How To Get A Good Nights Sleep?

posted in Health & Fitness on 3/6/2014

Set a regular bedtime and wake-up time.

For every single day of the week (weekends included), what time would be best for you to go to sleep and wake up?

Keep in mind you want to squeeze in around 8 hours of sleep a night.

Get enough sleep

Adults need 7 to 9 hours, on average; however, if you're under 18, you need at least 8.5, probably more.

Nap smart

It might be you didn't get enough sleep due to distractions, children, noise etc & you need to catch up on your sleep then take a nap but don't go sleep too long that you'll end up staying up all night.

Have 30-40 mins to feel rested.

Use your bed just for sleep.

Do not bring your work, phone, laptops into bed with you. Make sure to keep everything elsewhere. Your bed should just be for sleeping.

Make sure your bed is comfy, have you got enough pillows, is the lighting in the room Ok? Etc

Life style habits through out the day

Keep good lifestyle habits through the day to get good sleep at night.

Sunlight Get enough light in your day. Whether that means going for your lunch in the park or just throwing open all the curtains, make sure your brain gets stimulated by enough daylight. The sun is a natural cue to your brain that it's time to wake up.

Avoid caffeine
This means soda, coffee etc
It is best to have your last source of caffeine at lunch time, or at breakfast.

For some people it can take up to 12 hours for caffeine to wear off.

Reduce stress Before bed time look for activities to help you de-stress, this can be listening to music, yoga, meditating, talking to someone about your worries, writing it down etc.

Keep dinner light. When you go to bed, you want to neither be hungry or stuffed If you do feel to stuffed before bed then it might be best to eat dinner earlier or eat a bit less next time. If you do get hungry at bed time have a light snack such as fruits, yogurts etc.

Preparing for bed...

Stay away from lit electronics.

The more time you spend in front of the TV, your iPad, or your phone, the more your mind will be thinking, "Wait, is it still daytime?!" Two or three hours before bed, disconnect. Your body needs to slip into nighttime mode, and these things prevent it.

Temperature Make sure your room is at a right Temperature, not too hot or cold, find out what works best for you. You don't want to wake up in the middle of the night sweating or shivering.

Cut out the noise

You can play soothing background music if it helps.

Go see a doctor If all else fails seek medical help Sometimes having trouble falling asleep can be related to a health problem, but it's not always clear best to see a doctor to be in safe hands If you have headaches in the morning or are constantly sleepy then do go and seek medical help.