Physical Wellness

Useful Tips On How To Sleep Better At Night And Improve Your Health

By David Thompson | Update Date: Nov 08, 2021 12:25 PM EST
Useful Tips On How To Sleep Better At Night And Improve Your Health

(Photo : Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels)

Getting a good night's sleep is imperative for your health and well-being. In this article, we'll show you some tips on how to sleep better that will lead to a happier life!  A good night's rest can help improve concentration levels, mood, weight control, and more. Read on for the most effective ways to get a great night's sleep every time--and wake up feeling refreshed and energized!

1) Invest In Better Mattress

Your mattress is where you spend 8 hours every night, and you need the best support for your back, hips, and neck. If you are sleeping on an uncomfortable mattress, it will affect your sleep. An uncomfortable mattress can be the cause of many aches and pains in the morning when you wake up. So in order to sleep better,  make sure you buy a good mattress! Choose water fold mattresses, spring mattresses, or even better, foam mattresses. They are more expensive, but they offer better support and comfort while you sleep. To find the best deal, make sure you read memory foam mattress reviews and shop around to get the biggest bang for your buck. Memory foam will conform to the shape of your body, which gives you excellent support. Furthermore, memory foam allows air to flow through, so you won't overheat during your sleep.

2) Have A Bedtime Routine

Having a bedtime routine is very important for quality sleep. It signals to your brain that it's time to go to sleep. So have a relaxing bedtime routine to prepare you for a good night's sleep. You can try taking a warm shower or bath, do some gentle stretches before going to bed, keep your bedroom dark and quiet and avoid watching TV in bed. If you want to be extra prepared for your perfect night's sleep,   you can try diffusing lavender oil into the air while doing your bedtime routine. Lavender has calming properties that will help you sleep better at night.

3) Say No To Caffeine And Alcohol Before Bed

Avoid drinking coffee, tea, soda or even eating chocolate before bed because they all contain caffeine which is a stimulant. Although stimulants may seem like the perfect solution to give you a boost and stay awake, they actually cause insomnia and deprive you of deep sleep. It is recommended to stop drinking caffeine six hours before going to bed. Likewise, avoid alcoholic beverages as well because they also keep you awake and prevent you from sleeping. Alcohol reduces REM sleep and deep, restorative sleep, which you need to wake up feeling refreshed.

Useful Tips On How To Sleep Better At Night And Improve Your Health
(Photo : Image by Stuart Bailey from Pixabay )

4) Relaxing Music

Putting on some relaxing music is a great way to wind down after a long day and get ready for bed. Studies have shown that listening to soft melodies reduces heart rate, blood pressure, and stress levels. The best time to listen to relaxing music is 30 minutes before going to bed in order for the songs to really take an effect on you. Another plus side is that it will help you fall asleep faster because your brain associates the music with bedtime. You can put on calming instrumental songs or even the sound of rain. Make sure it has no lyrics in it though because listening to songs with lyrics will make it hard to sleep at night. Also, make sure the music volume is not too loud because it might affect your quality of sleep.

5) Exercise During Day, Relax During Night

Exercise is good for your health, but exercising late at night can affect the quality of your sleep. If you want to do some exercise and stay up and energized, try fitting it in during the day because exercising after 8 pm will stimulate your mind and keep you awake. The best time to exercise is in the morning because exercise is a great way to release endorphins, the feel-good hormone. It will give you that boost of energy that you need during the day and improve your mood. On the other hand, relaxing exercises such as yoga or meditation are great to do right before going to bed because you will feel more relaxed and ready for a good night's sleep.

6) Avoid Eating Before Bed

Your last meal of the day should be at least two hours before going to bed. The sleeping process begins after about two hours, but it takes some time for your body to digest all of that food. If you are still eating just before going to bed, you will have a harder time falling asleep because your body is busy digesting. All of that energy spent on digesting food means that the body isn't spending its energy on helping you fall asleep. So if you want to sleep better at night, avoid eating heavy meals right before bedtime. Don't eat heavy and spicy foods because they take longer to digest and can lead to heartburn or stomach discomfort that will make it hard for you to fall asleep. If you need to eat something, tho, try eating some light snacks such as crackers with some warm milk because they are easy to digest. You can also drink a cup of tea because it contains melatonin, which will help you relax and fall asleep faster.

7) Make Sure Your Room Is Dark And Quiet

Proper lighting is very important to get a good night's rest. It is best to use dim lights or night lights, or just turn off all the lights. If your room is too bright, it will keep you up at night and affect the quality of your sleep. It may be difficult to completely darken your room every night because of streetlights coming in through the window, so if that's the case, try using a sleep mask to help you get good rest. You can also buy darker curtains to help block out more of the lights.

If you are looking for ways to improve the quality of your sleep, make sure to follow these points. Having a good night's rest is very important in your life because it will affect your mood, immune system, and productivity throughout the day. If you are not feeling refreshed when you wake up, then it may be time to change something about your sleep routine that will help you get better rest at night!

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* This is a contributed article and this content does not necessarily represent the views of counselheal.com

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