful. Reduce the volume of your conversations, turn down the lights, and emphasize relaxation.
The most important part of your evening routine is making sure it is concentrated on the main objective, which is to get as much restful sleep as you can so that your body can rejuvenate as it should each evening.
No matter what time you want to go to bed, it is imperative to create a sleep-friendly environment.
How to Respond If You Wake at Night
There are techniques to lessen the effects of insomnia or light sleep if you frequently wake up during the night so that you can feel better and have more peaceful sleep. Try the following to aid in falling back to sleep if you wake up throughout the night so that it doesn’t become a problem.
Stay away from your phone and other electronics
Remember to avoid glancing at your phone or other devices even if you’ve tried to go asleep for 20 minutes, closed your eyes, moved, and failed. It’s important to refrain from doing that even though you’re awake to prevent your mind from becoming accustomed to being entertained in the middle of the night.
Rise from the bed
Get up if you’ve been trying to get back to sleep for more than 20 minutes but are still awake. However, don’t get up and do something mentally stimulating or overly active. Instead, stand up and head to a cozy chair with low lighting, a book of poetry, or something else calming. Stay up and begin your day if it is less than an hour or two before your regular wake time.
Avoid checking the time
Avoid gazing at the clock when you’re laying in bed and having insomnia. Just turn it around if you need to so that you can avoid checking it over and over, which might add to your worry and make it impossible to get back to sleep.
Try Deep Breathing Exercises
If you need to get up, you might attempt these breathing techniques to help you relax and get back to sleep. You can do this in bed before getting up to find out if it’ll help you get immediately back to sleep or not, or you can get up and do this also. Try triangular breathing. The way it works is that you breathe in through your nose for a count of four, holding the air in your lungs for a count of four, then blowing out of your mouth for a count of four. Do this until you grow exhausted or fall asleep.
Write in Your Journal
If you are waking due to stress and you’ve attempted to utilize deep breathing to get back to sleep, and it’s not helping, get out your journal and write three things you’re grateful for so that you may change your mind around to thinking of pleasant things instead of stressful situations.
If you are consistently waking no matter what you do, you may need to figure out a healthier nighttime regimen. Double check that you’re not eating anything, drinking anything, or thinking about anything that is anti-sleep causing. If, after a couple of days, you’re not getting better, here are some advice on dealing with insomnia.
Dealing with Insomnia
If your night-time wakefulness has now developed into insomnia – whether temporary, intermittent, or chronic, you may want to find a solution to deal with it using any of these ways.
In most circumstances, if nothing major is wrong with your health, you should be able to clear up insomnia within a few days of paying attention to your sleep routines and patterns.
If it lasts longer, you may need to seek medical treatment because insomnia is one sign of numerous sorts of disorders such as allergies, GERD, or chronic discomfort. Even endocrine issues like undiagnosed hyperthyroidism can cause insomnia.
Find a Good Sleep Position
If you’ve slept the same way your entire life and are now having issues getting to sleep, there could be a reason. If you have arthritis (which can happen with aging) or other health issues, you may find that your old sleep position isn’t working for you any longer. Experiment with different ways to sleep, ensuring proper spine alignment to avoid body pain.
Get More Sunlight During the Day
Anytime you are having issues falling asleep at night, the first thing to look at is how much sunlight you are getting each day. The more sunlight you can get during the day before about 2 pm, the better for your internal clock. However, getting too much sunlight before bed can have the opposite effect and keep you up at the wrong hours.
Exercise Regularly
Even though you work hard, if your job is mental in nature, you still need a good workout every single day. The thing is, it doesn’t have to be as hard as you may initially think, and it should not be at night. Try doing your workout as early in the day as you can so that you can be sleepy at night. Work out for at least 30 to 40 minutes at moderate intensity.
Avoid Blue Light Exposure at Night
If you are looking at computers, smartphones, and other electronic screens, you may be exposing yourself to too much blue light. The blue light can mess up your rhythm and cause you to suffer from insomnia. You can buy glasses that filter the light, or you can install an app to help. The best thing to do is to avoid it at night.
Stop Using Caffeine after 2 PM
This tip is worth repeating. If you like to use caffeine, try to avoid it after 2 pm, especially when you are having issues falling and staying asleep at night. If you limit it and you’re still having problems after a few days, try eliminating it altogether to get the best results.
Avoid Taking Naps
When you are trying to stop insomnia, you’ll need to stop taking any naps until you can fall asleep within about 20 minutes without issues every night. You can get into a lousy wake-and-nap cycle that is not therapeutic at all and instead cuts down on your productivity and ruins your schedules.
Go to Bed and Get Up at the Same Time
Try to go to bed at the same time each evening and get up at the same time every morning. You can adjust this to fit your lifestyle by an hour or so. However, you really will do better if you go to bed and get up at consistent times almost all the time.
Try a Supplement
If making your room colder isn’t helping, try taking melatonin supplements to help the process improve. Find a high-quality melatonin supplement that has been third party tested and take it according to package directions.
Seek Medical Attention
If you have tried all these tips and you’re still experiencing insomnia, you may want to seek medical attention. You could have a significant health problem that you aren’t dealing with properly. Conditions like sleep apnea, asthma, GERD, and others can contribute to and even cause insomnia.
In addition to regular blood tests and a physical exam, your doctor may want to order a sleep study. This is to find out if you have other health issues affecting your sleep. If that happens, you’ll go to a sleep center and get hooked up to a bunch of wires; then you’ll need to sleep while they monitor you.
Although this is not particularly painful, it is difficult for some people who may need other techniques to diagnose the issue because they are unable to sleep at all in these circumstances. You can get assistance with this from a healthcare professional.
Conclusion
If you want to sleep better, you must give sleep the same thought that you give to other forms of productivity in your life. The importance of getting enough sleep and rest cannot be overstated for maintaining good health.
Your physical and mental health will improve if you get seven to nine hours of sleep every night. Because you won’t be fighting sleep, your body will be better able to fend off illness. Also, you’ll be much more productive every day at work and in life in general.
As your body heals and regenerates while you sleep, you’ll not only have excellent mental clarity but also experience fewer illnesses overall. Every task we complete, from working to spending time with family and friends, requires our full attention. A restful night’s sleep will greatly improve everything.
