Falling short of adequate sleep can take a toll on our health. And not just health, it can mess with our emotional balance, energy levels, productivity, and even bodyweight. The contemporary lifestyles are excessively hectic with work challenges, domestic commitments, etc. Still, most of us complain of poor sleep quality and spending half the night tossing and turning in bed helplessly. Some succeed in getting some sleep while others fail and start yet another challenging day with a drained body and sore mind!
Adequate sleep is as important as a healthy diet and a workout regimen. Studies indicate how poor sleep quality and patterns can have negative effects on our hormonal balance, weight, brain function, and performance. Having a smooth Wow Internet availability at home, I make sure to take away my kid’s gadgets an hour before their bedtime. No gaming, streaming, and social media browsing! So, if your phone is distracting you to sleep when you are sleepy, only to check those unnecessary notifications (which can wait), we suggest putting your phone to aeroplane mode and away!
Quality sleep will leave you refreshed, rejuvenated, emotionally balanced, full of energy, and mentally sharp! Over the past few decades, both quantity and quality of sleep have significantly declined. Fortunately, there are some effective solutions to this predicament. Let’s discuss some effective tips which will have a positive effect on the quality and wellness of your sleep.
Consider Making a Sleep Schedule
And then stick to it! Try waking up and sleeping at a fixed time every day. This will effectively optimize the quality of your sleep and set up your biological clock. Sticking to a fixed sleep routine will make you drowsy and weary by the usual time you go to sleep. This will save you from tossing and turning in bed. You will doze off effortlessly. Also, you will enjoy the added advantage of naturally waking up at a fixed time without having to set up any alarms.
Avoid Sleeping In
Consider this for the weekends too. Oversleeping on the weekends can change the sleep schedule for the rest of the week. If you don’t want to experience any jetlag-like symptoms for the rest of the week, don’t oversleep on the weekends. If you want to make up for the late nights, instead of sleeping in, it’s better to take daytime naps. This can pay off your sleep debt without having to mess with your regular sleep cycle
Say No to Caffeine in the Late Hours
In the United States, caffeine is consumed like water. Yes, it has a variety of benefits. The most significant being improving focus, energy, and brain performance. But when consumed in the latter part of the day, it is known to stimulate the nervous system. This can lead to hindering relaxing naturally during the night. According to a study, consuming caffeine around 6 hours prior to hitting the hay can worsen your sleep quality. Because it stays elevated in your blood for a good 6 to 8 hours.
If you don’t want to mess with your sleep quality and schedule, don’t consume caffeine after 1600 hours. To keep the cravings at bay, stick to decaf!
Reduce Your Exposure to Blue Light during Evenings
Exposure to blue light during the day is actually beneficial. But at night, the effects can be contrary to those in the day. Light messes with our circadian rhythm. Just like birds are fooled into believing its nighttime during a total solar eclipse, blue light can trick our brain into thinking it’s still daytime. This leads to a reduction in the level of melatonin. It’s the hormone responsible to indulge you in deep sleep.
Devices like computers and smartphones essentially emit blue light. Since most of us are guilty of being inseparable from their smartphones until they doze off, take advantage of the night mode in your iPhone and Android phones to have controlled exposure to blue light. It is highly recommended that you turn off your TV and all bright lights two hours prior to hitting the bed.
Consider Having Smart Naps
Napping is actually a good way to make up for sleep loss. But you need to avoid long and irregular naps during the day. Because if that leads to keeping you awake after midnight, it’s better to avoid naps to avoid worsening your sleep quality. 30 minutes should be the maximum time for napping otherwise they will interfere for your good night’s sleep.
Don’t Let Post-Dinner Drowsiness Take Over You
Dinner makes you sleepy? Get up and do something stimulating. Because if you fall asleep at that time, you won’t be able to sleep later at night. Play a game, call a friend and chitchat; do the dishes, anything that takes the drowsiness away.
Consider Having a Workout Regimen
Indulge in some type of workout. Not only it is great for your health and fitness, but it also improves your sleep quality immensely. It would be best if you go for the type of workout you love. Whether it is Yoga, Pilates, a Zumba run, or a nice jog, do what you love and keep doing it regularly. Since I love Pilates, I take advantage of my Wow package and do it with my favorite trainer’s video tutorials online. You don’t have to essentially step outside and hit the gym.
All these tips will improve your sleep schedule, patterns, and quality noticeably. Happy sleeping!
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