It seems like everybody is talking about sleep and how important it is. Sleep deprivation doesn’t just cause you to have an off day. If prolonged, it can lead to mental and physical health problems, a significant drop in your quality of life, and can even lead to safety issues.
But you already know this. The problem is not in understanding how important sleep is but actually getting quality sleep. You have a lot of demands placed on you, and just worrying about getting a good night’s sleep can keep you awake. So how do you prioritize sleep, so that the rest of your life can improve? The following tips can help.
How to Get Quality Sleep
As you read through these tips, some may strike you as brilliant, others are simply not going to fit into your lifestyle. That’s okay. The trick is to find a handful of techniques that work for you. One night it might be one and the next night another–but at least you have the toolkit to help you achieve your sleep goals.
1. Create a Calm-Down Tea Time
Before you go to bed, turn off the television and close your computer, grab a book and a cup of tea, and sit in your favorite chair. Hot tea can be very soothing, and if you choose the right tea, it can help you drift off to dreamland.
Setting aside some time without tech also gives your brain a chance to shift from “go gear” to a more relaxed state. Also, for those people who like to have a snack before bedtime, tea and/or a small snack can keep you satisfied. Binging forces your body to work to digest the food, and when your body is working, it’s hard for you to get quality sleep.
2. Adjust the Temperature
Have you ever tossed and turned because you’re too hot? What about shivering under the blankets? You sleep better when your body is the “right” temperature for sleep–experts have found that that temperature is between 60° and 67°.
You might need to experiment a little to find the best way to achieve your ideal temperature, but once you have it, you’ll sleep better.
3. Embrace the Darkness
Light, even when your eyes are closed, signals to your body that it’s time to wake up. Luckily, there are ways you can make your room darker to help you sleep longer and harder.
4. Try a Breathing Technique
For those people who lie in bed, unable to relax or calm down from their day, a simple breathing technique could be the cure. There are many different breathing techniques that you can try, and you should practice a couple to find one you like and one that won’t disturb your sleeping partner.
These techniques don’t just work when you’re trying to go to sleep, they can help you manage stress at any time.
5. Stick to a Schedule
One night you stay up until 3:00 am getting your work done, the next night you hit the hay at 8:00 pm out of pure exhaustion. What will your body think is bedtime the next night? This yo-yo sleep habit throws off your body’s circadian rhythm, and suddenly, you don’t know when to sleep or when to be awake.
A schedule helps your body prepare for sleep, and when it’s bedtime, it’s easier to fall asleep.
6. Avoid the Clock
Are you one of those people who wakes up in the middle of the night, checks the clock, does the quick math on how much time you still have to sleep, and then can’t fall asleep? It happens to a lot of people.
It’s easy to get caught up in a cycle of anxiety when you obsess over time. Instead, ignore the clock and stop thinking about what time it is. Do what you have to so you’re blissfully unaware of the time.
7. Have Sex
Rather than toss and turn in bed trying to sleep, use that restless activity for something productive. Sex can help you and your partner fall asleep, and it can improve the quality of your sleep.
The release of the chemicals oxytocin, dopamine, prolactin, and progesterone in the brain during sex makes you feel a sense of well-being and can induce stress relief, which will help you fall asleep.
8. Listen to Music
Music has a direct effect on the parasympathetic nervous system, and it’s been proven to help people fall asleep faster, sleep longer, and wake less during the night. The National Sleep Foundation recommends listening to music to help your brain turn off and to help your body relax.
Of course, the type of music you listen to can affect the level of relaxation that you get, but that can also be affected by individual preferences. Slow rhythms in the range of 60 to 80 beats per minute tend to be ideal, beyond that – the choice is yours.
9. Exercise
Making exercise a regular part of your day can help you get to sleep at night. It boosts serotonin in the brain and decreases cortisol. Too much exercise and exercise before bedtime can disrupt sleep, so it’s best to try a moderate exercise at the beginning of the day.
10. Try a Supplement
All-natural supplements can help you improve the quality of your sleep and your overall health.
ZenWell is an excellent way to reduce stress naturally while supporting cognitive function at the same time. With patented alphawave L-theanine amino acids, your body gets adrenal support, stress is naturally relieved, your brain health is enhanced, and sleep comes more naturally.
Sticking to a life of positive health-lightenment is easier when you follow Live Conscious on Facebook @weliveconscious and Instagram @weliveconscious.
Waking Up To Wellness
Sleep is crucial to living your best life. While you know this, convincing your brain and body to cooperate and go to sleep is another matter entirely. Sometimes it takes a shift in habits to improve your sleep, and sometimes it takes a few little tricks. The key is figuring out what works for you on a long-term basis and then pulling out those tricks when you need them.
Adding ZenWell to your daily routine will not only help you get the sleep you need, but it will also help you feel more energetic in the day. This can help you accomplish your goals so throughout the day. This is an incremental benefit that will allow you to stick to a bedtime schedule and even pre-bedtime rituals of relaxation while removing some of the stress that keeps you awake at night.
