How You Can Sleep Better By Understanding Sleep Hygiene
Getting a restful night’s sleep will help your mind and body prepare yourself for the tough day ahead. To help you get started, below are some sleep hygiene tactics that have worked for many people feeling the effects of sleep deprivation.
Sleep Hygiene: What Is It?
It is a set of behaviors that are enacted in order to prepare oneself to sleep better and more fully.
Tips To Aid In Better Sleep
*Make sure you follow a set schedule for your sleep every day of the week— give or take 20 minutes.
*Avoid napping because it hinders your ability to feel tired enough to get to sleep at night. Your body has a set amount of sleep it requires, but nothing beyond that. Usually, when you oversleep, it ruins your sleep schedule the following night causing you to toss and turn.
*Sometimes, sleep will evade you, and that’s fine! If it has been more than 10 minutes and you still can’t drift off, get out of bed and sit in your favorite chair. Do a relaxing activity such as sketching or reading, but avoid anything stimulating such as watching television. Even if this happens a few times during the week, don’t take naps!
*When in bed, avoid using electronics that can hinder your ability to sleep. As most electronics emit a blue light, they can stimulate your brain and make it harder for you to get to sleep. Your bedroom should only remain used for sexual activity and sleeping. If you must use a mobile device before bed, consider getting blue light blocking glasses.
*Make it a point to not just avoid alcohol, but caffeine as well when it’s close to bedtime. It takes many hours for the stimulating effects of caffeine to wear off and you will cause yourself to have fragmented sleep. Bear in mind that most sodas and tea are high in caffeine. This is also true for certain medications as well as cigarettes as they can also negatively impact sleep patterns.
*Make it a point to naturally air out your bedroom by cracking your window open. If this isn’t an option where you live, get an air purifier that can help you clean your indoor air.
*Light stretches can help you get better sleep, but rigorous exercise will forcefully keep you awake as it releases endorphins. Your best course of action is to reserve exercise for earlier in the day well before your scheduled bedtime.
*Make sure your bedroom is fairly cool as it will help you sleep better. Having a programmable thermostat can help you take care of this.
*Avoid having or keeping anything in your bedroom that may hinder your sleep. For example, bright lights or electronics such as an alarm clock can make it harder for you to get to sleep. Other times, it may be a problem that you live in the city and your street is fairly noisy. A fan is a great way to produce some background white noise while also circulating the air in your bedroom.
*If you sleep with your partner in the same room, make sure you get a comfortable mattress that doesn’t cause extensive movement to be felt by the other person. Read these reviews comparing Sealy mattresses. It’s also crucial to address any habitual problems such as snoring as it can impact how much and the quality of sleep you actually receive.
