Most of us would agree that sleep is an integral factor in determining our performance and overall health. While many individuals have sleep problems, the good news is that there are several natural remedies that could be employed to enhance sleep. It is all about changing selected aspects of an individual’s culture together with the environment they reside in. Doing so will have a knock on effect. Improved sleep translates to physical fitness, better moods and elevated energy levels.
Set Up A Sleep Pattern And Stick To It
According to several studies, the advantages of a good sleep pattern are very clear. If there are specific hours in the day you routinely sleep, set an alarm to help you go to bed at those hours. With time your circadian rhythm will do the work for you. You will no longer need an alarm clock for when to sleep or to wake up. Your body will get the hint and start working differently. These minute details collectively help the quality of a person’s sleep increase.
It’s alright if it takes a little longer to figure out how to fit your schedule but know that over time your body will adjust naturally. Make sure you try and get in 7 to 9 hours of sleep every single night as per your specific needs. With a regular routine, you will find yourself falling asleep and waking up much easier.
Prepare Yourself to Sleep
There is a fair amount of sleep studies that have shown significant changes during sleep based on one’s pre-sleep routine. Engaging in relaxing activities before bed allows your brain to know when it’s time to rest. Idealy, consider reading a book or calming down for a bit rather than just grabbing your phone or turning on your TV. You see, other activities as well, such as taking warm showers, stretching before going to bed, or even doing some deep breathing exercises can help alter your mindset allowing you to rest much easier.
Doing exactly the opposite in that lead up before sleeping, allows your not only to fall asleep easier but also improves how soundly you sleep. Other activities that are not recommended before sleeping include, exercising regularly, participating in extremely engaging activities, or even just trying to break down complex tasks. Instead, such activities should be moved to the hours preceding sleep so that your body begins to adjust.
Adjustment of the Bedroom for Better Sleep
A good sleep environment is essential for the quality of sleep one can get. Adjusting the sleeping place significantly increases chances of getting good sleep. Use of proper lighting, sound and temperature control to set the atmosphere is critical. The body’s ideal temperature of sleeping according to experts is between 15 to 20 on the Celsius scale. Keeping the sleeping place cold does assist in relaxing the muscles and makes it easier to fall asleep as well as remain asleep.
Use of black out curtains or wearing an eye mask enables focusing on sleeping by blocking any type of light interference. Light particularly blue light emitted through screens makes it hard for the body to produce melatonin which is essential for facilitating sleep. If the surrounding is filled with noise that makes it difficult to sleep, a calm and peaceful environment can be set using either ear plugs or sound machines which generate white sound.
Having a comfortable mattress and pillows is also key to sleep as they greatly enhance the chances of a good sleep experience. Having an ill-fitted pillow or poor quality mattress puts a lot of strain on the neck and back muscles which promotes an unfulfilled sleep. Knowing which mattress fits you the best as well as changing pillows after a couple of years aids in ensuring that one sleeps more than the average expected time.
Curb Your Caffeine and Alcohol Consumption
While many rely on coffee, tea, and strong drinks to get through the day, they need to understand the negative impact these have on their sleep cycle at night. A King size from McDonald’s might contain enough caffeine to mess with your sleep pattern considering you chug it in the afternoon. Individuals interested in having restful nights need to cut back on caffeine intake and ideally, stop themselves from having it at least six hours before they go to bed. Even the slightest dose of caffeine can decrease the quality of an individual’s sleep.
Similar to caffeine, Alcohol also messes up one’s sleep cycle. It is normal for many people to have their sleep disturbed after some point in their cycle in exchange of a little drowsiness before falling asleep, all thanks to alcohol. If you’re drinking casually during the night, try not to over do it and finish your drink early since this habit will only disrupt your sleep and nighttime behavior. The best course of action an individual can take is to limit their alcohol intake whilst balancing the ratio during multiple hours of the night to enhance their sleep.
Stay Active During the Day
Get active through the day to endorse better sleep. Stress relief, mood increase, and muscle fatigue along with proper timing would allow one to fall asleep faster. However, proper timing is sure to matter. It is necessary to understand that it is problematic to exercise right before sleep due to the increased heart rate and adrenaline levels.
Try to do moderate exercise on a daily basis; some suggestions include walking, cycling, or doing yoga. Simply getting outside for a quick stroll can also help enhance the results. Just try to complete your workout sessions at least a couple of hours before bed to help your body relax and prepare for sleep.
Mind Your Diet
Meals do affect one’s sleep. Whoever ate a lot just before going to sleep would know how hard it would be to fall asleep without feeling uneasy in their stomach. People can try and shift their last abundant meals to the early evening around two to three hours before bed time. If at all one needs a snack before sleeping it would be best to consume a little yogurt, banana, or a couple if almonds as these lighter ones were more compatible with the healthy and helping concept. This food has nutrients needed for a nap which includes magnesium and tryphan wrapping all around.
Also, staying away from spicy foods, caffeine, and sugary snacks can make a big difference around settling down for sleep. These foods completely disregard giving discomfort to the digestive system as well as spoiling the energies to be rested for better performance.
Manage Stress and Anxiety
Since sleeplessness is often caused by anxiety and stress, these need to be dealt with a keen approach. It is often difficult to transform from a racing brain filled with a lot of questions into an entirely calm one in order to be able to go to sleep which means taking care of stress management such as conduct an active role in practice alongside sleep. Techniques such as practicing mindfulness, muscle relaxation, or journaling can be of help in calming the mind before bed making it easy for advance sleep.
Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) is another useful technique for dealing with sleep problems caused by stress. One of the key goals of CBT-I is to identify and change the thoughts and behaviours that are present around sleep and replace them with positive sleep habits. A number of research studies have conclusively shown the efficacy of this method in treating people with chronic sleeping disorders.
Resort to Natural Sleep Aids
Some natural sleep aids will guarantee you better sleeping quality. Chamomile, valerian root or lavender herbal teas have been used for centuries to induce a deep, restful sleep. You can even use essential oils like cedarwood and lavender in a diffuser or directly on your skin to help you relax.
In addition, melatonin or magnesium supplements might also be effective for sleeping for some people. Essentially, melatonin helps in establishing a sleep-wake routine, while magnesium helps soothe the muscles. Generally, however, it is best to consult your physician before starting any supplementation.
The Bottom Line
There is really no great secret to improving one’s sleep quality without medication; it is just a matter of making changes to the way one lives. These can include ensuring that there is sufficient time for sleep by keeping to set sleeping hours, establishing quiet time prior to sleep, improving the environment in which you sleep, and so on, with each one of these small efforts contributing to more complete sleep. It is understood that in order to feel good, both the body and the mind have to be well rested therefore, it follows that by making an effort to sleep one will be improving their health across the board. You will be impressed with the natural sleep-boosting strategies. They will explain how it is possible to make the most of every night’s sleep.
