A goodnight’s sleep is therapeutic, healthy, and a basic necessity. Not being able to sleep, on the other hand, can be very frustrating. Seven or more hours of sleep refreshes your body and allows your mind to fully rest. This promotes mental alertness and overall energy throughout the next day. If you are sick, your brain and body need to be energized enough to help you recover.
Unfortunately, it is not a new thing to have sleeping problems. Sometimes you may find yourself in your bed gazing at the ceiling or perhaps turning and twisting under the covers. Here are some things you need to do if you are having trouble falling or staying asleep.
1. Let Your Bedroom Be for Sleeping
Our brains work in such a way that they associate different areas with what we are used to doing when we are there. One of the reasons you are not sleeping properly could be because you take activities such as working, emailing, texting, or even watching to your bedroom. Your brain tends to associate the bedroom with these activities, thus heightening your alertness levels. This can easily make it for you to fall asleep.
With that in mind, if you are going to get a good night’s sleep, you need to let the bedroom be entirely for sleeping. Your brain will associate the bedroom environment with sleeping and relaxation which enables you to sleep and feel more relaxed. Don’t forget to:
- Invest in a quality mattress, bed, and bedding
- Keep the room dark
- Paint the walls with colors that promote sleep – such as deep blue
- Keep distractions such as music, TV, noise, and tech gadgets away
2. Watch Your Sleeping Position
Your sleeping position also has a huge effect on the quality of your sleep. Poor sleeping posture will not only make it hard for you to fall asleep, but it could also lead to strains, fatigue, and even injuries to various parts of the body. In a recent piece explaining how to sleep on your back, back sleeping is said to have plenty of benefits to your health. For instance, it promotes spine health while reducing stress in the joints and the hips. It can also help reduce the various effects of side-sleeping, including fine lines and headaches.
At the end of the day, it is all about comfort and getting quality sleep. As long as you have the right mattress, you can even sleep on the back the entire night. If you have specific health concerns, however, speak to your doctor about the best sleeping position for you.
3. Avoid Over-Napping During the Day
Sometimes, especially in the afternoon, we tend to feel sleepy and decide to take a power nap. Naps are great because they help replenish the brain’s energy, giving you a boost so you can go on with the rest of the day. However, it is only beneficial if not overdone. Taking a 30-minute nap is enough to get you the energy you need to push on the rest of the day. Extending the nap longer than this deprives you of the sleepiness your body needs so you can fall asleep at night. Over napping is a common cause of insomnia.
4. Have a Consistent Sleep-Wake Routine
Our brains have a clock system that guides them on when to sleep and wake up every day. It is what is referred to as circadian rhythm. The body takes note of the time you sleep and the time you wake. When it’s time to sleep you automatically feel sleepy. In the morning you tend to wake up a few minutes before your usual alarm. Anytime you hit the snooze button, you disrupt your circadian rhythm and hence become very hard for you to bring it back on track. You end up being awake longer and wake up quite late or too early. If you, therefore, want to maintain a good sleep all through, go to bed and wake up at the same time every day.
5. Go to Bed When You Are Sleepy
Another probable reason you may not be sleeping well enough is that you go to bed when you are not yet sleepy. Feeling sleepy is your body’s way of telling you it’s time to sleep. Getting to bed before you are sleepy can actually make it harder for you to fall asleep. If you are taking too long to feel sleepy, you could also engage in an activity that promotes sleep, such as reading a book or listening to very smooth low-volume music.
Quality sleep is something every doctor will tell you to have in plenty. You need some good sleep if your next day is going to be energetic and productive. If you are having trouble sleeping, the tips in this piece should help you out.