Are you tired of being tired, in the morning and all day long? Have you tried the best of all sleeping tips yet are unable to sleep at night? Maybe then, it’s time for you to make certain lifestyle improvements and change the habits that have been impacting your health and sleep.
Not being able to sleep might not appear, but is a seriously health concern. It causes tension in personal relationships, makes one lose focus at work, and creates anxiousness.
How to Improve Your Sleeping Habits?
If you face difficulty while sleeping or want to improve your sleep cycle, try following these sleeping tips. Consult a doctor if your sleep problem persists.
- Warm-Up Your Melatonin
Melatonin is a sleep hormone that controls the states of sleep and wakefulness. This sleep hormone is produced by the pineal gland. It peaks during bedtime, helping you to sleep soundly at night.
Often used for the treatment of insomnia, melatonin regulation is one of the easiest ways to fall asleep faster. According to a study, researchers revealed that the level of melatonin was naturally high in people practicing meditation.
Another study found melatonin intake in the form of gummies, etc. before bed improves sleep quality and morning alertness. Additionally, it has no withdrawal effects too. Therefore, to improve your sleeping habits, incorporate meditation into your daily routine before bedtime as it boosts melatonin.
Other than this, melatonin is also used as a prescribed drug to treat sleep-related disorders. If you’re still unable to sleep, consult a medical professional for its correct and safe usage.
- Follow a Consistent Sleeping Pattern
Have you ever wondered how you tend to feel energized or sleepy around the same time every day? It is due to your body’ circadian rhythm. This function sets your body at a loop, aligning itself with sunrise and sunset.
If you have regular sleeping patterns, this biological process can aid in better sleep quality in the long-term. However, if you have irregular sleeping patterns and you go to bed late on certain days, you may experience poor sleep.
To improve the irregular sleeping patterns, try waking up and going to bed at a similar time every day. After few weeks, you may not even need an alarm.
- Clean it Up
For most of the people, a clean and clutter-free bedroom is a perfect set up for a sound sleep. This may include things such as furniture choice and arrangement, temperature, noise, external lights, etc.
To optimize such environment, make sure there is minimal noise interference in the bedroom. Use heavy and dark curtains, blackout shades, or an eye mask to block light.
Besides, maintain a temperature between 60°F to 75°F to keep your room comfortably cool. Also, make sure that the room is well ventilated and is equipped with a comfortable mattress and pillows. These little things help in inducing a good and relaxing sleep.
Besides, also take charge of things you will have to avoid and/or improve.
- Watch Your Food Habits
Late night eating or taking heavy meals before going to bed hampers the sleep too. Just like consuming excess liquor slows you down the next day, similarly, eating a large, high-sugar meal at night overloads your digestive system. As a result, your body doesn’t get adequate rest through the night, thereby slowing you both physically and mentally the next day.
Therefore, avoid going to bed on a full stomach. Allow your body to digest the food before bedtime. Eating spicy meals can cause discomfort, try to avoid them. Also, avoid drinking too much fluid before bedtime to avoid going to the bathroom overnight.
- Avoid Irregular Naps
Yes, we all are familiar with the benefits of power naps. But when these power naps tend to become longer during the day, they can negatively affect your sleep. How?
Daytime naps mystify your internal body clock which results in struggling to sleep at night. According to a study, participants were much sleepier during the day after taking daytime naps.
However, another study reveals that those who are used to taking usual daytime naps do not suffer from disrupted or poor quality of sleep at night. The sleep cycle varies from individual-to-individual. Therefore, if you’re taking longer daytime naps and are unable to sleep at night, then you must avoid them.
- Control Your Contact to Light Exposure
Did you know, your body has a natural inbuilt clock? And, that, this clock is responsible for telling your body when it’s time to sleep or wake up?
Commonly known as the circadian rhythm, this biological clock affects your brain, body, hormones and controls your sleep-wake cycle. Exposure to natural light during the day helps in keeping your circadian rhythm well. It also improves daytime energy, as well as sleep time duration and sleep quality.
According to a study, controlling light exposure resulted in 77.5 to 90% increase in sleep efficiency. Other than this, it also reduced the time taken to fall asleep.
- Cut-Back on Caffeine
Feeling drowsy at work? Sip in a strong cup of coffee. Need some energy to focus? Go ahead and take another one. But, do you know what these few cups of caffeine do to your body?
They disrupt your sleep cycle. When too much caffeine is consumed in late evening hours, they stimulate nervous system which may stop your body from relaxing at night.
Therefore, drinking volumes of coffee after 3–4 p.m. is not suggested, specifically if you have trouble sleeping or are caffeine sensitive.
- Avoid Being a Night Owl
Another important and often ignored advice is to sleep early. Late night sleeping results in feeling tired. Once you are on bed, keep away your phone or any other distractions. If you don’t get sleep in 15-20 minutes, try reading a book in a darkened room. Return to bed when you feel sleepy again.
Following these habits won’t bring a difference in a day or two but sticking to the regime will improve the quality of your sleep. If initially, you are finding it hard to sleep, use some light meditation music before bedtime. Slowly and steadily you will be able to see the difference yourself.