Simple Strategies for some Steady Shuteye
In the hustle and bustle of what is everyday life, getting a good night’s sleep has become harder and harder for many people to snag on a regular basis. Long hours on the job, late-night study sessions for school or taking care of family responsibilities all play a part in creating a society of sleep-deprived individuals. However, what many people fail to realize is that a good night’s sleep does so much good both physically and mentally. Helping the body’s immune system stay strong, staying sharp mentally and healing tired and sore muscles are just some of the benefits of getting enough sleep each night. To make sure you can take advantage of these and other benefits, here are some tips you can use to get a great night’s sleep.
Establish a Regular Routine
This is one of the best ways on how to get a good night’s sleep naturally. According to most experts, establishing a regular routine each night will play a large part in your quality of shuteye. Waking up and going to bed around the same time each day, even on weekends, helps keep the body’s circadian rhythm in sync. For those who sleep late on weekends and then change their sleep patterns during the workweek, the results are similar to jet lag.
Turn off the Gadgets
Televisions, smartphones, tablets and more are great to play with during the day, but when it’s time for bed they need to be turned off and put away. Not only does checking email and watching a late-night football game make it more difficult to wind down, but the artificial light from the screens suppresses melatonin, the hormone responsible for inducing sleep.
Avoid Alcohol Near Bedtime
Many people think a drink before going to sleep is relaxing, but actually the opposite is true. Not only does it disrupt a person’s sleep by eliminating slow-wave sleep, but its effects wear off very quickly and leave a person with nightmares and fragmented sleep. Along with alcohol, caffeine should also be avoided prior to bedtime, with that last soft drink or cup of coffee being enjoyed no closer than two hours from bedtime.
Don’t Toss and Turn
When you are having trouble falling asleep, you’ll have greater success nodding off if you get up and do something then try again, rather than lie in bed and worry about why you can’t fall asleep. Many people who are concerned about everything they need to do the next day often make a list prior to bedtime, allowing them to think through the next day’s activities before getting into bed. By doing so, the worrying is finished before their head hits the pillow, resulting in a better night’s sleep.
Have a Soothing Bedroom
More and more people use their bedrooms for everything but sleeping, with televisions, computers, exercise equipment and more included in the mix. Sleep experts state the bedroom should be associated with sleeping and nothing else, so finding another place for these items should be a high priority. In addition, the room should be kept at a comfortable temperature, along with being very quiet and private.
By adapting some of these tips, you could find yourself going from sleep-deprived to well-rested in no time. If you make sleep an important part of your life rather than something you try to do as little of as possible, you will find yourself getting a better quality of sleep while waking up refreshed and ready to take on the challenges of the day.