The quality of your sleep affects your general well-being and productivity through the day. If you do not get enough rest at night, you are likely to have low energy levels and unbalanced emotions. It may even affect your weight. The following tips may help you get better sleep.

Control Exposure to Light

Melatonin is a hormone that regulates your sleep-wake cycle. It is controlled by exposure to light. The human brain secretes a lot of melatonin in the dark and less of it when exposed to bright light. You are, therefore, likely to get sleepy under dim lights. Minimize screen time a few hours before going to bed. Your TV, computer, and phone emit blue light that can disrupt your sleep. You can minimize the impact of your devices by turning the brightness down or limiting your time on them. When you need sleep, keep your dark by using heavy curtains to block light. Sleep masks may be helpful as well. If you need some light in your bedroom, install a dim nightlight.

Deep Breathing Exercise

If you have trouble sleeping, consider using deep breathing exercises to relax. The secret to achieving the best results is to breathe from your belly and not your chest. Follow these steps to lower your stress levels, heart rate, and blood pressure:

• Lay down on your bed
•  Close your eyes and place a hand on your stomach and the other one on your chest
•  Breathe in slowly through your nose
•  Exhale through the mouth and push out as much air as possible ensuring that your abdominal muscles contract
•  Keep breathing in through the nose and out through the mouth
•  Count slowly as you repeat the exercise 

Pay Attention to Your Bedding

Your choice of bedding may have a significant effect on the quality of your sleep. The feel and cleanliness of your duvets, sheets, and pillows determine how well you may sleep. Experts from visionbedding.com/ recommend that you ensure that your bedding is warm with enough room to stretch. Go for patterns and colours that help you relax. You should be able to move and stretch comfortably. If you often wake up with a sore back, you may need to get a new mattress.

Wind Down

If you often find yourself restless or unable to sleep well through the night, the main causes of the problem may include anger, worry, and residual stress. After a long day at work, take time to unwind and manage your stress levels. Come up with a bedtime ritual where you get your mind ready to sleep through relaxation. Some of the best ways to wind down before sleeping include taking a warm bath, listening to soothing music, and listening to an audiobook.

Avoid over stimulating your brain during the day as it could make it difficult to sleep at night. Your activities during the day may determine the ability of your brain to clear at night.

If, for example, you are constantly interrupting your activities to check your social media or email, your brain may be accustomed to it. You may have trouble sleeping consistently through the night.

Pay Attention to Your Environment

Consider making changes to your environment to improve the quality of your sleep. Even the most subtle changes can have a significant impact on your sleep. Keep your room cool and free of noise. If you have no way of eliminating noise sources, consider using earplugs. The best temperature for your bedroom is around 65° F with sufficient ventilation. If it is too hot or too cold, you may be restless through the night.

Reserve your bed for intimacy and sleep. Do not use it to work or go through your phone. That way, you can train your brain to associate the bedroom environment with sleep.

Watch What You Eat and Drink

Pay attention to the foods and drinks you consume especially a few hours before going to bed. Minimize your consumption of nicotine and caffeine as they are associated with sleeping problems. They are stimulants that could disrupt your sleep pattern. Even though a glass of wine after dinner may not seem harmful, consuming alcohol before bed could affect your sleep pattern. 

Photo credit: Unsplash

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