How to sleep better at night depends on you creating good sleep habits, because these habits will help you go to bed early and sleep well.
Having a good sleep is very important, our bodies relax from the whole day’s work and recharge when we are asleep and the health benefits of sleeping are endless.
Benefits of Sleep
- Sleep can boost your immune system
- Sleeping can increase productivity
- It can improve your memory
- It can boost your mood
- Sleep can fight weight gain, etc.
So with some of these benefits of sleep, you now know why these tips on how to sleep better through the night are important. Now let’s dive in.
Enjoy the Sunset
Before the creation of all these white lights, our sleep schedule was mostly regulated by the sun. Whenever the sun sets, our bodies produce a hormone called Melatonin.
Melatonin is a hormone made by the pineal gland, and it is found just above the middle of your brain. It helps our body know when it’s time to sleep.
Even when the sun sets now we have all the white light in our houses preventing the production of melatonin. So take your time in the evenings to go outside and enjoy the sunset.
You can take a stroll, read a book on your balcony and open your windows and let the air in. This will help your body prepare for sleep.
Wear Your Pajamas at Night
With the pandemic and lots of people working from home, it is so easy to keep working and forget you need to go to bed. Sometimes we wear our pajamas all through the day and that is very bad.
You have to train your body and brain to know when it is bedtime. So during the day wear your regular clothes and wear your sleeping clothes only at night.
Therefore making your brain know that once you put on your sleepwear it is time for bed.
Drink Tea
So if you didn’t know some teas can help you sleep better. Chamomile tea is a great one I notice that any night I take it I sleep early, I mean like 11 pm, and that is early for me.
Chamomile tea is a natural remedy to reduce inflammation and anxiety and treat insomnia. It is a mild tranquilizer or sleep inducer.
Another is valerian root which is used centuries ago to treat problems like insomnia, nervousness, and headaches, lavender too.
Have a Shutdown Time
So take 30 mins to 1 hour before your bedtime to do a shutdown. Stop working if you work from home, put down all your electronics, and start creating an atmosphere to tell your brain it is time for bed.
The blue light from your TVs, computers, cell phone, tablet, or digital clock may disturb your sleep, so turn off and put them away.
Sleep in a Cool Room
If your room is hot you won’t be able to sleep, sleeping in a cold room will help improve the quality of your sleep and help you sleep faster. I have noticed that I sleep better when the weather is cold.
Open your windows before bedtime or if you have an air conditioner switch it on to keep your room cold.
Prepare for the Next Day
Take a few minutes before bedtime to prepare for the next day, you can tidy up your house, do the dishes, etc just a little 10–20 minutes tidy.
Also take this time to plan for the next day, food menu, work and family stuff, pick out your outfit too.
Have a Consistent Sleep Schedule
Try to go to sleep around the same time each day even on weekends. This will help your brain align with this routine, your body and brain thrive with consistency.
In no time you will find yourself going to sleep naturally around that same time. This I have practiced and it works very well I was sleeping by 11 pm and getting up by 7 am.
Avoid Heavy Meals and Caffeine
Eating heavy meals before bedtime will surely make sleeping difficult, I have had lots of bad experiences with this one, my tummy starts paining me, it feels so strong and uncomfortable.
So try eating your heavy dinner 4 hours before bedtime, this will give the food time to digest before bed. If you feel a bit hungry try eating foods or fruits that can help you sleep like almonds, kiwi fruit, warm milk, etc.
For caffeine, I know a lot of people love it but try avoiding it 6–8 hours before your bedtime because it stays in your blood for that long. Thereby preventing you from having your beauty sleep.
Take a Warm Bath or Shower
This is something I do any day I have a stressful day, I don’t have a bathtub so I keep the shower running and just stand under while the water pours on every bath of my body.
I have noticed that doing this helps to relax my muscles and I feel that immediately the water touches my body.
If you have a bathtub then perfect, add Epson salt to your bath this helps as a healing agent and pain reliever. After your bath, you will feel relax and sleep ready that’s for sure.
Avoid any Liquid Before Bed
You have to avoid taking any liquid before bed including water, YES even water. When there is a lot of water in your body, you tend to wake up and urinate at night, which affects your sleep cycle.
Also, try using the bathroom before going to bed to decrease your chance of getting up at night.
Alcohol before bed is a bad idea, although it can help you sleep quicker and deeper it is just for a short time. It increases the symptoms of sleep apnea, snoring, and disrupted sleep patterns. Then the next day you feel excessively sleepy.
Create a Calm Atmosphere
How to sleep better at night also depends on your environment. Creating a calm atmosphere is essential to help you sleep, so start by dimming the lights in your house.
Light candles to give your house a nice scent and play soft music. This will help relax you mentally and get you ready for sleep.
You can do meditation or yoga to help you feel calm and clear your head because stress, worry, and anger from your day can make it very difficult to sleep well.
Have a Comfortable Bed, Pillow, and Mattress
If you didn’t know your mattress, pillow, bedding, and bed can affect your sleep, I recently got a new mattress myself. Because every time I sleep I wake up with back pain and my neck hurts too.
My mattress had gone so soft that when I lie down, it presses down and that affects my body. Same with my pillow they are so flat and I have been having neck pain.
Have you wondered why you love sleeping in a hotel? that is because the mattress, bedding, and pillow help you sleep better.
So, you are recommended to change your mattress every 5–8 years, so if yours is more than that then you need a change and change your beddings too.
Exercise Regularly but not Before Bed
Exercising daily is very beneficial to you, it helps your health and even your sleep but no exercise before bedtime. When you exercise you get your heart rate up, your blood is pumping and your adrenaline is high.
You can’t sleep in that kind of situation, you have to come to a relaxed mood for you to be able to have a good sleep. So exercise 1 hour or more before bedtime or go for a walk.
Avoid Naps During the Day
If you had my way I will say avoid naps during the day cause when you nap you find it difficult to sleep early.
When you are tired during the day, you can take a stroll, go have some snacks, or even make a phone call to your loved one.
But if you feel the need to really nap, it should not be more than 30 minutes and this should be before 4 pm.
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SUMMARY
So there you have 14 tips to help you sleep better, try implementing them and see how you will be able to go to bed easily.
THANKS FOR READING!!
