Getting a good night’s sleep can make a huge difference to your health and wellbeing.
The practices involved in creating the best possible sleep are often called sleep hygiene, which is recommended for people who feel like they aren’t getting enough quality sleep.
There are many reasons why we don’t sleep well, but some can be an underlying medical issue. If you experience excessive day-time sleepiness, and have been told you snore, you may have sleep apnea.
This is a potentially serious condition where you intermittently stop breathing during sleep.
If you are at all concerned, please see your family doctor.
I’ve included my top tips for getting a good night’s sleep. If you have any ideas to add, please comment below or get in touch by email.
Stick to a sleep schedule
Try to go to sleep at the same time each night, and set your alarm to wake up in the morning, even on weekends. Creating a sleep schedule helps to maintain a healthy circadian rhythm, which is the body’s natural cycle of sleep and wake.
Maintain this by avoiding naps during the day. Keeping consistent timings will make you feel sleepy at night, and awake during the day.
Practise good sleep hygiene
An hour before you plan on sleeping, make changes to switch off from the day. This could be having a bath or shower, meditating or reading a book. Try to stay away from bright screens such as your phone or the TV.
Creating a bedtime ritual is helpful, and can be anything that helps you to relax and zone out.
Create a calm sleeping space
Your bedroom should be reserved for sleeping and sex. Make sure your bed is comfortable and inviting, and that there are no distractions in your bedroom.
This could be removing the TV or workout equipment, so that your bedroom is dedicated to sleep alone.
Regulate the temperature in the room where possible, and ensure that is as dark and noise free as possible.
Tricks to relax the mind
If you lie in bed and struggle to get to sleep, try these tricks.
- The first is to do a full-body relaxer. Shut your eyes, and start from your head, working down. Imagine relaxing all the muscles, loosening the fibres and softening out any tenseness.
- Another trick is to do deep breathing exercises. While in bed with your eyes closed, put one hand on your stomach. Breathe in through your nose; your hand should move upward. Breathe out slowly through your mouth, counting as you exhale. Repeat this, breathing in enough to make your hand continually moves.
Exercise daily
Just 10 minutes of exercise a day improves the quality of your sleep, as well as making you feel more awake during the day. It can take several months for exercise to have its full impact on your sleep though, so find something that you’ll be able to stick with.
Make relaxation the goal, not sleep
Do you lie in bed, frustrated with yourself and your inability to get to sleep? Do you get anxious about how you’ll feel the next day?
Shift your mindset, so you make relaxation the goal. If you lie in bed and you feel relaxed, sleep will often follow. If it doesn’t, fully relaxing is still better for your health than stressing. Relax in bed using deep breathing or meditation.
Avoid alcohol, caffeine, smoking and heavy meals before bed
Although alcohol might make you feel sleepy, it has been shown to reduce the quality of sleep through the night, making you feel less well rested.
Drink in moderation, and give yourself some time after your last drink before you sleep. The same goes with eating.
Can’t sleep? Move
If you are struggling to sleep and none of the above has worked for you, get out of bed and move to another room. Do a quiet, non-stimulating activity, such as reading a book.
Keep the lights dimmed and avoid screens, and then when you feel tired enough to sleep, go back to bed.
This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.