With our fast paced lifestyles these days it’s easy to feel like there are not enough hours in the day to accomplish everything. A solution for some is to stay up later than they should to fit more into their busy day. It’s been a personal struggle of mine to maintain an adequate amount of sleep on a regular basis even though I fully understand the health benefits of a full night’s sleep. This is something I’m continuing to work on.
Here are 9 simple tips for a better night’s sleep:
1. Stop eating a few hours before going to bed. You don’t want your body working on digesting a meal while you’re sleeping. Instead it should be resting and repairing.
2. Wear some comfortable socks to bed. The circulation in your feet is poor so wearing socks will keep your feet warm and comfortable.
3. Having a chamomile herbal tea can help relax you before bed. Do this a couple of hours before bed so you’re not needing to get up in the middle of the night to use the washroom.
4. Falling asleep once in bed can take some people quite awhile. Prepare for this by giving yourself some extra time to wind down in bed before falling asleep. The last thing you want to do is get in a panic while lying in bed over how few hours are left before you must get up. This can make falling asleep even more difficult.
5. Don’t watch television before bed. It is too stimulating for your brain and can have a negative effect on your sleep.
6. If you feel you want to do something before you sleep, read a book. This will get you relaxed and ready for a good night’s sleep.
7. Make sure the room you are sleeping in is pitch black. If you have thin blinds that let in some light early in the morning you can replace them with blackout blinds. Production of the hormone melatonin is disrupted with even with a slight bit of light in the room you are sleeping in.
8. If you wake up in the middle of the night to use the washroom avoid using any lights if safely possible. This is for the same reason as number 7.
9. If you drink alcohol or caffeine, avoid these substances for the second half of the day. Both of these will have a negative effect on your sleep.
For the average person 8 hours of sleep a night should be about the right amount. Keep in mind that everyone is different and you need to experiment to see what amount of sleep works best for you.
Proper sleep is a key aspect in maintaining overall optimum health so try to implement some of the strategies above and feel more rested in the days to come.
Share any tips you use for a better night’s sleep in the comments section.
To your health!
Jesse
Great list; the first step is something I had problems with for years. I now eat something light – before I head off to bed. Great post and I look forward to sharing more with you:))
Thank you! Enjoy the blog!
Great article. Thanks for posting.
Thanks, glad you enjoyed!
Great tips.
What is your thought on melatonin supplementation?
Short term supplementation would be fine but since melatonin is a hormone it’s not something I would want to be on for life. I would try and implement some of the ideas in this post along with a healthy diet and plenty of exercise.
There are some food that actually are ok to eat before bedtime if you are actually really hungry. A banana, for example, contains potassium, which relaxes our muscle and helps us fall asleep easier. It’s true to not eat a full meal especially those that contains a lot of grease, but there are acceptable foods.
I personally wouldn’t want to spike my insulin right before bed but if you’re really hungry you might need something.