7 Effective Steps To Follow For Better Sleep

7 Effective Steps To Follow For Better Sleep

Sleep problems are ubiquitous these days — and they have a profoundly negative impact on the quality of life. The good news is there are four simple changes you can make in your life to improve your sleep dramatically.

Step 1: Get The Phone Out Of The Bedroom

If you do nothing else, the single most impactful change you can make to your sleep is to take the phone out of the bedroom. If you live in a studio, get the phone out of the bed area. This makes a difference for several reasons. First, the light. Our circadian rhythm (or sleep-wake cycle) is cued by light.

When we see blue spectrum light, it tells the brain, “Good morning, the sun is rising, wake up!” This causes a hormonal cascade, including the release of cortisol (our stress hormone), which makes us feel awake and alert.

The final issue with the phone is that we associate it with stress and reward.

Whether our nightcap of choice is Instagram, Netflix, work email, news, Facebook, Reddit, or whatever else you find yourself drawn to before bed, these activities put the brain in a state of stress or reward. Either way, that’s the wrong juju right before bed.

Step 2: Cut Out Of Caffeine

I don’t make any friends talking about the relationship between caffeine and sleep. I know we all love our coffee — the smell, the taste, the warmth, the feel of the cup in our hands, the barista with the perfect hipster mustache and the forearms.

If you struggle with sleep, keep your coffee ritual, but switch to decaf and drop the caffeine from your life. Caffeine is a powerful drug. It has a half-life of three to six hours for most people, which is a nerdy way of saying that even if you drink just one cup of coffee at 9 a.m., there’s still some caffeine buzzing around your brain at midnight.

Some of us are especially sensitive to caffeine, and it can be contributing to anxiety, urinary frequency, impatience, having a short temper, and, of course, insomnia.

Step 3: Earlier Bedtime

In the insomnia treatment orthodoxy, the importance of bedtime goes overlooked all too often. I used to think all bedtimes were created equal. I could sleep eight hours from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. or 2 a.m. to 10 a.m., and it was all good. That turns out to be wrong. The body functions best when the entire circadian rhythm, including wake-up time and bedtime, is in sync with the sunrise and sunset. Along with this you also need to keep your bed and the surroundings clean. Keeping a clean house will ensure that your mind is fresh and is out of any mess. If you find that the daily cleaning chores are proving stressful to you then you need to hire professional waste removal company such as rubbish removal sydney.

Step 4: Sticking To A Proper Sleep Schedule

For your sleep keep aside at least 7-8 hours. Seven hours is the minimum sleep that is advised. In order to achieve this sleep, there are people who do not get more than 8 hours of peaceful rest.

All you need to do is to create a proper sleep cycle, so go to bed the same time each day to maintain the same. Do not change the schedule be it your weeknights or weekends. Your body’s sleep-wake cycle is by being consistent reinforcing your body. It is better to exit your bedroom if you are having trouble falling asleep. Do something relaxing to soothe your muscles and nerves.

Step 5: Paying Attention To Your Consumption

Don't go to bed hungry or stuffed. It is advised to avoid the intake of heavy meals, especially before bedtime. As heavy meals just before going to bed is hard to digest and can also keep you awake the whole night.

Step 6: Creating A Peaceful Environment Before Bedtime

You need to find a space that is perfect for your night’s rest. This may often mean that the room must be cool, dark and noise proof. When there is too much light exposure in a room then it makes it quite difficult for a person to fall asleep. Avoid prolonged use of light-emitting screens just before bedtime. When you are looking to create an environment that will meet your purpose, you need to consider using some room darkening shades, earplugs, a fan or other suitable device.

Before bath it is good to go ahead and perform some relaxation techniques such as taking a hot bath, this will stimulate your muscles providing a great night rest.

Step 7: Keep Your Worries Aside

Before bedtime, it is essential that you are free from any worries or concerns that are troubling you. Note down whatever is there in your mind and keep it aside for the next day.

Here you can take help of stress management. All you need to do is jump into the basics such as getting organized, setting proper priorities and distributing your tasks well. To ease your anxiety you can also take help of meditation.