7 Ways To Get More Restful Sleep
Sleep is one of the most neglected aspects of health, and it doesn’t just affect our energy, mood, and ability to concentrate. Lack of sleep is associated with an increased risk of heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, developing a cold, and probability of getting injured. Even if you don’t think there is time for more sleep, you can still improve the quality of sleep you are getting by following the strategies below!
- Go outside. Most of the time, our bodies do not realize when it is day because of artificial light. Getting sun exposure, even if it is cloudy out, will help normalize the hormones in your body that tell you to be awake during the day and sleep at night.
- Turn off the lights. This doesn’t mean you have to live in the dark when you go home, but most of your lights should be off, if not all of them. This will help your body feel tired and want to go to sleep by producing more melatonin.
- Exercise. The more you move throughout the day, the better you will sleep at night!
- Examine your nutritional habits. If your diet isn’t the best, this means your hormones are probably out of balance too. This can make it very hard to sleep at night. Also, make sure you aren’t eating much before you go to sleep, and the food is easily digestible.
- Cut caffeine. If you are having issues falling or staying asleep, reducing your caffeine consumption may help. Even if you fall asleep well, caffeine can still affect how deep of a sleep you get into, which may affect how rested you feel when you get up.
- Avoid alcohol as a sleep aid. It might seem like alcohol helps you fall asleep, but just like caffeine, it may interrupt how restful of a sleep you get.
- Relax before bedtime. Try to develop a sleep ritual that will help you relax at night. This can include reading, stretching, drinking a cup of non-caffeinated tea, or anything else that helps you relax. Avoid checking emails, social media, and talking about any emotional issues right before bed.
