With nearly 9 million people in the U.S. using sleep aids, it is obvious to see there is a problem. What do you do when you’re trying to have a restful night, but the thoughts keep coming, and your mind won’t stop racing?
The thought of having a peaceful night seems like almost a miracle to many people struggling with sleep. The good news is that with a few changes, you can start experiencing a better night’s sleep. Continue reading this article to learn fifteen ways to take a good rest.
Experiencing a Restful Night
There is no one reason people aren’t sleeping. Some people are experiencing personal problems that keep them up at night. Other people might have an environment that keeps them awake.
While there isn’t one or even two main causes keeping people up at night, the results are similar. You have people walking around like zombies, missing out on important information because of lack of ability to focus and more harmful side effects. These following tips will help you put yourself in the best situation for sleep.
1. No Liquids Before Bed
Drinking liquids before bed increase the likelihood that you’re going to get up throughout the night. Even if you think your bladder can hold a lot of liquid, your body may not operate how you want it to when you’re sleeping. Be safe and don’t drink liquids of any kind before bed.
If you drink alcohol before bed, it is even worse for your sleep. Your quality of sleep is often worse when you drink alcoholic beverages before bed.
2. Pick a Proper Mattress
Sleeping on the wrong mattress can cause major problems. Whether your mattress is too soft or too firm, both are going to cause their own brand of problems.
Read through helpful reviews like this review and see what other people have to say about the mattress you’re considering. Find a reviewer that is similar to you and see what recommendations they give you.
You want to have plenty of support for your back, but you don’t want to feel like you’re sleeping on a rock. You may want to be cozy and snug in a soft bed, but you still need that support. Find a mattress that will cradle your body but won’t cause you to feel out of joint when you wake up.
3. Get Exercise Early in the Day
If you’re tired of getting a bad night’s sleep – wear yourself out. Many times, the reason your body doesn’t want to go to sleep is that it isn’t tired. Even if your mind is tired because it has been working all day long, your body might not be.
You shouldn’t exercise right before bed. Make sure you exercise as early in the day as possible. Don’t worry about exercise tiring you out throughout the day.
While exercise will help you sleep, it won’t put you to sleep in the day. Your body will be energized by the workout, and you’ll still experience the sleep aid effect as long as you don’t exercise too close to bedtime.
4. Establish a Bedtime Routine
Whether we want to believe it or not, no matter how spontaneous we are – our bodies thrive when they’re on a routine.
If you want to increase your chances for a great night’s sleep, then you need to establish a bedtime routine. You don’t have to do anything fancy to get yourself to sleep. You just need to do whatever you’re going to do before bed every night.
When you start going through the sequence you always do right before bed, your body will start readying itself to go to sleep.
5. Bring on the Day Light
Do you like to keep the lights low in your house even throughout the day? Many people do keep the lights dimmed to keep energy costs low. While keeping the lights low is great for decreasing energy costs, it is also great at confusing your body.
If you don’t want to turn the lights on, you can either open the windows or put lighter curtains up. Light is one of the best ways to let your body know whether it is time to be awake or if it is time for a snooze.
You can even set smart lights up that will mimic a sunset so your body can start preparing for bedtime.
6. Do You Have a Sleep Disorder?
While you are implementing all of these things into your life, you should also rule out a sleep disorder. If you have a sleep disorder, you may need to get additional help.
Many times even if you do have a sleep disorder, you’ll be able to use some of these recommendations to help you get to sleep easier. Not all sleep disorders are going to need professional treatment, but knowing what you’re working with will allow you to navigate the challenge easier.
7. Decrease Blue Light Exposure
If you have too much blue light before bed, you can confuse your body. You may know about the sleep cycles of our bodies, but we also have something called the circadian rhythm. The circadian rhythm helps our bodies stay on proper sleep and waking patterns with light.
All electronics emit blue light, but there are some things you can do to decrease the blue light. If you’re on your phone or tablet, you can download apps that will help you keep the blue light away.
If you’re getting blue light from somewhere else, you can even get blue light blocking glasses to help you protect yourself.
8. Axe the Nap
If you get drained throughout the day, it is easy to want to flop down for a quick nap – or maybe even a long nap. Naps can confuse your body and make you less tired when you go to sleep which can hinder a good night’s rest.
9. No Late Day Caffeine
Caffeine will give your body a jolt when you consume it. You shouldn’t consume caffeine late in the day. Even consuming caffeine a few hours before bed could cause you to get a less restful night’s sleep.
10. Stay Consistent With Bed & Rising Times
If you stay consistent with the times you go to bed and wake up, your body will start to recognize the pattern. When your body recognizes the pattern, you’ll notice you start to get tired at the same times each night. You may even start waking up before your alarm rings.
11. Check Your Bedroom Temperature
If you sleep at a temperature that is uncomfortable to you, it’s difficult to get any rest. If you have a partner that likes it colder or warmer than you do, it can be a little challenging.
Let’s say your partner likes to have it colder in the room. Instead of making your partner roast, you can grab a favorite pair of extra warm pajamas, so you stay nice and toasty the whole night.
12. Is Melatonin Right for You?
Some people won’t even try to go to sleep without using melatonin. You can try it and see if it is right for you. Different people respond to supplements in different ways to make sure to test it before you buy a big supply.
13. Calming Shower or Bath
A calming shower or bath can help melt away stress so you can let the day’s worries go down the drain. To make the bath even more zen, try some candles and bath bombs.
14. No Late Night Munchies
Who doesn’t enjoy getting a little bite before bed? Even grabbing something small can take your train off the track. You might experience indigestion or other problems because your body is still trying to work when it should be sleeping.
15. How’s Your Sleeping Environment?
If your sleeping environment is making it hard to sleep, there are a few things you can do even when you don’t control the whole environment.
Is there too much noise in the room? If there is too much noise in the room, you can get earplugs or use a sound machine that will help you keep from hearing the sound.
Is there too much light in the room? Buy darker window shades for night time or get eye covers for sleeping.
Think about anything that is keeping you from sleeping. You should remove it from the room if possible.
Some of the things that might distract you are your tv, phone, tablet, disturbing wall art, creepy tree branch outline on your curtains. Whatever it is that is distracting you from sleep; it’s got to go.
Get Healthy and Stay Healthy
Having a restful night is an important part of keeping healthy. Lack of sleep can cause many different challenges.
One of the issues people experience when they aren’t getting enough sleep is depression. If you think you’re dealing with depression, we have articles on the topic that can help you manage it naturally. Read our article today to get tips that will help you through each day.
