Sleepless Nights? 4 Tips to Improving Your Sleep

Many people experience sleepless nights because of an irregular schedule, worry, or temporary stress. Although this is a common problem for many people, it becomes a concern if it goes on for weeks or months. Going without enough sleep for a long time can cause health problems, and worrying about it only aggravates the problem. However, some positive news changes your perception of sleep and makes some simple lifestyle changes that can improve your sleep. Let us look at the following four tips to improving your sleep that you can adopt.

1. Create a Sleep-Inducing Bedroom

A vital tip to help you fall asleep easily and quickly is to have a relaxing and comfortable bedroom. This may seem like an obvious thing, but most people overlook it, which contributes to difficulties falling asleep and sleeping all through the night. Use a high-performance bed.

A quality bed with a good mattress is crucial in ensuring that you are comfortable with making you relax when you go to sleep. Together with your pillow, it ensures that your spine has proper support to avoid pains and aches. You can go further and purchase the best adjustable bed for maximum comfort.

Apart from the bed, your bedsheets and blankets also play a significant role in making your bed inviting. Your bedding should be comfortable to the touch and help maintain a comfortable temperature throughout the night.

2. Optimize your Sleep Schedule

It is essential to take control of your sleep schedule for better sleep. Harness your plan to your advantage by implementing the following strategies. Set a fixed wake-up and sleeping time. Your body cannot get accustomed to a sleep routine if you do not have a fixed time going to bed or waking up. Pick a sleeping and waking up time and stick with it, even when you don’t have to go anywhere like on weekends.

Do not nap for too long. If you want a good night’s sleep, be cautious with naps. If your nap is too long or you take it late in the day, it will throw off your sleep pattern and make it difficult for you to fall asleep at night. Take a nap in the early afternoon for not more than 20 minutes.

3. Create a Pre-Bed Routine

If you are experiencing sleepless nights, you may think that the problem begins when you get to bed. Actually, the hours before bedtime play a significant role in preparing you to sleep effortlessly and quickly. Poor pre-bed habits contribute to sleep problems. It may take time to change the patterns, but when you put in the effort, it will pay off by relaxing you and getting you ready to fall asleep shortly after getting to bed. You can create your routine by doing the following:

• Winding down for at least 30 minutes. You will doze off more smoothly when at ease. Listening to soothing music, quiet reading, and relaxation exercises are some of the ways you can wind down.

• Disconnect from electronic devices. Cell phones, laptops, and tablets can make it hard for you to wind down. The light emanating from the devices suppresses your natural melatonin (a sleep-promoting hormone) production. Disconnect from them at least 30 minutes before bedtime.

• Lower the lights. Avoid bright light to help you switch to bedtime.

4. Watch What you Eat

It is hard for your body to digest a big dinner and still manage to fall asleep. To avoid sleep disruptions because of food, avoid late dinners and reduce spicy or fatty foods.

Some people take a cup of coffee to avoid the temptation of sleeping during the day. This approach is not sustainable as it can cause sleep deprivation. To avoid suffering from the effects of coffee at night, do not have caffeine later in the day.

Limit your alcohol intake. Although alcohol induces drowsiness, it affects the brain in ways that can affect sleep quality. Therefore, try and avoid taking alcohol a few hours before bedtime.

Final Thoughts

Almost everyone has a sleepless night once in a while, but see your doctor if the problem occurs often. The doctor will identify and treat any underlying causes to help you enjoy a good night’s sleep.