Sleep is so important, but often is something that is hard to have enough of. Without sufficient rest, it can affect both our bodies and minds to drain us of energy, make bad judgements, alter our moods, and eventually take a toll on our heath if missed too often. Yet, there are some things that you can do for how to sleep better that can help you rectify what you may have considered hopeless on the sleep front.
In order to start seeing improvements, you want to establish a bedtime routine that could give you more control over what you may be doing now before turning in. The best thing that you can do for yourself is break away from the computer, smart phone or tablet at least an hour or two before you plan to go to bed. Instead, watch or listen to something that will take your mind off of problems or soothe your spirit or read something that will relax you. The important thing to remember is promise yourself that after that one or two hours of wind down time for a designated bedtime hour that bed is a must. You must be committed and stick to it.
Having a regular bedtime routine really does train your body to unwind for a night of more rest. Nonetheless, it wouldn’t be all that helpful if your bedroom can distract you once crawling into your bed. You want a calming atmosphere without walking into a cluttered room or one where too much light pours in from the window or from the placement of a digital clock that can disturb you. It also helps to turn down the thermostat at night to about 68 degrees or lower because people sleep better at cooler temperatures than waking up in the middle of the night sweating from overheating.
Many people like to snack at night or have at least a cup of coffee or another stimulant after turning off the computer or finishing up some household chores like dishes just to relax. The problem is caffeine of all forms should be avoided at least four to six hours. If you think that you can get around that by switching to a decaf coffee, then you are wrong because according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, it still has caffeine that peaks an hour later and can stay in your system anywhere from four to six hours just like caffeinated coffee so be aware.
Devoting time to exercise for health and fitness is essential and can reduce stress as well. Yet, you may want to rethink the time that you usually workout and schedule your routine more toward day time over evening hours. The reason is if you’re physically too active a few hours before bed, then your head is flooded with endorphins that will keep your brain stimulated, making it more difficult to get that needed shuteye.
