Quality sleep is essential to ensure that you get the energy that you need the next day. However, for some people, getting a good night’s rest can be quite challenging. This can be attributed to different factors which can vary depending on the lifestyle and the overall health condition of a person. This article tackles some of the easy ways how you will be able to improve the quality of your sleep.
Stick to a Routine
One of the easiest things that you can do to improve the quality of your sleep is to try and stick to a routine. This means that you need to keep in sync with your body’s natural sleep and wake cycle. In the beginning, this may prove to be quite challenging, but as soon as you have established a schedule, getting to bed at the same time each night will prove to be effortless.
There are several ways on how you can start a routine. To help you begin one, you can consider using pure CBD oil to aid sleep at almost the same time each night. There is also the option for you to take a warm bath a couple of hours before your bedtime, signaling your body to relax and calm down. The key is in trying to sleep and get up at the same time every day.
As much as possible, avoid sleeping in on the weekends too no matter how tempting it can be because this can disrupt the sleep-wake cycle that you are trying to establish. You should also be smart about napping, which means that you should limit them to about 15 minutes early in the afternoon if you need to recharge. In parallel to this, try to fight off the drowsiness that you may feel right after dinner.
Control Light Exposure
Another easy way to improve the quality of your sleep is to control your exposure to light. For instance, during the day, soak up the sun and spend more time outside during the daylight. Let natural light into your home too by opening up your windows and curtains accordingly. In case you live in an area where you experience short days particularly during the winter season, you may even consider leveraging a light therapy box.
As soon as the night kicks in though, make sure to avoid bright screens a couple of hours before your bedtime. This means that you need to steer clear from late-night television shows as well as reading with backlit gadgets. When it is your time to sleep, make sure that your room is dark and even if you get up during the night to go to the bathroom, it will help to keep your lights down.
Improve on your Sleep Environment
You can also enhance the quality of your sleep by improving your sleep environment. For instance, make sure to keep the noise down or try masking the noise you hear from the outdoors with the use of a sound machine. Merely wearing an earplug can also do the trick. There is also the option for you to keep your room cool, making sure that you have adequate ventilation.
You should also see to it that your bed is comfortable and that you have enough space to turn comfortably. You may even want to try out different types of mattresses or pillows, particularly if you often wake up with a sore back or a stiff neck. Make sure to reserve your bed only for sleeping so that your body will be able to associate it only for rest, and not for work or other tasks.
Don’t Forget to Exercise
Exercising during the day can also help you get better rest during the night. You don’t have to perform a rigorous exercise though because even merely walking for about ten minutes a day will already help significantly. Don’t be discouraged if you don’t feel the effects of your exercise routine immediately because it takes several months before you tend to experience the sleep-promoting effects of proper exercise. Just time your exercise right because working out a couple of hours before hour bedtime can also interfere with your sleep.
Be More Conscious of What You Eat
What you eat can also affect the quality of your sleep. For this reason, make sure that you are more conscious of your diet. For instance, limit your caffeine intake because this is one of the most effective stimulants that can disrupt your sleep and keep you awake.
Even sugary foods and refined carbs can also trigger wakefulness as these are known to generate energy, which is more beneficial during the day time. As much as possible, you should also avoid big meals at night or make your dinner time earlier. In the same manner, try to avoid lots of liquid intake in the evening, causing you to wake up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom.
Clear your Mind
Finally, exert the extra effort to clear your mind from anything that causes you stress. In this way, you will be able to sleep better. To do so, you can practice some breathing exercises. In this case, all you need is to lay down on your bed and close your eyes with one of your hands on your chest and the other on your tummy. When you breathe through your nose and exhale through your mouth, the hand over your tummy should rise and fall accordingly. The movement of the hand on your chest should be very minimal. This breathing exercise will help you calm down and clear your mind, perfectly in time before you go to sleep.
To improve the quality of your sleep, make sure to stick to a routine and control your light exposure. Alongside this, you can also enhance your sleep environment. Don’t forget to exercise, eat better, and overall, practice a healthier lifestyle. It is also important to clear your mind from the things and thoughts that can cause you stress. All these are geared towards ensuring that you get the quality rest that you deserve at the end of the day.