Top Ten Tips to Improve Sleep

Sleep is a vital part of our health and well-being, yet millions of sleep-deprived people do not get the recommended seven to nine hours of sleep each night. Although it may seem that you can keep on keepin’ on without sleep, the effects it causes to the body certainly impact you even if you don’t yet feel the effects. Our top ten tips for better sleep ensure you get the sleep that your body needs now, minimizing risks later.

• Develop a Routine: A bedtime routine puts your body on a schedule that it adapts to. If you set a scheduled time for bed and develop a routine before you climb into bed each night, you’re far more likely to get the sound sleep the body needs to thrive. For example, your routine can consist of putting on your pajamas half an hour before bed and brushing your teeth ten minutes before climbing into bed.
• Get a New Mattress: When people buy new mattresses and bedframes, they can improve the appeal of the room as well as the comfort. Mattresses have an eight-year average lifetime, although there is no guarantee your mattress will last this length of time. Consider buying a new mattress designed for back pain relief if you toss and turn each night or wake up feeling as if you’ve not slept at all.
• Bright Lights: Increase daytime light exposure and decrease nighttime light exposure to improve your body’s sleep patterns. This trick supports circadian rhythm health.
• Eliminate Caffeine: Around 90% of all Americans consume caffeine each day. Many find that caffeine provides the energy they need to survive long, hectic days at the office. However, caffeine also gives you a jolt of energy that makes calming down at night, when it’s time to go to sleep, a little bit difficult. Avoid drinking caffeine several hours prior to bedtime to ensure the best shut-eye when you lie down.
• Reduce Stress: We all experience stress in our lives; some more than others. It is how this stress is handled that is most important. If you’re stressed, it is hard to clear the mind to go to sleep each night. Lack of sleep only contributes to stress and increases stress hormones in the brain. Find stress-busters during the day to sleep better at night.
• No More Naps: If you take naps during the day and find it difficult to go to sleep at night, it’s time to eliminate those naps. Daytime naps can disturb the body’s internal clock.
• Avoid Alcohol: Many people reach for alcohol when they’re stressed or when they simply need to relax after a long, hard day at work. Sadly, alcohol also interferes with sleep. It reduces the nighttime production of melatonin in our body and may also cause symptoms such as sleep apnea to develop or worsen.
• Temperatures Matter: Set the temperature at 70 degrees F to improve sleep quality. A room that is too warm interferes with the body’s internal temperature and may case yo you toss and turn all night.
• Choose the Right Time to Eat: Studies suggest that eating a high protein meal four hours prior to bedtime helps improve a person’s sleep quality. Avoid eating dinner or large meals late at night to reduce insomnia.
• Visit the Doctor: Many people suffer from poor sleep quality due to an undiagnosed sleep disorder. If all else fails, perhaps its time to visit the doctor. A doctor can perform a series of tests and exams to rule our or diagnose sleep disorders that may very well be the cause of your sleep irregularities. Once a proper diagnosis is made, you’ll instantly gratify your sleep.

Improve the Way You Sleep

Irregular sleep patterns and a lack of quality sleep impacts our mood, happiness, and our health and overall well-being. Adjust your life using the tips above and soon you’ll notice that getting the sleep that you need is easy. Sleep is an essential part of our lives and well-being. Improve the way that you sleep each night using the tips above and quickly improve your life.