Getting a good night’s sleep is one of the most important things you can do to stay healthy or to recover from an illness. Good quality sleep for at least seven to eight hours a night (whenever possible) can make you healthier by reducing the risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, and stroke. It’s not always easy to get the good night’s sleep that you need, however, these tips should help you find a way to drift off peacefully and stay asleep until morning.
A Cold Room
You may think that a cozy, toasty warm bedroom is the best way to go about things if you want to stay healthy, but it’s the opposite that is true. Having your room temperature on the colder side will help you to sleep more easily; if your body is cold, it is easier for it to warm up than if it is hot and needs to cool down. A temperature of between 60 and 68 degrees is ideal, and although it may take a little time to find the perfect temperature for you, it is certainly worth experimenting. If you can’t change the temperature in your bedroom, then use a portable fan and make sure your comforter is not too heavy.
A Quiet Room
It may seem obvious that a quiet room is what is required to be able to get to sleep, but what might not be so obvious is what is making the noise. Although the room itself may be quiet, what about what is going on outside? Is there a lot of traffic noise? Do people walk by talking loudly? Are you in the countryside where animals howl at night? If so, you may require earplugs to drown out the sound and allow you to have a better night’s sleep. Some noises, however, are good for you. The white noise of a fan can help people to sleep, for example. Again, it may take some experimenting, but once you have found the right level for you, your sleep will be a lot better.
A Dark Room
Even the smallest amount of light can be a problem when you’re trying to get some good quality sleep. Light interferes with your production of melatonin which is the hormone that regulates your sleep cycles and tells your body when it’s time to sleep and when it’s time to wake up. Too much light can confuse the body and you might wake earlier than you should, or you could find it harder to go to sleep in the first place. The best way to combat this is to turn off any electrical devices in your room completely. Those little red and green dots of light are enough to confuse your body. Blackout curtains can be an excellent way to keep out natural light too.
Remove The Cell Phone
Many people like to have their cell phones right next to them as they sleep, especially if they use it as an alarm clock. The problem is, the radiation that your cell is emitting can slow down the sleep process meaning that you don’t reach deep sleep quickly enough to allow your body to make the most of it (this is when it will repair itself). Not enough deep sleep means that, even if you do sleep for eight hours, you won’t feel refreshed by morning. Invest in a standard alarm clock and turn your phone off completely. Better still, leave it in another room entirely. If you desperately have to have the phone by your side then at least set up a do not disturb notice so that you won’t be woken up by a late night email or early morning text.
Stop Snoring
Although it’s an easy thing to say, stopping snoring is not such an easy thing to do. However, it could be disturbing your sleep. If you sleep in the same room as someone else who snores, it could be their snoring rather than your own that is causing the problem. If this is the case, then you should check out this great list of CPAP masks. CPAP masks can help to reduce or even eliminate snoring. They also help those who suffer from sleep apnea to get a full night’s sleep as well. If you think you might suffer from this, it is always a good idea to see your doctor for a professional diagnosis.
Get Some Sunlight
One of the best ways to ensure your sleep cycle is on the right track is to get enough sunlight. When you wake up, you should expose yourself to sunlight for 10 minutes. Doing so improves your cortisol levels and gives you a boost of vitamin D. Not only that, but it gets your body into the routine of day and night, making you feel more awake in the morning and more tired when it’s time for bed. Making a cup of something and standing out in your yard or balcony, or even just by a window, is a nice way to start the day and since it helps with sleep, it’s a definite bonus.
Have A Schedule
There may be variations at times such as when you want to go out somewhere, or you don’t need to get up for work as early. However, if you can set a definite bedtime and rising time to ensure sleep for eight hours every day, your body will soon normalize this. That means going to sleep with be easier and getting up (although it will always be hard for some people) should be easier too. One tip to follow is to get up at your usual time even if you had a late night. Then go to bed earlier the following night. Otherwise, a pattern will be hard to establish, and you won’t be helping yourself out.
Grab A Book
Reading a good book for 15 minutes before you go to sleep can help to relax you as it will help you to stop thinking about everything you did that day and still need to do the next day. Don’t read anything particularly difficult or through provoking though; try something fun that will allow you to sleep well. This is the perfect opportunity to read something you wouldn’t normally read.
