Getting a deep, rejuvenating sleep each night is vital for, well, not feeling like a zombie every day. Common phrases we regularly hear from readers are: “I wasn’t able to get a lot of sleep last night,” “It took forever to fall asleep last night,” and “I still feel tired after a full night’s rest.” If you can relate, you’ve come to the right place. So, how do we break this unsatisfying sleeping spell? HealthyLifeHacks has five fabulous tips for achieving that longed-for deep, restful sleep.
1. Reduce Screen Time Before Bed
Phones, computers, tablets, and TVs capture our attention for hours and hours each day, and that’s okay when you’re getting work done or unwinding for the evening. Unfortunately, the blue lights emitted by electronic devices can seriously mess up your natural circadian rhythm, also known as your internal clock. By turning off the electronics an hour before bed, you can get your biological clock on the right wavelength for powering down your mind and sleeping like a baby.
2. Don’t Switch Up Your Bedtime (Even on Weekends)
Excuse me, weekends are for partying (aka getting chores done). You want me to go to bed on time even on weekends? Well, yes. In order to experience a deep, restful sleep each night, it is important to be consistent about when you go to bed. Otherwise, you could confuse and disrupt the rhythm of your biological clock. By going to bed around the same time every night, you could have an easier time rousing once your alarm sounds the next morning.
3. Avoid Large Meals and Exercise Before Bed
Eating big meals or doing intense exercise in the three hours before bedtime can actually disrupt your ability to sleep soundly. An overactive metabolism or racing heart can make it difficult to drift into a sound, deep sleep. Try to avoid eating a bunch or diving into exercise before you go to bed.
4. Exercise Regularly
Exercise is important, just not right before bed. After all, exercise promotes a healthy mind and body. You can do cardio, go for a walk or jog around the block, or try something else entirely. Even if you have limited mobility and can only do something small, do that small thing to stay active. If you’re able, try not to sit for long periods of time — move around to keep the blood pumping. Even just thirty minutes of exercise a day can help improve sleep.
5. Keep Track Of Your Naps
Naps are fantastic for sleep. No, really. It’s OK to take a short nap, as long as it’s not after 3:00 PM. After early evening, taking a nap could make it harder to get a good night’s sleep. As long as your mindful about when and for how long you nap throughout the day, you could experience an improved quality of sleep.
Let There Be Sleep!
If you have a difficult time falling asleep, staying asleep, or just feeling unrested when waking, we hope one or more of these tips will help. Be sure to give any new routines a week or two for their full effects, that way your body has time to adapt to and truly benefit from them. Also, remember that sleep can vary from person to person, so try a few things to see what works best for you. Please let us know if anything was particularly helpful.
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