How to Sleep Better for the Everyday Working Class Person!
Sleep is one of the most important factors for your health and well-being. It affects your mood, energy, memory, immunity, and more. However, many people struggle to get enough quality sleep every night. In this blog, I will share some of the proven ways on how to sleep better at night.
Sleep is the great equaliser in life, we all need it and we all roughly need the same amount of quality sleep every night according to most sleep studies to remain at optimal health and peak performance. Based on many research papers and my own experience, you should be aiming for 7-9 hours of sleep per night for optimal performance at work, to feel less drained and so you have even got some reserves left in the tank after a hard days work for playing with the kids and cooking dinner.
Our fast-paced lives sometimes gets in the way of sleep though, so I have brought together a few ways that can help you get to sleep faster and for a longer period below…
How to sleep better at night?
If you want to enjoy the benefits of sleep, you need to make sure you get enough quality sleep every night. Here are some tips to help you sleep better:
Stick to a sleep schedule. Try to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, even on weekends. This will help you establish a regular sleep-wake cycle and make it easier to fall asleep and stay asleep. It is recommended setting aside no more than nine hours for sleep, and no less than seven. If you are unable to get to sleep within 20 minutes leaving your bedroom to work on breathing patterns would help considerably. A simply breathing pattern to follow would 5 second deep breath, two second pause, three second release repeated 10-30 times.
Pay attention to what you eat and drink. Avoid eating large or heavy meals, caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol close to bedtime. These can interfere with your digestion, sleep quality, and sleep duration. There are multiple studies that advises drinking enough water during the day, but not too much before bed, to avoid waking up to use the bathroom.
Create a restful environment. Make sure your bedroom is cool, dark, and quiet. You can use curtains, blinds, earplugs, fans, or other devices to block out any noise or light that might disturb your sleep. Avoiding prolonged use of electronic devices with a screen, such as laptops, smartphones, and e-books, before bed, as they can emit blue light that can suppress your melatonin production and keep you awake. A quick fix on this if you can’t put that screen away is changing your screen to emitting a warm yellow light, which all smart phones have this application built in to their system. You can change this in your settings.
Limit daytime naps. While short naps can be beneficial for some people, long or late naps can disrupt your sleep cycle and make it harder to fall asleep at night. You should limit naps to no more than one hour and avoiding napping after 3 p.m. However, if you work nights, you might need to nap late in the day before work to make up for your sleep debt.
Include physical activity in your daily routine. Regular exercise can improve your physical and mental health and promote better sleep. However, avoid exercising too close to bedtime, as this can stimulate your body and make it harder to relax. It would become good practise to exercise at least three hours before bed or choosing low-impact activities, such as yoga or stretching, in the evening.
Manage worries. Try to resolve your worries or concerns before bedtime. You can write down what’s on your mind and set it aside for tomorrow. You can also practice stress management techniques, such as meditation, breathing exercises, or positive affirmations, to calm your mind and body. If you still struggle with sleeping for extended periods, contacting your health care provider is also important, especially if you have chronic or severe sleep problems.
Sleep is essential for your health and well-being. By following these tips, you can improve your sleep quality and duration and enjoy the benefits of sleep.
And Until Next Time,
Take Back Control
