So what can you do? It’s crucial that you start taking steps to improve your sleep, and here are seven ways you can ensure you get a fantastic night’s sleep as well as sweet dreams.
Create a Cozy Atmosphere
Your bedroom should be a cozy place, and the more relaxing it is, the better your sleep will be. You can start by replacing the harsh fluorescent bulbs with soft white lighting that won’t cause eye strain, allowing you to get to sleep more comfortably and put you into the proper zone when it comes time to put your head down.
It’s also worth using candles or incense that can help to relax you, which will make it easier for you to get to sleep while climbing into bed. If you work or watch TV in bed, you should also change this habit immediately, as your brain won’t associate the bedroom with sleep, no matter how cozy it is.
Invest in Better Essentials
Many people will use the mattress left behind when renting a place, or they might use a mattress, pillows, and sheets that aren’t right for them. You might not expect it, but this can severely impact the quality of your sleep. You should consider custom made mattresses.
Your mattress should suit your body and your preference. Some people enjoy a soft and fluffy mattress, while others are better off sleeping on firmer mattresses, especially if they have back pain. You can find the perfect mattress for you and get a discount on Puffy here, while it’s also worth looking for seasonal bedsheets to swap out during the year, which will stop you from being too hot in summer or too cold during the winter.
Go to Sleep At the Same Time Every Day
One primary reason for insufficient sleep is that your body is not used to a consistent sleep routine. Sometimes, you’ll go to bed early; other times, you’ll go to bed late, and maybe not even get to sleep for several hours after that.
This means you will wake up exhausted and that your body isn’t ready for sleep when you want to go to bed. Identifying a consistent sleep schedule and ensuring you are in bed by a specific time every night will help your brain switch off, allowing you to enjoy a nice, deep sleep that ensures you’re refreshed the next day.
Remove Distractions
Whether it’s video games, your laptop, a TV, or your smartphone, devices can severely impact our sleep quality. We lose hours absently scrolling through social media or watching one more episode. Removing these distractions ensures you are not tempted to stay up any later than you need to.
By removing them from the bedroom, you won’t use them as a crutch; instead, make sure you only use your bedroom for sleeping. This means you will spend less time lying in bed and more time up and doing something, even if this only means going to the living room to sit on the sofa.
Exercise
Exercise is a fantastic way to guarantee you get the best possible sleep. Not only will it help you get to sleep quickly and improve the experience, but it also gives you more energy throughout the day, which is another benefit of exercising whenever you can.
However, you must time this exercise right. While you might want to do 100 push-ups before bed, there’s a risk you will raise your heart rate too much, which means you won’t be able to get to sleep. Instead, exercise early in the morning or in the afternoon, as this will give your body the chance to relax, making it easier to transition from being awake to going to sleep.
Be Sensible With Light Exposure
Blue light can be a significant issue when it comes to trying to get to sleep, which is why you shouldn’t use your phone in bed. The blue light interferes with our brain, tricking it into thinking it is the middle of the day, and this means you are unable to get to sleep on time.
You can overcome this by ditching your electronics altogether one hour (at least) before going to bed. If you feel you need to do something before bed, replace playing on your phone with reading something. The blue light filter is also useful, as it will help protect the eyes if you need to use your devices before going to sleep.
Limit Certain Food and Drink
Caffeinated coffee is, of course, a no-go when it comes to getting to sleep on time, and you shouldn’t drink it at least five hours before going to sleep. Besides this, you must avoid other types of food and beverages if you want to improve your sleep.
Sugary foods will also cause sleep problems, as will drinking alcohol, even though many people use it as a nightcap. It might help you get to sleep, but it causes restlessness while you are sleeping.
On the other hand, you can look at food types to help you sleep, such as turkey sandwiches, a banana, milk or yogurt, or low-sugar and whole-grain cereal. Turkey contains tryptophan that makes you sleepy, whereas other foods will improve digestion, making it easier to get to sleep.
Sweet Dreams
You can’t expect to enjoy a refreshing night’s sleep if you don’t first take the proper steps to improve how you sleep, and from the type of mattress you use to the food you eat in the evening before heading to bed, you are in control. It might not feel that way right now, but the perfect night’s sleep is possible as long as you know where to make changes.
