Adults require seven to nine hours of sleep every night. A good night’s rest is necessary for good health, and sleeping well can help you feel alert throughout the day. Unfortunately, some people have trouble sleeping at night.
Although you can take sleeping pills or medications, nothing beats a natural sleep aid for a night of quality sleep. If you want to enjoy a good night’s rest and sleep, here are the tips and advice you should know:
1. Be Smart About What You Drink And Eat
Your daily eating habits play a role in how well you sleep, particularly in the hours before bedtime. So, make sure to practice the following:
2. Have A Heart-Healthy Diet
Your sleep quality may depend on your overall eating patterns instead of specific foods. Eating a diet rich in fruits, healthy fats, and vegetables may help you fall asleep faster and help you sleep for long periods.
In addition, you may consider magnesium glycinate for sleep, which helps regulate Gamma-Aminobutyric acid (GABA). It’s a neurotransmitter that puts your brain into sleep mode, which powers your body systems down, quiets communication, and eases you into sleep.
3. Avoid Drinking Too Many Liquid
Drinking more fluids can lead to frequent bathroom trips throughout the night. So, if you’re thirsty, make sure to drink enough liquid before bedtime.
4. Don’t Drink Alcohol Before Bedtime
Most people drink alcohol to relax. While you can enjoy a glass of wine or any alcoholic beverage before bedtime, it may interfere with your sleep cycle.
5. Limit Nicotine And Caffeine
Caffeine may cause sleep problems up to 12 hours after drinking it. Smoking may also affect your sleep because tobacco cigarettes contain nicotine. It is another stimulant that may disrupt your sleep, particularly if you smoke close to bedtime.
6. Reduce Consuming Refined Carbs And Sugary Foods
Eating more refined carbs and sugar during the day may trigger wakefulness at night. Such foods may also pull you out of the restorative or deep stages of sleep.
7. Avoid Looking At Bright Screens Before Sleep
The blue backlight from your tablet, phone, TV, or computer may stimulate your brain and prevent your body from producing melatonin, a hormone for sleep. It makes it more challenging to fall asleep and may disrupt your healthy sleeping patterns. If you need to use your phone for work before bedtime, be sure to reduce its brightness and take advantage of the night mode feature of your device. You can also turn on the ‘eye protection’ feature to reduce the blue light produced by your phone screen.
8. Consult A Doctor
If you already have good sleeping habits and have changed your sleep environment but still experience trouble sleeping, you might want to visit your doctor. A general physician may refer you to a sleep specialist who can give you a diagnosis of your condition and provide you with the proper treatment or medication.
9. Avoid Daytime Naps
Sleeping during the daytime is more challenging than sleeping well at night. If naps are necessary because you woke up too early, you can have a power nap for 20 minutes. Be sure that you’re awake for at least four hours before going back to bed, and never let yourself fall asleep in front of your television to avoid sleep disruptions.
10. Improve Your Sleep Environment
The best bedtime routine signals your brain that it’s the perfect time to let go of your day’s stresses and wind down. Often, even small changes to your room can make a difference to your sleep quality. To improve your bedroom environment, keep the following tips in mind:
11. Make Your Bed Comfortable
Your bed covers must leave you enough room to stretch and move around comfortably. If you often wake up with an aching neck or a sore back, you may want to experiment with your pillows, mattress firmness, and foam toppers. Then, choose the ones that provide better support and allow you to sleep well.
12. Keep Your Bedroom Cool
Many people sleep best in a cool room with proper ventilation. Bedrooms that are too cold or hot may interfere with your sleep.
13. Keep The Noise Down
If you can’t get rid of noise from your neighbors or traffic, consider masking it with a sound machine or a fan. You may also use earplugs. A solemn space for sleeping can help you improve your sleep quality because it helps your mind be at peace.
14. Create A Sleep Ritual
Setting bedtime rituals can make a difference to experience a good night’s rest regularly and lessen sleep deprivation. Bedtime rituals may help signal the mind and body that it’s time for sleep. Depending on your preferences, your bedtime ritual may include listening to calming music or drinking a glass of milk.
Conclusion
Almost everyone has trouble sleeping due to various reasons. While it takes a few days or weeks to get settled in a healthy sleep routine, today is a reasonable time to work on your sleep hygiene. Keep in mind that good sleep is the foundation for better overall health. So, practice the above tips to wake up feeling alert and refreshed.
