One of the keys to living a healthy life is ensuring you get enough sleep every night.
Sleeping for eight hours every night can sharpen the mind, keep your heart healthy, and allow you to manage your weight.
Getting enough sleep can also boost your immune system’s ability to fight off germs and bacteria, making it easier for you to live a healthy and active lifestyle.
Most people understand the importance of sleep, yet not all of them have been successful in sleeping for eight hours every night. Some people often see themselves twisting and turning every night, regardless of how much they want to rest and sleep.
If you’ve been experiencing the same for too long, here are five tips to help you get better night’s sleep:
1. Look for a high-quality mattress
Aside from being one of the biggest pieces of furniture in your bedroom, are you aware that your mattress can also make or break your ability to sleep every night?
Lying in an old mattress that no longer provides support to your body will make it very hard for you to fall asleep as you’ll likely experience pain in different parts of your body.
One tip that you can follow to get better sleep every night is to invest in a high-quality mattress like Ecosa vs Koala mattress that both provide comfort and improve sleep longevity.
Sure, buying one could mean shelling out a significant amount of money, but this is a cost-effective investment because buying the right mattress can improve your mental and physical health in many ways.
With the number of online and offline stores selling mattresses today, make sure that you’re careful in picking which one to buy.
If you want to use high-quality mattresses, start by looking at reviews of mattresses on sites like Best Mattress Australia to help you get started. Afterwards, you can narrow down your options by checking customer reviews, and personally trying out mattresses before finalising your decision. All of these are essential for you to end up buying a mattress that suits your unique needs.
2. Minimise blue light exposure in the evening
Technology has made lives easier for every human being in the world. Regardless of the tasks you usually do during the day and the number of people you work with, there will always be an app or software that can boost your productivity.
However, being productive shouldn’t the reason why you bring devices into your bedroom as this can only prevent you from falling asleep.
Smartphones and laptops are very beneficial, but these gadgets emit blue light that can increase your alertness and delay your body’s melatonin production, the sleep-inducing hormone.
This means that instead of getting some shuteye, using devices in your bedroom will only keep you awake and become the reason why you’ll lose sleep.
If you’re dependent on these gadgets, place them outside your bedroom when it’s time to sleep. Your bedroom should be free of any distractions, so you won’t have any problems falling and staying asleep.
3. Avoid drinking coffee late in the day
Drinking coffee can bring many health benefits. Coffee can boost your physical performance, help you lose weight, and lower your risk of cancers and death. In fact, drinking four cups of coffee every day is even deemed safe by experts, but you should pay attention as to when you consume this drink.
As mentioned, coffee is a healthy drink as it’s consumed in moderation, but drinking it late in the day can stimulate your immune system, thereby preventing your body from relaxing at night.
According to studies, consuming coffee and any drink with caffeine six hours before bedtime can worsen a person’s sleep quality.
If you’re dependent on coffee, make sure you consume the drink before 3-4pm. If you really want to enjoy a cup of Joe in the late afternoon or evening, choose to drink decaffeinated coffee.
4. Relax your mind in the evening
It’s common for people to be stressed out. You might be worried about being promoted, or how you can budget your finances to better provide for your family. Every human being in the world has been in your situation, but if you plan on getting a good night’s sleep, you should relax your mind in the evening.
There are many relaxation techniques you can apply to help calm your mind before going to bed. You can get a relaxing massage or take a shower hours before your bedtime. Reading a book, meditating, and deep breathing can also help.
Get comfortable by changing into your favourite pyjamas and snuggling into your cosiest blanket. When you’re ready to go to bed, wear a sleep mask to completely block out light and help you nod off faster. Artificial light from your devices and other sources can keep you from falling asleep, so lay off your phone, tablet, computer, or TV an hour before bed.
5. Change your bedroom environment
Your bedroom plays a vital role in the quality of your sleep. It’ll be challenging for you to rest and sleep well through the night if your bedroom is cluttered, humid, or noisy.
If you’ve been struggling to get decent sleep, try changing the environment in your bedroom, by following these tips:
- Make sure that your bedroom is well-ventilated. Different people have different preferences as to how humid or cold they want their bedrooms to feel, so make sure you invest in devices that allow you to set your bedroom to the right temperature.
- Drown out background noises by playing soothing music whenever you try to sleep. Adding some rugs and carpets in your bedroom can also help as these can absorb sound.
- You can also incorporate calming scents in your bedroom as these are known to relax the mind and make you ready for sleep. Depending on your preferences, you can place several scented candles on your bedside table, or spray your linens with essential oils.
Create healthy habits to improve sleep
The quality of your sleep reflects your overall health and wellness, which is why you should always thrive to get eight hours of sleep every night.
All of your efforts to maintain a healthy lifestyle will be useless if you’re neglecting the importance of sleep.
If you believe you’ve been deprived of sleep for too long, gradually incorporate the tips in this article to your daily routine, and you should be well on your way to finally getting a good night’s sleep.