Although quality sleep is vital for our mental and physical health, many adults are struggling to achieve good, restful sleep on a daily basis. And while there are numerous reasons why a person’s sleep might be disrupted, most of these issues can easily be solved by constructing a healthier sleeping routine. Here are some daily habits you can implement to sleep better each night:
Adjust your sleeping patterns
It can be quite difficult for your body to get used to a healthy sleeping schedule if you’re going to bed and waking up at different times each day. For that reason, it would be wise to choose a bedtime when you usually feel tired, to avoid tossing and turning in bed, and try to maintain it on a regular basis.
Similarly, you should aim to wake up at the same time every day, even on weekends and those days when you feel like it’s okay to sleep in. This will allow your body’s internal clock to optimize your sleeping patterns, and you might even end up waking up naturally, without needing an alarm.
Reconsider your daily naps
Even though naps can be wonderful for making up for a lack of sleep, long and frequent naps throughout the day can make things even worse if you’re having trouble falling asleep at night. If a nap is necessary, try to limit them to 15 or 20 minutes, and choose to take a nap early in the afternoon, to avoid disrupting your sleeping patterns.
However, if you’re constantly making up for lost sleep with naps, then the issue might actually be the insufficient time you’re setting aside for quality sleep at night. Sometimes, we simply need to build sleep time into our schedule if we want to ensure we’re getting an adequate night’s rest. Consider deducting 7 or 8 hours from your set wake-up time, and add in some extra time before bed for a nighttime routine, to calculate your ideal sleep time.
Opt for soothing natural aids
If simply fixing your sleep schedule isn’t enough, you might need some additional help. However, sleep medication is often too strong, causing drowsiness and lethargy in the morning. Even worse, it can sometimes lead to addiction. Instead, choosing health supplements that will allow you to get a full night of restful, uninterrupted sleep is a much better option.
Their relaxing and soothing properties can help you relieve pain, inflammation and seizures, as well as battle stress, anxiety and poor sleep. And best of all, they’re entirely natural.
Be smart about your daily habits
Your daytime habits can have a significant impact on your sleeping schedule, particularly during the hours before bedtime. For instance, caffeine is one of the most popular stimulants people consume to feel more awake and energized in the morning, but not many people know it can cause sleep issues up to 12 hours after drinking it. Similarly, some people might opt for a nightcap before bedtime, even though alcohol can actually lower the quality of sleep, and is best avoided during the night.
A positive thing you can do during the day to help your sleeping patterns is regular exercise. Even if it’s just light physical activity in the morning, such as a 10-minute walk or jog, exercise will allow you to fall asleep more quickly, improve your quality of sleep, and even help battle the side effects of insomnia and sleep apnea.
Control your environment
The last thing you can do to improve your circadian rhythm is ensure your sleeping environment is optimal for a good night’s rest. This means avoiding screens in the hours before bedtime, whether it’s a TV, computer or phone, making your bedroom as dark as possible during the night, preferably with heavy curtains or a sleep mask, and then letting the sunshine in as soon as you wake up. Such an environment will allow you to achieve deep, restful sleep, and feel fresh and energized in the morning.
If you’re having a hard time falling asleep, these helpful tips and changes in your daily routine will finally allow you to improve your sleeping schedule, and get a full night of necessary rest.
