Nothing feels as good as waking up well-rested and energized after a very sound sleep. But for many people, this is usually hard to come by. Sleeping well at night is just as important as having regular exercise and a healthy diet. Research has identified that poor sleep has an immediate negative effect on your hormones, performance during exercise, and function of the brain. If you fall short of good sleep, it can take a serious toll on your day-to-day energy, productivity, emotional balance, weight, and overall well-being. Despite this fact, many of us still toss and turn at night regularly.
However, unhealthy daytime habits and lifestyle choices can also contribute to leaving you tossing and turning at night and this can adversely affect your mood, brain and heart health, and entire immune system. Does this sound familiar? Well, when it comes to improving your sleep, there are many important factors, which include good nutrition/eating habits.
Here are our top tips on how to maintain proper habits to improve your sleep.
1. Avoid Large Meal
Going to bed with a very full stomach may lead to discomfort and serious indigestion that can badly affect your sleep, hence, aim for just enough food to satisfy you.
2. Limit Caffeine
Watch how much caffeine you take, because this can disrupt normal sleep patterns and result in occasional waking up in the middle of the night and not being able to sleep back.
3. Avoid Alcohol As Much As Possible
Alcohol is a sedative that slows down your brain activity. While it may help you sleep, it can also interfere with your sleep during the night, causing you to either wake up frequently or have nightmares. The best time to take alcohol is about four to six hours before you go to bed.
4. Take All Your Fluids Earlier In The Day
Having a full bladder right before bedtime can interfere with a good night’s sleep. So try to avoid your fluid intake in the evenings.
5. Have A Consistent Sleep Schedule
Have a consistent schedule for your sleep. Make it a routing to go to bed at about the same time and wake up at about the same time.
6. Don’t Take Long Naps
Make your naps short. Usually, during the day, you are supposed to build up a kind of sleep debt that will help you fall asleep quite easily at night. However, when you take naps during the day, it can interfere with your sleep at night.
7. Maintain Bedtime Ritual
Have a kind of ritual before bedtime such as having a warm or cold bath, reading or listening to music. Your activities before bedtime should help relax your body and prepare you to easily fall asleep.
8. Make Sure Your Bedroom Is Strictly For Sleep
Don’t go about eating or watching television in your bedroom. Do not use electronics like your laptops or mobile phones in your bed.
9. Have A Serene Bedroom
Ensure your bedroom is dark, quiet, and serene. This will make you have a sound and peaceful sleep.
10. Maintain A Healthy Diet
Eating just before bedtime might make it difficult for you to fall asleep and even stay asleep.
11. Exercise Regularly
Try to exercise at least two hours before bedtime. This can help you fall asleep easily.
We hope these above sleeping habits can help eliminate every sleep difficulty you have been experiencing. Just a few of these changes could transform your sleep pattern, so give them a try. Sweet dreams!
