Do you fight a battle every night to get better sleep and pass long hours in bed by tossing and turning. Along with daily exercises, eating at the right time, avoiding caffeine and alcohol, and following the 10, 3, 2, and 0 rule, you can improve your sleep by following these and few more tips. So, here are few tips as a solution for better sleep.
You are not alone, but there is a large crowd of people struggling to get better sleep and wanting to get out of the same hectic routine at night. Sleep deprivation or a bad quality causes obesity, anxiety, high blood pressure, diabetes, mood swings, bad immune health, heart disease, impaired memory, and many more serious problems.
1.Do not disturb your circadian rhythm.
Our body has an internal clock (circadian rhythm). Which controls our sleep-wake cycle and, with it, can manage many functions. We should follow our sleeping and waking up at the same time, so that our internal clock will not be disturbed and we will start sleeping at the same time.
2.Eat after sunset.
It’s a very old ritual, but this is the best time to have dinner.
Eating late at night can significantly affect your health and sleep.
Many researchers and doctors say to eat your meal before 2 – 3 hours of bedtime (sleep time), so following our ancestors eating routine is the best option for us.
If you feel hungry again at bedtime, then take some light foods that can be easily digested, like almonds, Kiwi, walnuts, and turkey, or you can take some drinks that actually help promote sleep, like chamomile tea, warm milk, and coconut water.
3.Say no to caffeine before at least 6 hours prior to bed (sleep time).
If you are addicted to coffee or tea to keep your body energetic for the day, it’s the major reason for your disturbed sleep.
So, try not to consume caffeine in any form (either food or drink) at least 6 hours before bedtime. Start by trying to avoid its consumption in the late evening. Some common caffeinated foods or drinks are soda, chocolate, Everey drinks, etc.
4.Stop the consumption of alcohol (right now) .
If you are really struggling and trying to get better sleep while at the same time consuming alcohol on a daily basis, then any of your efforts will not work.
After consuming alcohol, you will fall asleep immediately, but “you pay for it in the second half of the night, “says Dr. Jenner Martin. And lead you on to toss and turn while night.
It can also cause, or worse, poor sleep quality, disturb circadian rhythm, cause sleep apnea, insomnia, and increase your urine output during the night. “You are going to have to pee more often,” said Bhanu Prakash Kolla”.
5.The best wind-down ritual for better sleep.
. Sharing thoughts with your partner
Have you ever wondered why I sleep better with my partner? Because you share your thoughts or how you spend your whole day with your partner, whether it be your sister, mother, or spouse, it relaxes your mind and helps you reduce stress, which helps you fall asleep faster.
. Reading books
It is also the best option, as books are also our best friends. Reading books also relaxes your mind and helps you sleep faster and better.
. Pray at night.
It really helps to calm your soul and mind, stops the coming thoughts about your worries, and gives you a good, peaceful and better sleep.
6.Follow 10,3,2,1,0 rule
. Say no to caffeine 10 hours before sleep time.
The rule does not ban caffeine completely. You can have it in the morning to start your day in any form (either coffee or tea).
Having it in the morning blocks the adenosine receptor in the brain (a sleep-promoting receptor), and its effect lasts for about 6 to 7 hours.
. Say no to alcohol or food 3 hours before sleep time.
As we have already discussed, you should have your dinner after sunset, which will make it easier for your body to digest and will make your body feel relaxed at bedtime, which will make it easier for you to sleep.
And alcohol is, anyway, an enemy of health and sleep.
. Say no to work 2 hours before sleep time.
Stop doing all your work at least 2 hours before going to sleep so that no thoughts or tension bother you and your mind feels relaxed.
. Say no to screen time. 1 hour before sleep time
Put your phone on silent and keep it aside 1 hour before sleep time, as the screen of your phone or laptop emits blue light, which causes the inhibition of the hormone melatonin (a sleep hormone), which is also the main cause of your disturbed sleep
. Hit your snooze button zero times in the morning.
When your alarm goes off and you snooze, it will disturb your sleep, and your brain will see an increase in the production of a hormone called cortisol.
It wakes you up abruptly and puts your body in a “fight or flight” situation.
7.Some soothing sounds for better sleep.
A noisy environment or disturbed surroundings don’t let you to better sleep or interrupt you from falling asleep.
To cut out these noises, take help from some soothing sounds like white noise, pink noise, brown noise, and green noise.
. White noise:
it has an equal distribution of all frequencies, thus cutting out the noise present in the environment, which helps to relax your mind and makes you feel deezy.
. Pink nose:
Pink noise sounds like nature, like wind. The study also found that pink noise also improves our memory.
. Browm noise:
it sounds like thunder or heavy rain, which also connects you with nature and gives your mind a clam effect.
. Green noise:
it sounds like the ocean and has a soothing effect on your mind.
8.Exercise in the presence of natural sunlight in the morning.
Exercise daily for 15 – 20 minutes in the morning with exposure to sunlight is very beneficial for your body in many aspects, and one of them is your sleep cycle. Exercise manages the internal clock of our body and also stops the production of melatonin in the afternoon so that we can work well throughout the day without falling asleep and better sleep at the right time at night.
