Many people nowadays have sleeping issues. According to a global survey, 62% of the world’s population suffers from sleeplessness worldwide. At the same time, 1 in every four people has experienced irregular sleep once per night. Doctors use sleeping medications to treat chronic insomnia and other severe sleeping difficulties. If your symptoms are severe, get your prescription and authentic sleeping medications at medambien. You can also get over-the-counter melatonin supplements for your sleeping issues.
Sleeping difficulties are a rising problem worldwide, but luckily, many people are trying to fix their sleeping habits. And you can do it too! Here are the top 7 tips to help you sleep faster and better.
Stimulants before bed
You should avoid taking caffeine and alcohol before going to sleep. Caffeine is a substance that stimulates the brain. It is mainly found in coffee, tea, cola, and chocolate. When you consume caffeine, it rapidly gets absorbed in your blood and distributed throughout the body, including the brain. There, it blocks adenosine receptors (sleep-promoting receptors), which makes you alert and awake.
Similarly, alcohol is also a stimulant. It may make you drowsy at first, but after some time, you’ll start feeling the stimulating effects of alcohol, including restlessness, agitation, and bad mood. Additionally, smoking before bed also disrupts sleep. Like alcohol and caffeine, nicotine is also a stimulant. Therefore, avoid smoking and drinking caffeine/alcohol before going to sleep.
Exercise
Like all other health matters, exercise also plays a vital role in sleep. Working out during the day helps relieve tension and stress in the body. Exercise helps lower cortisol (stress hormone) levels while boosting the production of serotonin and dopamine (happy hormones). Your body relaxes and, therefore, sleeps better.
It’s essential to work out for at least 30 minutes every day. It’s best to exercise early in the morning. Exercise also helps reset the biological clock within your body. It allows you to get a full sleep during the night and wake up fresh early in the morning.
Daytime naps
If you want to sleep better at night, avoid long daytime naps. You can sleep for short bursts (no longer than 30 minutes) during the day; they are beneficial and recommended by doctors. However, sleeping for long hours during the day disrupts your circadian rhythm and makes sleeping hard at night.
You’ll go to bed early when you wake up early in the morning and don’t sleep during the daytime. Sleeping and waking up early is ideal for maintaining your health and sleep.
Sleeping environment
Your bedroom should be organized and maintained in a way that helps you sleep better. For example, use soft sheets for your bed, don’t put too many flashing lights as decoration, and block out outside lights and noise by draping thick curtains or using noise-canceling mirrors. Adjust your bedroom to your sleeping needs so you can have a long and comfortable sleep at night. Moreover, you can also listen to calming music that helps you to sleep. Several studies show that listening to slow, relaxing music lowers the heart rate and relaxes your muscles, which releases stress and promotes deep sleep.
Bath before bed
Several studies show that a warm bath before bed promotes quality sleep in people. When you’re getting ready to sleep, your body temperature naturally cools down except for the hands and feet. Researchers suggest a warm bath before bed regulates this temperature difference and helps you sleep better.
Another study shows that taking a shower between temperatures 40°C to 43.5°C promotes sound sleep. Taking a bath 1 to 2 hours before bedtime is also beneficial for sleeping faster and longer. Moreover, warm baths help lower blood pressure in older adults, which allows them to sleep better.
Warm showers or baths relax your muscles and promote blood circulation by dilating your blood vessels. This leads to lower stress and anxiety levels, thus, improving your sleeping patterns.
Healthy eating habits
It won’t be wrong to say that your diet defines your body’s physiological and psychological activity. Eating a well-balanced diet helps heal your gut and regulate your hormones, significantly influencing your sleeping patterns. Eating fiber-rich foods like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains ensures a healthy heart. Vitamin B complex produces and regulates melatonin (sleep hormone). Foods such as meat, fish, eggs, milk, cheese, oats, and citrus fruits are rich in vitamin B. Include a lot of protein, high-quality carbohydrates, and omega-3s in your diet. Also, drink plenty of water daily for proper hydration and metabolism.
Another critical point is to avoid midnight snacking. Eating late at night is harmful not just to your body but also to your mind. Your body naturally goes into testing mode at night. So, eating at odd hours will stress your body, interfering with your natural sleeping schedule.
Reduce blue light exposure
Blue light negatively affects your sleep. It blocks the production of melatonin (the hormone which makes you sleepy), causing you to become sleep-deprived. Prolonged use of mobile phones or laptops before sleeping can worsen the symptoms, gradually resulting in insomnia.
The screens of your mobile phone and laptop emit blue light. Therefore, avoid using your phone or any digital device with blue light at least an hour before sleeping.
The bottom line
Sleep deprivation is widespread among people nowadays. It affects your ability to function normally. However, you can improve your sleep by making specific lifestyle changes like eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly, drinking plenty of water, and reducing screen time. Other beneficial tips to sleep better include taking a warm shower before bed, creating the right environment, listening to soft, peaceful music, and avoiding long naps during the day. Practicing these habits will help you treat your sleeping issues in the long term.
