How To Sleep Better At Night?

A night with poor sleep has a negative impact on your brain and overall health. Sleep is as important as a healthy diet and exercise. Despite knowing its importance a lot of people find themselves regularly deprived of quality sleep. A proper 8 hours of quality sleep is recommended. Over time it has become difficult to get both quality and quantity of sleep and the reason for it can vary. But if we work on the reasons and find solutions it can help. It may seem difficult but you can start with small changes and work your way towards a healthier sleep habit.

Tips to sleep better at night

Avoid caffeine at night:

Caffeine may have many benefits like a single dose can enhance energy, focus, and improve sports performance but when consuming late in the second half of the day or before bedtime can stimulate the nervous system and even interfere with your sleep by stopping your body from naturally relaxing at night. Caffeine stays elevated for 6 to 8 hours in your blood, if you don’t get proper sleep or are sensitive to caffeine don't consume it late in the day. Be it in small quantities, avoid taking caffeine just before bedtime.

Physical activity or exercise:

Any kind of physical activity can be helpful, exercise boosts the effects of natural sleep hormones such as melatonin. It not only helps to improve sleep but even your health.

Remember not to exercise too close to bedtime as it can increase alertness and hormones like epinephrine and adrenaline and may cause sleep problems.

Follow a regular sleeping time:

Try to sleep and wake up at a consistent time. If you follow a regular sleeping time it can aid long-term sleep quality. Try to get into a habit of going to bed and waking up at a similar hour every day.

One study noted that participants who had irregular sleeping patterns and went to bed late on the weekends reported poor sleep

Wash up or shower before bedtime:

A shower or a bath can help you to relax and is a way to sleep better. Even washing your feet in hot water can help you to relax and improve sleep.

Studies indicate that washing up or showering before bedtime can help improve overall sleep quality and help people — especially older adults — fall asleep faster.

In one study, taking a hot bath 90 minutes before bed improved sleep quality and helped people get more deep sleep.

Create a restful environment:

The bedroom environment too plays a role in sleeping quality. Factors like noise, temperature, bed arrangements, and external lights, all these matters. Try creating a restful environment for a better and quality night’s sleep.

Numerous studies point out that external noise, often from traffic, can cause poor sleep and can cause long-term health issues.

Reduce exposure to blue light during the night:

The soft blue light from the exposure of the phone screen, digital clock, can affect your sleep. If possible turn off the TV screen, computers, and other blue light sources 2 hours before sleeping if possible. If not, wear glasses or apply other methods to protect yourself from this light exposure just before bed.

Reduce naps during the day:

When you feel too tired and exhausted, a short power nap may be beneficial but long or irregular naps during the day can have a negative effect on your sleep. These naps can confuse your internal clock which may lead to a struggle to sleep at night. However, it depends on the individual. If you have a habit of sleeping during the day and it is not affecting your night sleep, you can continue with it, unless you are facing difficulties sleeping at night.

A study noted that while napping for 30 minutes or less can enhance daytime brain functioning, longer naps can harm health and sleep quality.

These are some of the tips that you can follow to have a better sleep at night. To know more contact.

Recommending Psychologists and Therapists are:

1. Life Coach Steffi Prasad - Psychologist & Therapists - Utopia Life Coach in Siliguri, West Bengal, India.

www.steffiprasad.com

2. Khusboo Tomar - Psychologist: Centre for Forensic & Clinical Psychology