How to Improve Your Sleep

Sleep is like a secret sauce of your success cuisine. Always remember the value of your sleep. You will perform better, make better decisions, and have a better body when you get the sleep you require. Sleep is a natural state your body needs to boost your hormone function, heal your muscles, tissues, and organs, protect you from diseases, and make your mind work at its optimal level. However, many of us regularly struggle to get the sleep we need. 

There is a solution. Making simple but significant changes to your daytime routine and bedtime habits can have a profound impact on how well you sleep, leaving you feeling mentally and emotionally balanced, and full of energy all day long. Here are few tips on how to improve your sleep:

Exercise during the day. People who exercise regularly during the day sleep better at night and feel less sleepy during the day. Regular exercise also helps you get rid of the symptoms of insomnia and increases the amount of time you spend in the deep, restorative stages of sleep.

Avoid heavy meals at night. Try to have dinnertime earlier in the evening, and avoid heavy foods within two hours before you go to bed. If you need to have something to eat, have a low-carb snack.

Avoid drinking too many liquids in the evening. It may result in frequent bathroom trips throughout the night which obviously will interrupt your sleep. 

Turn off all screens at least 90 minutes before bedtime. The blue light emitted by your phone, tablet, computer, or TV is especially disruptive. Use an alternative medium as your night-time activity. Try reading books or listening to music.

Limit caffeine and nicotine. It might sound surprising, but caffeine can cause sleep problems up to ten to twelve hours after drinking it. Similarly, smoking is another stimulant that can disrupt your sleep, especially if you smoke in the late hours.

Keep a regular sleep-wake schedule. It helps set your body’s internal clock and optimize the quality of your sleep. Choose a bedtime when you usually feel tired, so that you don’t end up tossing and turning for an hour before you fall asleep. If you’re getting enough sleep, you should wake up naturally without an alarm. If you need an alarm clock, try going to bed a bit earlier next night.

Spend more time outside during daylight. Have your coffee outside, or eat breakfast by a sunny window. Spend your work breaks outdoors in sunlight, exercise outdoors, or just go for a walk in a park. 

Keep your room dark and quiet. Use heavy curtains or shades to block light from windows. If that’s not possible try using a sleep mask. Try to reduce noises from the environment to a minimum. The quieter, the better.

For more information read:  https://www.helpguide.org/articles/sleep/getting-better-sleep.htm