Sleep is a natural process that should come effortlessly, but if you are having trouble getting quality sleep, then something must be amiss. It is worth noting that the amount of sleep you get every night not only impacts your functioning the following day but also your health in general. That is why there is a medically recommended number of hours people in different age groups should sleep – meaning that it is important to get adequate sleep.
Among the reasons for having trouble getting a good night’s sleep includes habits that could be avoided and some that are not easily avoidable like too many responsibilities and other challenges like health conditions. Nevertheless, you can incorporate a few new habits into your daily regimen while eliminating those that interfere with sleep to encourage healthy sleeping. Here are tips to get you started.
Come up with a sleep schedule
The first thing you need to do to ensure that you get adequate sleep is to make and stick to a sleep schedule. You need to define the time you will be sleeping every day and when you will be waking up. An adult requires seven hours of sleep every day, and the difference on weekends and holidays should not exceed one hour.
Consistently sticking to your sleep routine will train the body to know the right time to go to bed and get out of it. This sleep-wake cycle can help you plan your days effectively while ensuring that you have a good sleep. If it happens that you don’t fall asleep about 20 minutes after getting into bed, find something relaxing to do, like listening to music.
Make your bedroom conducive
You will agree that the comfort of being in the bedroom contributes a lot to whether you will have a good night’s sleep or not. When the temperatures are too high, or there is too much noise in your bedroom, the chances are high that you will not sleep comfortably. A convenient room for sleeping should be cool, dark and quiet because too much light can also make it hard for you to fall asleep.
If you must, use ear plugs and blinders to encourage healthy sleep. Using a fan or other devices that will make the atmosphere in the bedroom restful is also helpful. Furthermore, do calm and relaxing activities like taking a bath before bed to promote quality sleep.
Use a comfortable mattress and pillows
You need a comfortable and supportive mattress to get good sleep. Worn out mattresses can be very uncomfortable and you feel like you are sleeping on a hard surface. As such, it is recommended that you check the life expectancy of the mattress that you are using, and if it way past it, find another one. The same can be said about pillows. A hard pillow can cause aches when you wake up in the morning.
The best memory foam mattresses should offer a comfortable surface on which to sleep. Improvements to the mattress by many manufacturers are intended to make the product even comfier. Among the things, you want to consider when buying your memory foam mattress is the motion transfer feature, especially if you are sleeping with a partner, the responsiveness, and sinkage.
Check what you eat and drink
The food and drinks you consume can have a great impact on the quality of sleep that you get at night. As such, you want to check that you don’t drink or eat anything that will interfere with your sleep. For instance, too much intake of coffee affects sleep in the sense that you will have trouble falling asleep. The same can be said about other stimulants like alcohol and nicotine.
A few hours before going to bed, make sure you are satisfied but not stuffed. Also, you should not be hungry as this may affect your sleep. Eat enough food way before going to bed to avoid any discomfort.
Manage your daytime naps
Many people find it important to have naps during the day, but it affects your night’s sleep in a way. You, therefore, need to consider stopping or adjusting your napping schedule. Take naps early in the day, preferably before 5 pm. Another thing about naps to be concerned about is their lengths. It is best to keep them short. A 30-minute nap taken early in the day should not interfere with your sleep.
However, if you work at night and are looking for ways to be up for a long time, then late naps of more than 30 minutes maybe ideal.
