You definitely don’t want to stay lazy and stressed all day long. Do you?
A healthy adult requires 7-9 hours of daily sleep on average, and most of us don’t even make it to 6 hours. Some have distractions that don’t let them sleep while some others just aren’t able to sleep despite staying in bed for long.
We all keep hearing about how a healthy lifestyle consists of getting enough sleep but how many of us actually try to get these tips to work?
Unfortunately, most of us don’t!
I am not sure about you, but I have never been able to adapt to healthy sleeping habits until I came across these simple tips.
Being deprived of a good night’s sleep doesn’t only keep you lazy and stressed all day long but it also has adverse effects on your health as well. But before you diagnose yourself with insomnia, here are some simple tips to help you improve your sleep patterns:
1. Say NO To Stimulants Before Bed Time
This is one of the most commonly made mistakes by most people with sleep disorders, including me. Intake of nicotine, caffeine or alcohol before bed time makes sure you can’t get a good night’s sleep.
Let’s talk about caffeine, which is one of the most popular drug in the world. We consume caffeine on a daily basis in things like coffee, tea, chocolate, etc. Caffeine is a stimulant that most of us use to stay alert at work all day long. But if you are going to have a cup of tea or coffee right before jumping to bed, you are just getting one step closer to a poor night’s sleep. You will stay up longer in bed, staring at the ceiling or even playing games on your phone.
Similarly, alcohol and nicotine are also stimulants and excessive routine use of nicotine can cause insomnia and other sleep disorders.
Stop caffeine or nicotine intake at least 6-8 hours before your bed time. This ensures that any previous intake is broken down and you are all set to get a good night’s sleep.
2. Fix Your Sleeping Environment
Do you wake up with a sore and achy body?
It’s probably because your sleeping environment is not set, be it mattress or your pillow. If you have neck pain or back pain after you wake up, you need a better pillow. Identify your sleeping position and then select a suitable pillow. If you are a stomach sleeper, get a pillow that is ideal for stomach sleepers.
If you are a back or side sleeper, an organic buckwheat pillow can come to the rescue. A buckwheat pillow is stuffed with buckwheat hulls that adjust themselves according to the position of your neck, giving you relief from neck and back pain.
If you experience hot flashes or night sweats during sleep, try a hydraluxe pillow or any gel-based pillow that stays cool. You can also use a water-filled pillow to keep your head cool all night long.
3. Being Consistent
Being consistent is vital, be it your business or sleep. Most of us don’t understand the importance of consistency and hence get deprived of good sleep.
Make a schedule and follow it religiously. If you tend to forget things, use your smartphone and schedule it. Set an alarm at 30 minutes before your sleeping time, so you can give yourself grace time to finish things off before going to bed.
Make sure you cancel any source of light before going to bed. Leaving lights turned on is another distraction and keeps you waking up in short intervals. If you are scared of dark, you can leave a dim light bulb turned on in a corner of your room.
I am not saying that you are going to see an 180-degrees shift in your sleep patterns, but I am sure you will be able to sleep better and longer by following these simple tips.
Featured photo credit: Healthable via healthable.org
