You need good-quality sleep to tackle life. Improving your sleeping routine is quick and simple once you know what to do. These four tips are easy-to-follow steps for better sleep without radical changes.
Exercise Daily
You already know that exercise is an important part of a healthy lifestyle. Regular workouts can help you control your weight, improve your mood and lower your blood pressure and cholesterol. If you’ve been struggling with sleeping well, there’s another benefit to exercise: It can improve the quality of your sleep.
Research has consistently found that regular exercise leads to better sleep. Scientists speculate this improvement comes from several factors. First, when your body is tired, your mind will follow. Exercise can help you tackle insomnia or difficulty falling asleep. Second, regular exercise resets your circadian rhythm, making it easier for you to go to bed and wake up naturally at the same time each day.
Respect Your Rhythm
Speaking of the circadian rhythm, understanding this part of your body is one of the easiest ways to fix sleep problems. Your body runs on a precise timetable that controls when you feel hungry, tired or energetic. Have you ever experienced jet lag or felt tired after sleeping in? When you shift your sleeping period around, you confuse your body’s internal clock. This can have serious consequences on your ability to sleep well throughout the night.
An easy fix for sleeping problems is to stick with a consistent schedule, even on weekends. Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day. Don’t push yourself to stay up until 3 A.M. on Friday night if you have to be asleep by 10 P.M. on Sunday. If possible, avoid napping for long periods of time. Mid-day sleep is also confusing for your internal sleep clock.
Be Smart about Light
Your circadian rhythm is also influenced by light exposure. This makes sense; when you see bright light in the middle of the day, it’s time to be awake and alert. When the sun sets and your body is surrounded by darkness, it’s time to go to sleep. Modern life with its bright lights and late-night electronics use goes against millennium of healthy sleeping practices.
You don’t have to live by candlelight or cut TV completely. That kind of radical lifestyle change isn’t sustainable. Instead, get smart about your exposure to light throughout the day and night. Go outside in the morning and wake up to natural sunlight. Use seasonal lighting if you live in a dark, cold environment during the winter. At night, control your exposure to blue light. According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, blue light exposure tells your circadian rhythm to keep you awake because sunlight contains large amounts of blue light. For optimal sleep health, use an app with a blue light filter before bedtime or consider ditching the electronics for the last hour before sleep.
Reduce Stress
You likely know how stress affects your health: Increased blood pressure, negative thoughts and trouble concentrating at work. You might have experienced these symptoms at one time or another. Did you know that stress can also impact your sleep hygiene?
Stressful thoughts can keep you up at night. It’s hard to relax when you’re wondering how to pay the bills or whether you’ll have a job next month. You can’t eliminate stress from life completely, but you can start to control how it impacts your sleep routine. Meditate for a few minutes before bed. Listen to relaxing music, do yoga or practice other self-care activities. Take a few moments for yourself and you’ll be rewarded with hours of peaceful sleep. Your stress will still be there in the morning; don’t let it take over your nighttime hours.
Everyone deserves good sleep, and everyone is capable of following these four tips to get it. Take care of yourself by taking care of your body’s need for deep, restful sleep.
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