Getting the most out of your sleep

We all know the importance of sleeping.  We need it to function correctly and perform optimally during the next day.  Although it’s very important to get enough hours of sleep, it’s also equally important to get quality sleep.  A restful sleep is far more beneficial to your body then a sleep that is riddled with waking moments.

In today’s article, I’m going to go over some things that can help you get that quality sleep that is so important to your health.

1. Turn Off The Lights

The absence of light tells the body to sleep.  Makes sense right?  After all, we are programmed to be up during the day and asleep at night.

These days, it’s harder more than ever to seek out a dark environment.  With the advent of electricity and all the gadgets that have followed, light has become a lot more abundant.  Light essentially inhibits the sleep hormone known as Melatonin. 

The solution?   Remove light sources so your body can produce melatonin and send you off to dreamer’s paradise.

Before heading off to sleep, ensure there is no light in your sleeping space; close the curtains and turn off any digital devices.  In fact, it’s best to leave all digital devices alone 30 mins to an hour before sleeping.

2. Invest in a Comfortable Bed and Pillows

What you actually use to sleep on is very important to how well you sleep.  After all, you don’t want your sleep to be disturbed by an uncomfortable bed or pillows.

In terms of beds, you probably want to go with a memory-foam mattress that supports you in the right places.

When we talk about pillows, there is a massive variety to choose from.  A good choice is cooling pillows.  They help you cool down (duh!) and many can contour and change shape to how you sleep.  Similar to memory foam mattresses, they will help support you in the right place.

3. Keeping a Sleeping Schedule

I don’t know about you, but this is probably one of the hardest things to do on this list.  Keeping a sleep schedule means going to bed and waking up at roughly the same time every day.

The benefits are that your body will know when it is ready to sleep and wake up.  It’s a lot easier said than done though.

4. Exercise

If you find yourself struggling to sleep because of anxiousness or high energy levels, you might find that exercising helps you relax and sleep easier.

Word of warning though; don’t exercise too close to your bedtime (3 hours or so) as it speeds up your metabolism and will release hormones like cortisol which will actually make sleeping harder.

5. Eat Smart

Of course; what we eat can also have a huge effect on how we sleep.  Drinking anything with caffeine and other stimulants if not a good idea if you plan on sleep within 10 hours.  It’s best to limit your consumption of these stimulants to the morning only.

Thinks like eating acidic food, drinking alcohol and smoking can all effect your sleep quality.  Try and eat as healthy as possible and you will find the quality of your sleep to be infinitely better.

6. Conclusion

Keep the light off, get a schedule, buy quality sleeping apparel and keep healthy.  All of these things can help you turn a poor night’s sleep into an amazing one.

Although it may be hard to check all of these boxes, you will find just doing a couple of these things will help you on your journey to get that good night’s sleep.

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