6 Ways To Sleep Better
(BeWellBuzz) Whenever you are waking up throughout the night, you are not getting the kind of sleep and rest you’d ideally like can leave you feeling tired during the day. Sleep can become a sore point for you, especially if you don’t pay heed to it early on. And the last thing you’d want to fall prey to is a chronic sleep problem. To make sure all that crabbiness associated with lack of sleep doesn’t happen to you, get sleep and enough of it. Here are 6 ways to do so.
- Watch what you eat and drink – Since this is likely to be your last major activity before sleeping, do it carefully. What you eat and drink can facilitate a good night’s rest or it can ruin it completely. Just as eating less is a problem, stuffing yourself to the brim is also a problem. If you eat too little, hunger pangs will ring in the death of sleep. On the other hand, if you’re overstuffed, your body will struggle with digestion even as you’re trying to get some decent rest.
For a good night’s sleep, the best thing to do is go easy on food. It’s also a good idea to eat as early as you can, so that the body gets enough time for the digestion process. That apart, it’s best not to go anywhere close to stimulants like alcohol, caffeine and nicotine. They have the ability to give the body a false sense of energy, even as you’re struggling to be awake.
- Schedule your sleep – And don’t worry, no one’s going to think you’re an automaton. If you can make the effort to schedule your meetings, why can’t you do the same with your sleep? Setting a sleep schedule can make you more disciplined when it comes to getting adequate rest. As a result, sleep will become as much priority as anything else.
Going to bed around the same time every day will also condition your body in the right way – making you ease into restful sleep the moment you lie down. A friendly warning here – don’t fret too much about your sleep schedule. All that worrying could actually backfire in an unpleasant way!
- Take time to relax – If you’ve been on an adrenalin rush until the last moment before hitting the bed, you’re likely to have a disturbed night. Why? Because the body needs time to sink into a relaxed state. If you’re looking for a night without tossing and turning, it’s important that you give yourself time to unwind. Do what works for you. Read a book, listen to some music, soak in a luxuriant bath – whatever works.
While it’s important to develop a bedtime ritual consisting of relaxing activities, it’s also necessary to stay away from anything that excites the nerves. Don’t include TV watching in your winding down activities. Because the visuals mixed with the varied sounds throw your nerves into a greater tizzy than you realize.
- Breathe well, breathe deep – It’s a common misconception to think that sleep and breathing haven’t got anything to do with each other. Working on your breath can in fact do wonders for your sleep.
Notice if you have a tendency to do shallow breathing. If the answer’s a ‘yes’, get to work as soon as possible. Take time to inhale and exhale. Try to use both your diaphragm and stomach to breathe. It’s not that difficult to understand the real connection between sleep and breath, If you breathe deeply, you’re more likely to get into the relaxed zone faster.
- Exercise but don’t over-exercise – Moderation is a good thing. And that applies to making exercise a part of your daily routine as well. Hitting the gym or getting some workout on your own is a healthy practice. Working out cuts out the disadvantages of a desk job, helps in handling stress and makes you sleep better.
Moreover, the happy hormones that flow in because of a good workout makes the experience count even more. However, going overboard with your workout regimen might be a bad idea. Too much exercise stresses the mind and body like a strong stimulant.
- Shut off completely – Now that you’ve hit the bed, it’s your private time. Don’t let people disturb you when you’re in that zone. To help that process, you may want to do away with your mobile phone. No, keeping it on silent won’t help most of time because you’d still want to find out if anyone has mailed or messaged. Switch off your phone and slip it into the drawer. Tell people not to call you after a certain time in the evening. This will also help you get some time to unwind. Unless there’s an emergency looming large, stay as far away from the phone as possible.
Good sleep can be a blessing in the long run. However, for that to happen, it’s important that you take certain precautions in the short run. A little bit of self-discipline and you too can say goodbye to groggy mornings. All the best!
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References:
http://www.prevention.com/health/20-ways-sleep-better-every-night
http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/sleep-benefits-10/slideshow-sleep-tips
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/sleep/HQ01387/NSECTIONGROUP=2
