How can I get a better night’s sleep? Sleeping well directly affects your mental and physical health. Fall short and it can take a serious toll on your daytime energy, productivity, emotional balance, and even your weight. Yet many of us regularly toss and turn at night, struggling to get the sleep we need. Getting a good night’s sleep may seem like an impossible goal when you’re wide awake at 3 a.m., but you have much more control over the quality of your sleep than you probably realize. Just as the way you feel during your waking hours often hinges on how well you sleep at night, so the cure for sleep difficulties can often be found in your daily routine. Unhealthy daytime habits and lifestyle choices can leave you tossing and turning at night and adversely affect your mood, brain and heart health, immune system, creativity, vitality, and weight. But by experimenting with the following tips, you can enjoy better sleep at night, boost your health, and improve how you think and feel during the day. Tip 1: Keep in sync with your body’s natural sleep-wake cycle Getting in sync with your body’s natural sleep-wake cycle, or circadian rhythm, is one of the most important strategies for sleeping better. If you keep a regular sleep-wake schedule, you’ll feel much more refreshed and energized than if you sleep the same number of hours at different times, even if you only alter your sleep schedule by an hour or two. Try to go to sleep and get up at the same time every day. This helps set your body’s internal clock and optimize the quality of your sleep. Choose a bed time when you normally feel tired, so that you don’t toss and turn. If you’re getting enough sleep, you should wake up naturally without an alarm. If you need an alarm clock, you may need an earlier bedtime. Avoid sleeping in—even on weekends. The more your weekend/weekday sleep schedules differ, the worse the jetlag-like symptoms you’ll experience. If you need to make up for a late night, opt for a daytime nap rather than sleeping in. This allows you to pay off your sleep debt without disturbing your natural sleep-wake rhythm. Be smart about napping. While napping is a good way to make up for lost sleep, if you have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep at night, napping can make things worse. Limit naps to 15 to 20 minutes in the early afternoon. Fight after-dinner drowsiness. If you get sleepy way before your bedtime, get off the couch and do something mildly stimulating, such as washing the dishes, calling a friend, or getting clothes ready for the next day. If you give in to the drowsiness, you may wake up later in the night and have trouble getting back to sleep. Tip 2: Control your exposure to light Melatonin is a naturally occurring hormone controlled by light exposure that helps regulate your sleep-wake cycle. Your brain secretes more melatonin when it’s dark—making you sleepy—and less when it’s light—making you more alert. However, many aspects of modern life can alter your body’s production of melatonin and shift your circadian rhythm. How to influence your exposure to light During the day: Expose yourself to bright sunlight in the morning. The closer to the time you get up, the better. Have your coffee outside, for example, or eat breakfast by a sunny window. The light on your face will help you wake up Spend more time outside during daylight. Take your work breaks outside in sunlight, exercise outside, or walk your dog during the day instead of at night. Let as much natural light into your home or workspace as possible. Keep curtains and blinds open during the day, and try to move your desk closer to the window. If necessary, use a light therapy box. This simulates sunshine and can be especially useful during short winter days. At night: Avoid bright screens within 1-2 hours of your bedtime. The blue light emitted by your phone, tablet, computer, or TV is especially disruptive. You can minimize the impact by using devices with smaller screens, turning the brightness down, or using light-altering software such as f.lux. Say no to late-night television. Not only does the light from a TV suppress melatonin, but many programs are stimulating rather than relaxing. Try listening to music or audio books instead. Don’t read with backlit devices. Tablets that are backlit are more disruptive than e-readers that don’t have their own light source. When it’s time to sleep, make sure the room is dark. Use heavy curtains or shades to block light from windows, or try a sleep mask. Also consider covering up electronics that emit light. Keep the lights down if you get up during the night. If you need some light to move around safely, try installing a dim nightlight in the hall or bathroom or using a small flashlight. This will make it easier for you to fall back to sleep. Tip 3: Exercise during the day People who exercise regularly sleep better at night and feel less sleepy during the day. Regular exercise also improves the symptoms of insomnia and sleep apnea and increases the amount of time you spend in the deep, restorative stages of sleep. The more vigorously you exercise, the more powerful the sleep benefits. But even light exercise—such as walking for just 10 minutes a day—improves sleep quality. It can take several months of regular activity before you experience the full sleep-promoting effects. So be patient and focus on building an exercise habit that sticks. For better sleep, time your exercise right Exercise speeds up your metabolism, elevates body temperature, and stimulates hormones such as cortisol. This isn’t a problem if you’re exercising in the morning or afternoon, but too close to bed and it can interfere with sleep. Try to finish moderate to vigorous workouts at least three hours before bedtime. If you’re still experiencing sleep difficulties, move your workouts even earlier. Relaxing, low-impact exercises such as yoga or gentle stretching in the evening can help promote sleep. Tip 4: Be smart about what you eat and drink Your daytime eating habits play a role in how well you sleep, especially in the hours before bedtime. Limit caffeine and nicotine. You might be surprised to know that 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 close to bedtime. Avoid big meals at night. Try to make dinnertime earlier in the evening, and avoid heavy, rich foods within two hours of bed. Spicy or acidic foods can cause stomach trouble and heartburn. Avoid alcohol before bed. While a nightcap may help you relax, it interferes with your sleep cycle once you’re out. Avoid drinking too many liquids in the evening. Drinking lots of fluids may result in frequent bathroom trips throughout the night. Cut back on sugary foods and