17 Tips for Better Sleep

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Are you spending your nights tossing and turning and turning and tossing? Do you lie in bed for an hour before your mind finally shuts off enough for you to fall asleep? Sleep is so important to our health, yet it’s often one of the most overlooked and under-appreciated aspects of our well-being. If sleep seems like an impossible dream at this point, never fear. These tips for better sleep will have you waking up feeling like a million bucks!

1. Turn off the lights. Lights from electronics can disturb our natural circadian rhythms and suppress the release of melatonin, a hormone that helps us sleep.

2. Sex. A little between-the-sheets romp before bed can leave you feeling exhilarated and, well, tired!

3. Limit your caffeine before bedtime. It may be tempting to stop at Starbucks after work for that pumpkin spice latte, but you might pay for it later when you have trouble falling asleep! Set a rule for no caffeine after 2 p.m.

4. Exercise. Regular cardio sweat sessions reduce the time it takes to fall asleep, as well increase the amount of time we stay asleep. Try to schedule your workouts so they don’t fall right before bedtime, though5. .

5. Invest in a good mattress. We spend almost a third of our lives sleeping, so consider your mattress an investment in your health. Opt for a non-toxic (most memory foam beds are treated chemically and release off-gasses that can harm your health), quality mattress such as intelliBED.

6. Ditch the clock. Or at least turn it away from you so you aren’t tempted to constantly check the time, and the light from the numbers won’t disturb your sleep.

7. Limit napping. It almost pains me to write that, because naps are amazing. However, if you want to sleep well at night, you need to make sure your naps are no longer than 20-30 minutes.

8. Write it out. Keep a journal and each night before you hit the hay, spend a few minutes jotting down your thoughts and worries. Get it out of your head and onto your paper.

9. Turn off the television. Watching TV from your bed before retiring for the night is a big no-no. The bright lights and sound stimulate your brain, which make it harder to fall asleep. Opt for reading a book with dim lighting instead.

10. Check your pillow. You want your spine and neck to be as perfectly aligned as possible, which means finding a supportive pillow. Try an IntelliPILLOW today for 10% off!

11. Stop snoozing. There really is no benefit to hitting the snooze button when your alarm goes off – those extra few minutes you will “try” to sleep won’t be the deep, restful sleep you crave. Why not just set your alarm for a few minutes later?

12. Don’t drink too much before bedtime. It may be tempting to down a glass or two of water before bed–especially if you are trying to fill your daily water intake–but you may pay for it with several trips to the bathroom during the night.

13. Put your phone away. Away. Not on your nightstand, and not within arm’s reach – put your phone somewhere where you won’t be tempted to check your texts or browse Facebook.

14. Keep the sun out. Invest in blackout shades or curtains for your bedroom. Again, a room with no light disturbances will help you have your best sleep. If the shades aren’t an affordable option, try a sleep mask.

15. Nix the snoring. If you are the culprit, try lying on your side to open your airway – a body pillow can help you maintain the position. If it’s your spouse sawing down trees at night, kick him/her to a separate room. Kidding. Sort of. Read this article on tips and tricks to eliminate snoring. And buy some earplugs.

16. Lower your room temperature. Our body self-regulates temperature, which typically reaches its peak in late afternoon, then starts to gradually cool until a few hours before we wake up. Studies show that keeping our sleeping environment around 65 degrees provides a more restful sleep.

17. Stick to a regular routine. We all know the importance of keeping our kids in a bedtime routine, but the same also applies to you! Try to go to bed and wake around the same times each day. Do the same things each night to tell your body it’s time to go to sleep, whether that’s a relaxing bath, reading, or meditating.

A good night’s sleep doesn’t have to be a nightmare to achieve! Making a few gradual changes will have you feeling well-rested and energized!

Disclosure: We are affiliates of intelliBED and will receive a small commission for any purchases made through our affiliate links. However, we only promote companies and products that we truly believe in, and intelliBED has changed the way we sleep!

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