20 Ways To Sleep Well At Night!

Everyone has trouble sleeping now and then. According to guidelines from a physician group, insomnia is difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep, even when a person has the chance to do so. People with insomnia can feel dissatisfied with their sleep and usually experience one or more of the following symptoms: fatigue, low energy, difficulty concentrating, mood disturbances, and decreased performance in work or at school. If you suffer from insomnia or wake up frequently in the night, try these methods for a better night’s rest.

STICK TO A ROUTINE 

 

Set your alarm for the same time every morning. Don’t be tempted to sleep in, even if you’ve had a late night. Getting up at the same time each day (and going to bed at roughly the same time each night), helps program your body to sleep better.

BAN SCREENS FROM THE BEDROOM 

Artificial blue light from screens affects the body’s internal clock and acts as a stimulant. Switch off the TV and don’t use laptops, smartphones or tablet computers an hour before bed.

HAVE A MILKY DRINK 

The calcium in milk helps your body to process tryptophan, an amino acid that manufactures sleep-triggering melatonin, while the routine of actually making the drink lets your brain know it’s time for sleep.

WORKOUT EARLY EVENING 

Exercise (enough to get sweaty) helps relieve stress. The best time to work out is between 4 to 7pm. Any later than that and your body temperature and adrenaline levels could be too high.

TAKE A BATH

 

Enjoy a long, hot bath for about an hour or so before bedtime. The warm water will help to relax you. Add lavender or lilac-scented bath oil to reduce stress and promote relaxation.

HIDE YOUR ALARM CLOCK 

Knowing that you have to get up in a few hours could make you feel anxious, and less able to relax. Don’t watch the minutes go by - hide the alarm clock and you’re more likely to sleep better.

CHECK THE TEMPERATURE 

Your bedroom should be comfortably cool, around 65 degrees Fahrenheit (18 degrees Celsius). If you feel hot, switch to a lighter duvet or sleep with the window open. If it’s too cold, your body won’t be able to relax as it has to work hard to protect its core temperature.

BLOCK OUT THE NOISE 

If you have problems snoozing off but tend to sleep well once you do, try wearing ear plugs.

CHANGE YOUR MATTRESS 

It’s hard to enjoy a good night’s sleep on a mattress that’s too soft or too hard. Experts at The Sleep Council in the UK recommend buying a new mattress after every seven years, which equates to more than 20,000 hours of use.

CUT BACK ON CAFFEINE 

Don’t drink tea or coffee after 2pm. Both are stimulants which interfere with the process of falling asleep. Six hours after your last cup of coffee, half the caffeine will still be in your system. Remember that cola and energy drinks contain caffeine too.

DON’T DRINK ALCOHOL 

Alcohol makes it easier to fall asleep initially but results in poor quality sleep. Studies suggest that having a drink before bed can cause you to wake up every 90 minutes or so throughout the night.

QUIT SMOKING 

Research shows that smokers take longer to fall asleep and have more disrupted sleep once they do.

TRY VALERIAN 

Before you resort to sleeping tablets, try a herbal remedy. Valerian is widely used for insomnia and most effective if taken over a few weeks. But do check with your physician first as it might interfere with your other medications.

SUPPLEMENTS TO TRY 

Hop extract acts as a mild sedative and may help those with busy lives who find it hard to “switch off” at night. You might also like to try magnesium. Known as nature’s tranquilizer, it has a calming effect on the body. As always, check with your doctor before adding these supplements to your diet.

LEARN TO RELAX 

If your mind racing with thoughts from the day, try listening to relaxing music, meditating or doing some gentle yoga before going to bed.

WRITE DOWN YOUR WORRIES 

If you’re going through a difficult time or are busy at work, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. Try writing down your worries or making a list of things you need to do. Once you’ve written the list, put it away.

DON'T LIE AWAKE WORRYING 

If you’ve been awake for a while, it’s better to get up and do something rather than lie there worrying that you can’t sleep. Try going to another room or reading a book (nothing work related) until you feel sleepy again.

DIM THE LIGHTS 

Bright light will wake you up. Dim the lights 30 minutes before going to bed.

SWITCH OFF 

Try relaxing each body part turn by turn. Lie on your back, then tense and relax your toes, saying ‘goodnight’ to them, then your calves, legs and so on. Once you get to your head, visualize going into your ‘control room’ and flicking off switches to various parts of your body.

EAT A BANANA 

 

Bananas contain tryptophan which stimulates the production of melatonin and serotonin in the brain. They also contain magnesium, a natural muscle relaxant.

Source: https://www.prevention.com/health/sleep-energy/g20451657/20-ways-to-sleep-better-every-night/