Good sleep is highly beneficial for a healthy life. It has a significant impact on physical health, emotional health, and social health. If you do not get adequate sleep, it reflects on your well-being the very next day.
If you burn the midnight oil often, you can suffer from fatigue and insomnia. Inadequate sleep is a precursor of several diseases, but help is at hand. You can improve your sleep by paying good attention to sleep hygiene. Make your home conducive to good quality sleep.
Here are a few essential ways you can do that today.
Pay Attention to Your Circadian Cycle
These cycles operate across the body for 24 hours. They are patterns that can cause mental as well as physical changes in the body. These cycles state when you wake and when you sleep. If you are deprived of your sleep, the body’s clock is thrown off balance. They also play a role in response to darkness. When it is dark, you will automatically feel like closing your eyes and go off to sleep. However, the moment the curtains are drawn, you will feel like sitting up.
However, many things can disrupt this cycle. Improper light-timings, the color of light, and unhealthy habits like smoking can disturb sleep. The main culprit is the nicotine that causes it. Therefore, you need to create a routine and abstain from smoking. Try doing all your daily chores, going to bed, and waking up at the same time every day.
Things change if you are a new mother. The first six months are especially horrendous. The baby is still adjusting to sleep cycles. And, you are the one left to fend for it. Sleep deprivation at this stage can have huge repercussions on your health. Get family help for this. Take turns in putting your baby to sleep. Most people will advise you to sleep when the baby sleep. Moreover, children sleep well in the dark. Hence, toddlers and preschoolers can be made to sleep in the dark routinely. It will put them in a cycle. This routine will keep your body’s Circadian rhythm consistent.
Check Your Room Environment
Temperature is another factor that is conducive to sleeping well. If the room temperature is too high or too low, you can lose sleep over it. You can use a bed control device to sleep well. It is more than a blower. It is an AI-powered climate control machine that works with your mattress and sleep ware. Moreover, what you sleep on, does impact the quality of sleep. A medium firmness mattress is ideal for quality sleep. It is also good for your spinal cord and promotes good health. Improper mattresses can cause ailments like spondylitis.
Ensure to use good quality curtains in your room so that they can guard against any harsh artificial light at night. And if you are planning to rest in the daytime, you can pull them and block the light, too. For your children, you should ensure dim lighting in their rooms and nice lullabies. These lull them to sleep, more often than not.
Exercise More to Sleep Well
If you want to sleep well, you have to exercise. You must have heard these many times. You should exercise a few hours before bedtime. When you exercise, the body releases endorphins. These are hormones that can keep you awake. When you exercise, the body heats up. It is a sign for the body to stay awake. However, if you relax for 60 to 90 minutes, the body starts cooling down again. This leads to calming of the mind, and you can sleep easily. Aerobic exercise is perfect for sleep. Get up at 6 am, and do it with your entire family.
Exercise Caution While Eating
What food you eat also affects your sleep patterns. You should opt for heart-compatible foods before bedtime. Eat lots of fruits, vegetables, and healthy fats to sleep better. Ensure not to drink caffeine and alcohol. These can disrupt your sleep patterns.
Moreover, you may end up staying awake the entire night. Many people avoid heavy meals at night. Having heavy meals means that you have to spend more energy to digest them. Your body cannot work and relax at the same time.
Keep Blue Light Away
Keep your mobile phones and laptops away from the sleeping area. The blue light is more harmful than you think. It tends to block the hormone Melatonin. You can utilize this quality for the daytime. However, if you want to sleep well at night, switch off all these before settling down. This is the reason why some people have Melatonin supplements to sleep better. Also, check on kids at night to see if they are glued to their phones.
You can try these tips not only for yourself but for your entire family. Sleep is an important activity that helps the body revive. You should not compromise on it.