refined carbs. Eating lots of sugar and refined carbs such as white bread, white rice, and pasta during the day can trigger wakefulness at night and pull you out of the deep, restorative stages of sleep. Nighttime snacks help you sleep For some people, a light snack before bed can help promote sleep. For others, eating before bed leads to indigestion and make sleeping more difficult. If you need a bedtime snack, try: Half a turkey sandwich A small bowl of whole-grain, low-sugar cereal Milk or yogurt A banana Tip 5: Wind down and clear your head Do you often find yourself unable to get to sleep or regularly waking up night after night? Residual stress, worry, and anger from your day can make it very difficult to sleep well. Taking steps to manage your overall stress levels and learning how to curb the worry habit can make it easier to unwind at night. You can also try developing a relaxing bedtime ritual to help you prepare your mind for sleep, such as practicing a relaxation technique, taking a warm bath, or dimming the lights and listening to soft music or an audiobook. Problems clearing you head at night can also stem from your daytime habits. The more overstimulated your brain becomes during the day, the harder it can be slow down and unwind at night. Maybe, like many of us, you’re constantly interrupting tasks during the day to check your phone, email, or social media. Then when it comes to getting to sleep at night, your brain is so accustomed to seeking fresh stimulation, it becomes difficult to unwind. Help yourself by setting aside specific times during the day for checking your phone and social media and, as much as possible, try to focus on one task at a time. You’ll be better able to calm your mind at bedtime. A deep breathing exercise to assist you sleep Breathing from your belly instead of your chest can activate the comfort response and lower your pulse rate, pressure, and stress levels to assist you drowse off to sleep. Lay down in bed and shut your eyes. Put one hand on your chest and also the other on your stomach. Breathe in through your nose. The hand on your stomach should rise. The hand on your chest should move little or no. Exhale through your mouth, pushing out the maximum amount air as you'll be able to while contracting your abdominal muscles. The hand on your stomach should move in as you exhale, but your other hand should move little. Continue to breathe through your nose and out through your mouth. try and inhale enough so your lower abdomen rises and falls. Count slowly as you exhale. To follow together with a guided deep breathing exercise, click here. A body scan exercise to assist you sleep By focusing your attention on different parts of your body, you'll identify where you’re holding any stress or tension, and release it. Lie on your back, legs uncrossed, arms relaxed at your sides, eyes closed. specialize in your breathing for about two minutes until you begin to feel relaxed. Turn your focus to the toes of your right foot. Notice any tension while continuing to also specialize in your breathing. Imagine each deep breath flowing to your toes. Remain focused on this area for a minimum of three to 5 seconds. Move your focus to the only real of your right foot. tune up to any sensations you are feeling in this a part of your body and picture each breath flowing from the only of your foot. Then move your focus to your right ankle and repeat. Move to your calf, knee, thigh, hip, then repeat the sequence for your left leg. From there, move up your torso, through your lower back and abdomen, your upper back and chest, and your shoulders. Pay close attention to any area of the body that feels tense. After completing the body scan, relax, noting how your body feels. you ought to feel so relaxed you'll easily go to sleep. For a guided body scan meditation to assist you wind down and clear your head at bedtime, click here. Tip 6: Improve your sleep environment A peaceful bedtime routine sends a robust signal to your brain that it’s time to wind down and abandoning of the day’s stresses. Sometimes even small changes to your environment can make an enormous difference to your quality of sleep. Keep your room dark, cool, and quiet Keep noise down. If you can’t avoid or eliminate noise from neighbors, traffic, or others in your household, try masking it with a devotee or sound machine. Earplugs may help. Keep your room cool. the majority sleep best during a slightly cool room (around 65° F or 18° C) with adequate ventilation. A bedroom that's too hot or too cold can interfere with quality sleep. Make sure your bed is comfortable. Your bed covers should leave you sufficient room to stretch and switch comfortably without becoming tangled. If you frequently come to life with a sore back or an aching neck, you will have to experiment with different levels of mattress firmness, foam toppers, and pillows that provide more or less support. Reserve your bed for sleeping and sex. By not working, watching TV, or using your phone, tablet, or computer in bed, your brain will associate the bedroom with just sleep and sex, which makes it easier to wind down in the dark. Tip 7: Learn ways to urge back to sleep It’s normal to wake briefly during the night but if you’re having trouble falling back asleep, the following pointers may help: Stay out of your head. Hard because it is also, try to not stress over your inability to go to sleep again, because that stress only encourages your body to remain awake. to remain out of your head, concentrate on the sentiments in your body or practice breathing exercises. Take a breath in, then expire slowly while saying or thinking the word, “Ahhh.” Take another breath and repeat. Make relaxation your goal, not sleep. If you discover it hard to fall back asleep, try a relaxation technique like visualization, progressive muscle relaxation, or meditation, which may be eluded even getting out of bed. while it’s not a replacement for sleep, relaxation can still help rejuvenate your body. Do a quiet, non-stimulating activity. If you’ve been awake for over quarter-hour, get out of bed and do a quiet, non-stimulating activity, like reading a book. Keep the lights dim and avoid screens so as to not cue your body that it’s time to awaken. Postpone worrying and brainstorming. If you wake during the night feeling anxious about something, make a quick note of it on paper and postpone worrying about it until the subsequent day when it'll be easier to resolve. Similarly, if an excellent idea is keeping you awake, make a note of it on paper and fall back to sleep knowing you’ll be far more productive after a decent night’s rest.
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