There are plenty of things that can contribute to your messed up sleeping schedule, for e.g., Body Fatigue, Work Stress, Overthinking etc. A good night’s sleep is essential for our body and mind to function properly to perform tasks throughout the day. It is as important as a healthy diet or a good workout at the gym.
Lack of sleep can cause adverse effects on your hormones, which leads to hair fall, skin issues and brain function. Whereas a better sleep schedule can make you look healthy, feel healthy and give you better mental health.
So, remember to have a good long nap at night if you want to lead a happy and healthy life. Here are some evidence-based tips we have for you.
1. Stop Caffeine
Caffeine is consumed to enhance performance and stability, however having caffeine during late hours can keep you wide awake throughout the night. This habit can mess up your sleep pattern, which can cause problems in your day to day activities.
Stop consuming caffeine in the late afternoon or evening if you have sleeping issues. The caffeine stays up in your blood, surging your body with energy for 5 to 6 hours. Start opting for Decaffeinated Coffee, if you’re someone who loves coffee, but treasures sleep too.
2. Reduce Blue Light Exposure
Blue Light Exposure has been known to reduce melatonin which is the most important hormone for sleep. Your brain is tricked into thinking it’s daytime and then it refuses to rest naturally. The source of blue light is electronic devices such as T.V, smartphones or Laptops, and these are some things we use in our daily lives.
Avoiding these devices completely isn’t possible. We can instead tackle it by wearing Glasses that block Blue Light or download apps that block these harmful on your devices.
3. Stop Alcohol Consumption
Having Late Night Parties while consuming alcohol may be a fun activity, but it messes up your whole sleeping pattern. It increases the symptoms of Snoring, Sleep apnea and causes bad sleep patterns. Alcohol reduces melatonin production which plays an important role in your sleep schedule, that’s why drinking before bed is a big NO.
4. Bedroom Temperature
Your bedroom environment plays a huge role in your sleep. The temperature you sleep in affects your mood and your sleep. That’s why it’s important for you to sleep in a perfect bedroom temperature; a study found out that more than noise the temperature of the room plays a huge role in your sleep.
The Perfect room temperature is 70 F (20 C) for a large number of people, but you need to keep testing to find a perfect one for yourself.
5. Late Snacking
Binging on Netflix and Snacking Late at night is a whole new trend, but this is one of the worst habits for your body and sleeping schedule. Eating Late can affect your sleep and gut health badly. Your gut health plays a huge role in your overall body’s performance. They say, If you have a Healthy Stomach, then you are healthy overall!
However, if you can’t stop this habit completely, then replace it with a low carb diet which is known to improve sleep.
6. Relaxing Shower
A Hot Shower is a popular way to have a good sleep. It helps relax your mind and calms down your body completely. This method is best for adults who are facing sleep issues. Having a hot shower an hour before going to bed improves your overall sleeping schedule.
If you’re too tired to have a hot bath at night, you can replace it with keeping your feet in a bucket full of hot water. This method helps you relax and calms your nervous system. Also please avoid cold showers as they are known to energize your whole body.
7. Comfortable Pillow or Mattress
The Bed Quality and the Environment play a huge role in the quality of your sleep, that’s the reason you get that devil’s godly sleep in a Hotel Room. Investing in a good mattress is very important for your back health too. Bad bedding can lead to health issues like back and neck pain.
A Proper Squishy Pillow, which elevates your head perfectly, is essential. Bad quality pillows can lead to neck sprain and irritation. Keep changing your bedsheets from time to time for better sleep. Investing in your bedding is important for a good night’s sleep.
8. Regular Exercise
Exercising daily gives your body strength and reduces insomnia. Having a good workout at the gym will give you extra sleep time because of all the pain and fatigue your muscles go through. Performing exercises at late hours can lead to a bad sleep schedule because your body is widely awake and rushing with adrenaline.
The Best time to hit the gym is during the early morning hours. This helps you have a good day to perform your tasks.
9. Set a Sleeping Pattern & Follow it
Having a consistent sleep pattern which you can keep up with is very important. Sleeping and waking up at the same time is good for your health. This good habit will help your body automatically sleep early and wake up early. Also, when you wake up, go out and soak in some early morning sunlight which will help your overall body. Follow the same sleeping pattern and then see the changes in your health and sleep. Staying consistent is important.
10. Cancel Noise
When you are in search of good sleep, every little hush is a loud boom for your ears. If you have a soundproof room, that’s great, but for people who don’t own this luxury, a couple of noise blocking earbuds would do wonders. The other substitute is a white noise app, which reduces the noise all over the room and helps you get a sound sleep.
11. No Tobacco
Smoking cigarettes is bad for your overall health and isn’t just limited to ruining your sleep. Nicotine acts as same as caffeine which keeps you up for the night. Also, it causes cancer and makes insomnia worse for people.
12. Leave the Fur out of Bed
Now it’s a known fact that pets are not just some random animal living inside our house, but they are family. Your pet sleeping in your bed can mess up your bedding. Cats and dogs can bring ticks, dandruff and pollen into your bed which can cause you diseases.
Leave your pet into their own beds and train them to not jump on your sleeping place; this helps to maintain the tidiness of your bed and helps you get better sleep.
13. Consult a Doctor
Sometimes when nothing seems to be working out for you, there can be a high chance of you having an underlying health condition which maybe the cause of your bad sleep. Such as sleep apnea, where your breathing during your sleep feels interrupted. The other can medical depression and anxiety, which makes your body and mind feel lethargic most of the time.
If you have any of these conditions, its better that you visit a doctor and get diagnosis to get better.
14. Avoid Short Naps
If you keep taking short naps here and there throughout the day, when you get into bed for a full night’s sleep, it’s going to be impossible. Feeling tired and lazy during the is a common thing, to avoid taking naps you can go out a for a short walk which can kick out the laziness.
You can have a short nap which is for 20 mins; more than that can interfere with your sleeping schedule.
15. Dim Lights
Trying to sleep with bright room lights on will turn out to be a task you won’t achieve. The solution to this is to try to dim off the lights 2 hours before you sleep. This helps your brain to release melatonin which will put you to sleep.
You can get dim light bulbs which are specially made to create a light which gives you a nice sleep, and if you like late reading, a 15-watt bulb is the best choice.
