When it comes to the necessities of life, sleep is at the top of the list. Getting a good night’s sleep is one of the most essential factors to staying healthy, both mentally and physically. It’s just as vital as exercise, a healthy diet, and keeping a positive mindset.
Studies suggest that inadequate or poor sleep can have detrimental effects on several aspects of the body. These include brain function, physical strength, susceptibility to injury, hormonal balance, and mental health to name a few.
Over the past couple of decades, the majority of peoples’ quantity and quality of sleep has declined. To help you ensure that you increase your chances of catching those increasingly necessary zzz’s, here are some tips for getting a good night’s sleep:
Try To Stick To a Fixed Sleeping Schedule
The recommended amount of sleep for a healthy adult is at least seven hours, more than 8 hours can start to have detrimental effects which are similar to ones you get when you do not sleep enough. It is equally important that you make an effort to go to bed and wake up at the same, or similar time every day.
It’s acceptable to be a little bit more lenient on holidays or the weekends for example, but consistency in sticking to fixed times will help reinforce your body’s cycle and make it easier to keep up the pattern.
Eat and Drink Accordingly
Going to bed too stuffed or really hungry can detract you from the quality of sleep and affect how you will feel after waking up. It’s best to avoid really heavy meals during the few hours leading up to when you get in bed.
Nicotine, alcohol and caffeine, all need to be used responsibly as well. The stimulating effects of caffeine and nicotine can take hours to wear off and the ‘drowsiness’ of alcohol may lead to you falling asleep faster, but may well cause discomfort down the line.
Stay Active
Regular physical activity during the day can benefit greatly in your ability to fall asleep and help you in sticking to your fixed schedule, but it should be avoided during the few hours before you head to bed, as this can keep your body from going into ‘sleep mode’.
Try Sleeping On Your Back
As strange as this may sound, the position in which you sleep can greatly affect the quality of your sleep. Many positions can place stress on parts of your body that can leave you in pain or soreness in the morning and throughout your day.
Sleeping on your back is one of the best options. Studies have shown that back sleeping is beneficial for the spine and reduces the stress on your joints that can be induced by sleeping in other less ergonomic positions.
Try to Avoid Daytime Naps
Long naps, especially during the daytime, can be detrimental to your sleeping pattern. At the end of the day, we are only human and sometimes all we need is a small power-nap in order to get all active and ready to go.
If that’s the case, be sure to limit those naps to a maximum of 30 minutes and try to keep them as early as possible, so they don’t mess with the time you usually go to bed at night. If you happened to be someone who works a night shift for example, then the occasional nap later in the day is more justified as you’ll need it to power through your night shift.
Take Care of Your Mental Health
Your mental health can have in some cases much more of an effect on your quality of sleep than anything physical. Taking care of your mental wellbeing and putting in conscious efforts to remain calm and peaceful can have an amazing impact on everything in your life, including your sleep.
Some people keep a journal that they fill in before they sleep, some listen to soothing sound tapes, and others meditate. The basic premise is to try your best not to sleep whilst being mentally uncomfortable and distressed, this is by no means an easy task for most people but with practice anything is possible.
