Everyone has those nights where you can't switch off your thoughts, your body is tossing and turning, preventing you from falling into a deep sleep. But there are tips to sleep through the night and help you learn to sleep better.
Sleep Schedule
While your sleep environment at night is important for achieving a good night's sleep, your daytime habits and behaviors also contribute and greatly influence your sleep cycle. If you're struggling to sleep or simply want to improve your sleep quality, you can start working on this by establishing a consistent sleep schedule for weekdays, weekends, and even holidays.
Relaxation techniques
Breathing and visualization exercises can enhance the natural process of sleep. We can calm the mind , relax the body, and help ourselves fall asleep naturally. If you find yourself lying awake in bed, taking 10 deep breaths is the best way to activate your body's natural relaxation response and create a sense of calm. You can also try meditation exercises , which are based on using mental images to create a sense of calm in the body. Start by taking a few deep breaths and letting your mind wander to a peaceful scene.
Avoid blue light
Make sure you put your electronics away long enough before bed so you can relax. The reason you may feel less sleepy in the evening and sometimes have a harder time falling asleep is that televisions, smartphones, tablets, computers and gaming systems all emit blue light which promotes alertness and mental sharpness. This is great when you wake up in the morning and get a boost of energy from the bright morning sky which also naturally emits blue light, but too much blue light in the evening can keep you awake when your body should be resting. Our eyes aren't the best at blocking out blue light, so it translates directly to the back of your retina and your brain then translates the light into images. Try to avoid using your electronic devices for 30 minutes to an hour before bed.
Find the ideal temperature for sleeping
One of the best sleep tips is to make sure your bedroom is a cool temperature so that you don't toss and turn. Especially now that the weather is starting to get warmer. Because our bodies rely on a decreasing temperature to fall asleep, a warmer bedroom will affect our attempts to fall asleep. It is said that the ideal temperature for falling asleep peacefully is around 18 degrees, so turning down the heating can help regulate your body temperature.
Stop sleeping during the day
If we don't get enough sleep at night, we can sometimes fall into a vicious cycle of taking 20 or 30 minute naps during the day. This in turn will affect your sleep cycle and ability to fall asleep at night. Long naps of around 45 minutes that happen close to your scheduled bedtime can lead to insomnia as a result. By staying awake longer, your desire for sleep increases and your adenosine levels rise. However, if you sleep during the day, your brain will reduce this and as a result, you will have trouble falling asleep at night.
Reduce caffeine intake
Caffeine is widely known to increase alertness and stimulate the brain . Once you drink that cup of coffee or that soda, the effects come on very quickly. Caffeine levels can peak in your bloodstream within 30 minutes. Caffeine can have positive effects on your mood and mental performance during the day, but it stands to reason that caffeine consumption right before bed, or even in the early evening, can contribute to sleep deprivation or difficulty falling asleep.
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