Everyone values a good night’s sleep. And it’s no secret that a good sleeping routine is an essential part of a healthy lifestyle. However, with how busy life can get, sleeping for the recommended amount of time can seem unrealistic. In fact, according to the CDC, 70 million Americans have chronic sleeping problems.
Lack of sleep, in turn, can result in injuries, chronic diseases, loss of productivity, and overall poor quality of life. As such, it is important to develop a healthy sleep routine. Here are some tips to do just that.
Tip #1 – Change Your Eating Pattern
It’s interesting to note that our eating habits significantly affect the amount and quality of sleep that we get. An unhealthy diet will not only result in weight gain, but it can also disrupt your sleep. In fact, late night snacks, which increase metabolism and make the brain more active, have been shown to cause frequent nightmares.
Thus, one way to start having a healthy sleep routine and good night’s sleep is to also adjust your eating habits. The National Sleep Foundation lists high-protein food, spicy food, caffeine, and alcohol as the types of food that you need to avoid before your bedtime.
Ideally, you might also want to make dinner your lightest meal, and make sure that you have it a few hours before bedtime. This way, you will give your body sufficient time to digest your food, thus allowing you to have a more comfortable sleep later on.
Tip #2 – Stay Away from Screens
Browsing on your phone before sleeping is quite a common habit. Studies show that 66% of Americans admit to sleeping with their phones at night. While this might seem harmless, using your phone or other screens before bedtime can significantly affect your quality of sleep. Checking your phone before bed stimulates your brain, thus delaying your sleep.
Moreover, exposure to blue light from your phone screen, which mimics daylight, can affect your internal body clock. In turn, your body’s melatonin levels go down, resulting in insomnia, tiredness during the day, and irritability.
Now, while there is no specific rule as to when you should put your phone down before bed, experts do suggest that keeping your device away from your bed and not using it two hours before bedtime is a good rule if a good night’s sleep is important to you.
Tip #3 – Use Your Bed Wisely
This may seem too obvious already but a lot of us don’t really use our bed in a way that we get the most out of it. For example, a study showed that 53% of pet owners who let their pets sleep on their bed experience disrupted sleep every night. Meanwhile, 80% of parents who share the bed with their kids also have some trouble sleeping.
Your bed should be a very comfortable place to allow you to fully relax. As such, make sure that your kids or pets have their own beds and sleeping areas. If you really do have to share your bed with someone, make sure that it has ample space. Also, use your bed only for sleeping so that you don’t associate it with other activities, such as working or eating. This way, your brain will truly consider your bed as a place for rest and sleep.
Sleeping comfortably is necessary for you to have a healthy and productive life. However, with how overwhelming life can get, having a good night’s sleep can seem challenging.
Fret not, though. These tips should be a good place to start as you create a healthy sleep routine and wake up feeling refreshed.
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