A good night’s sleep may seem like an impossible dream, but here are 5 things you can do to wake up feeling more rested and productive
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When was the last time you had a good night’s sleep? Do you remember how good it felt?
This happens because the body and brain have the time to regenerate, cleanup, and organize your thoughts and memories. In fact, sleep has been scientifically proven to be the best cure for when you feel unmotivated, down, and less productive than usual.
If you tend to feel tired and grumpy, here are 5 things you can do to improve the quality of your sleep.
1. Respect your Natural Sleep/Wake Cycle
Back in the day, when our ancestors had no idea what electricity was, we lived in complete sync with the sun. As the light dimmed, we would get sleepy and by the time it was complete darkness, most people would already be snoozing. With new discoveries and inventions (such as artificial light), our sleep pattern changed so we no longer went to sleep when the sun sets.
But our bodies need to have a rhythm that feels natural, a rhythm which is different from person to person.
Ideally, you should have a bedtime and a time to wake up that remain unchanged day to day. This sets the internal clock and improves the quality of your sleep. To make sure you have a constant cycle, avoid sleeping in (even if it is the weekend!) or losing sleep over work or fun. Also try to stay away from naps in the afternoon and fight off that after dinner drowsiness by taking a walk or doing something active.
2. Get a Better Mattress
We each have different preferences when it comes to our bed’s surface. Some of us like a softer bed while others enjoy a harder surface. Of course, most of the people fall in the middle and enjoy a mattress that combines softness and hardness.
To enhance the quality of your sleep, choose a bed that’s designed to adapt to your needs. Most modern materials and designs are engineered for customer satisfaction, but you should consider your preferences as well. For instance, the Purple mattress is specially designed to adapt to each user’s preferences. The surface is flexible and puts the focus on sustaining a properly aligned spine and a well-ventilated surface.
3. Control Exposure to Light & Electronics
Besides a mattress that keeps you too warm, the other nuisance in your bedroom is light, natural or otherwise. To keep the sun from waking you up in the morning before your usual time, get thicker curtains and make sure there’s no gap to allow light to creep in. Thicker curtains also help reduce the sound that’s coming through your windows which is an added bonus.
Next, make sure to remove all the big electronics from your bedroom such as TVs, gaming systems, computers, and so on.
Many of these electronics have a LED light that stays on when the device is shut down to indicate that power is on and the device is ready to use. While this LED light is tiny and doesn’t seem like a nuisance during the day, at night it can be quite disturbing, especially if there are several lights from different devices.
Of course, the LED light is not the only issue with these devices. The very fact that you have them in the bedroom is tempting and you may get used to falling asleep while the TV is still one. This is very damaging to your sleep quality because the light, sound, and movement stimulate your brain before sleep which can lead to insomnia. Specialists say that phones and tablets are equally bad for your sleep quality because many people like to keep up to date with social media or sending/reading emails while they try to fall asleep. So, put away those electronic devices and enjoy sleeping without stimuli.
4. Keep an Active Life
People who exercise on a regular basis have a better chance of a good night’s sleep. In fact, several studies have proven that exercise is extremely helpful to improve the quality of your snoozing. For instance, one of the studies proves that aerobic exercise helps sedentary adults suffering from chronic insomnia because the exercise activates various hormones that create a general state of well-being.
Although regular exercise helps you get rid of frustrations or any negative energy accumulated throughout the day, you should not do any strenuous activities too close to your bedtime because the effects could be reversed.
5. Don’t Drink Liquids Before Bed
If you want a solid 8-hours of sleep, avoid consuming liquids one or two hours before you go to bed. Otherwise, you may have to wake up during the night to go to the bathroom, a routine which disrupts the natural sleep cycle. The result is that you awaken tired and grumpy instead of well-rested and ready to take the world by storm.
Of course, you should keep well hydrated during the day — it’s vital for health. Doing so helps you to avoid being thirsty and needing to drink any fluids before going to sleep.
No matter how old you are, it’s never too late to implement good sleeping habits.
Your health and overall wellbeing will thank you!
You may also enjoy reading Is There Such Thing As Beauty Sleep? by Zoe Dobson
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