Struggling when it comes to sleep is something that can have a massive impact on every other aspect of your life. If you’re not getting enough sleep at night, or the sleep that you are getting is poor quality, then you could be getting through every day too tired to be as productive as you could be at work, have fun with your family and friends, or even get around to doing everyday chores and tasks. Thankfully, there are several hacks you can use for improving sleep quality – here are some of the best.
Use the 90-minute rule:
When you are asleep, your brain cycles through several different stages, with each one lasting for ninety minutes. When you wake at the end of a 90-minute sleep cycle, you will usually feel more refreshed since you’ll be closer to your normal waking state. So, if you’re figuring out which time is best to go to sleep, then count back in 90-minute intervals from the time you have your alarm set to wake up. For example, if you need to get up at 7 AM, then try to fall asleep at either 10 PM or 11:30 PM, depending on how much sleep you need.
Exercise earlier in the day:
Exercise is great for many reasons – keeping your body healthy, your waistline trim, and making it easier for you to fall asleep at night. And, you don’t have to do lots of exercise for it to have a positive impact on your sleep – just two and a half hours of moderate activity throughout the week is enough, but there’s nothing wrong with doing more. However, try to exercise in the morning, or at least earlier in the afternoon – as it can get your adrenaline pumping and raise your body temperature. This can interfere with falling asleep, as you’ll need to cool down first.
Avoid bright screens in the evening:
The blue light in laptops, smartphones, tablets, and even the TV has been shown to keep you awake as it suppresses melatonin production. This means that all the electronic devices that provide you with something to do when you are awake are also stopping you from getting a good nights’ sleep. Banning all screens for an hour before bedtime should do the trick, but if you must work late, consider using amber-tinted glasses or a program such as f.lux to get rid of the blue glow, whilst dimming the screen as much as you can.
Find a solution for your snoring partner:
For most couples, one of the biggest things that keeps them awake at night is the sound of their partner snoring. And whilst you know that your partner can’t help it and isn’t trying to keep you awake, it can certainly get pretty annoying when you are trying to sleep. Thankfully, there are many solutions available today that don’t involve getting separate beds or banishing your partner to the sofa. Somnifix came up with a great idea; they designed adhesive snoring strips that can be worn comfortably at night.
Soak in the bath before bed:
If you need an excuse to treat yourself to a relaxing, luxurious bath and some me-time then here it is – having a warm bath before bed can actually help you to sleep better. Although scientists aren’t exactly sure why they suggest that it might be because having a bath mimics how your body temperature tends to slightly fall before sleeping. Once you climb out of the bath your body temperature drops, signaling to your body that it’s time to go to sleep.
Final thoughts
If you’re struggling to sleep, try out these hacks and see how you get on. If none of them are working for you, there may be an underlying issue that you are not addressing making it difficult to sleep. BetterHelp has a great online counseling program that can help you get to the root of your sleeping problems.
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