Sleeping should be one of the easiest things in the world to do! Yet, over 40 million people in the United States alone suffer from long-term sleeping disorders such as Insomnia and poor sleeping cycles. A lot of these problems are self-induced, and with just a few simple rules we could all be sleeping on cloud nine. Here are five rules to follow if you are finally ready to get a great nights sleep every night.
1. Have a Bed time
Setting a bed time at night is not just something that parents do for their children, it is a practical thing that adults need to do for themselves too. By establishing a firm sleeping routine, our body can get used to what to expect from us, each night. It is important not to break this routine, except when it is absolutely needed, because it throws off the sleeping cycle of the body. To get a Great Night's Sleep every night, our body has to develop a sleeping routine.
2. Don’t Get Amped Up
Watching television, reading an exciting book, exercising, partying all night or anything you find stimulating is not a good pre-bedtime activity. The parts of our brain that signal us to be awake get activated, and it makes it extremely difficult for the body to fall asleep. So stop doing exciting things before bed!
3. Chill Out
On the flipside of not getting amped up, there needs to be a routine established to help calm the mind and body down. Any activity that relaxes you is a good option. A bath, a not-too-intriguing book, soft music, meditation, light stretching are all great options to help one get ready for bed. Try to have an activity planned for every night and stick to that activity, so that it becomes a habit to relax before bed. By doing this you can stop the likes of restless leg syndrome which is a symptom of your body not being relaxed enough to fall asleep.
4. Don’t Fuel up Before Going to Bed
Drinking or eating before bed is not only bad for your sleep, it is also really bad for your metabolism. A lot of cultures tend to eat heavier meals with drink at night, but this habit is detrimental to the health
. Instead, try to drink and eat more earlier in the day, so that the body can use the energy from the food to fuel you throughout the day, rather than go wasted when you lie down.
5. Stay in Bed!
Midnight snackers, bloggers and restroom visitors - you’ve got to stop the madness. It is easy to get in the habit of hopping out of bed to do this or that, but it really isn’t all that good for sleeping. It gets the mind and body amped up to wake up again, and it interrupts the body’s natural sleeping cycle. Unless it is an absolute emergency to get up, try falling back asleep whenever the urge to get out of bed strikes. You may be surprised how quickly you fall back asleep despite the mind’s yearning to venture out of the sheets.
Do you have any tips and tricks to share about getting a great nights sleep?
