Have trouble sleeping at night?
Do you often wake up during the night and have a difficult time getting out of bed?
Or perhaps you’re one of the many people who experience night terrors, sleep walking or other such sleep disturbances?
This might sound like a normal occurrence for many, but if it becomes a regular one, it could greatly affect your overall health. Some studies have shown that disrupted sleep patterns can have the same effect as sleep deprivation, meaning that not sleeping well is just as harmful as not sleeping at all. Not only can this affect your body on a physical level, but it can affect your mental and spiritual health as well, influencing your mood, behaviour and feelings.
Being constantly tired can be very dangerous and may hinder your ability to perform everyday tasks with ease, do your work properly and function normally on a day to day basis. Of course, there are a lot of things that might cause disturbed sleeping patterns and here you can find a few handy tips that will drastically improve the quality of your life.
Stick to A Schedule
Our bodies are designed to be awake during the day and sleep during the night, which is why every deviation from this norm can greatly influence the quality of your sleep. This means that in order to improve your sleeping patterns, it is essential you create a schedule and stick to it. This will help you sync your body and mind to the natural sleep/wake cycle, making it easier for you to adjust to your new sleeping schedule. The best way to do this is to try to wake up and go to bed every day at the same time, as well as avoiding naps during the day and sleeping in if you have the chance, as it can disrupt your circadian rhythm.
Pay Attention to Your Habits
Your everyday habits can greatly influence the quality of your sleep, meaning it’s important to nurture healthy habits and avoid certain things that might hinder your ability to sleep at night. This is especially important in terms of your diet and fluid intake, but also when it comes to exercise and any excess of alcohol and nicotine. It’s best to avoid cigarettes, caffeine and alcohol before bed, as well as heavy meals and too much liquid. A light, healthy snack can actually help you sleep, as long as it doesn’t contain too much fat or sugar.
Make Yourself Tired
If you have a relatively sedentary job and your daily activities don’t require too much physical activity, perhaps it’s a good idea to add exercise to your daily routine. Not only will regular exercise help keep you healthy, but it’ll also wear you out and help you get a good night’s sleep. It’s best to do your fitness during the day or a few hours before bedtime, as exercising will make you more energized, meaning if you work out right before bed, you will find it more difficult to fall asleep.
Practice A Bedtime Ritual
Another handy tip that might help you sleep better at night is designing a simple routine that will help you relax your body and mind before bed, making it easier to fall asleep. This can be a relaxing bubble bath, a good book, meditation or whatever helps soothe your mind.
Create A Suitable Sleep Environment
One of the most important factors is creating a suitable sleep environment for yourself by indulging all of your senses. This includes limiting light exposure in the room, adjusting the temperature just right, but also choosing one of the top rated mattresses for maximum comfort and limiting the noise levels in your room.
Implementing these tips and practicing these handy rituals can significantly improve your sleeping pattern and help you adjust your sleep-wake cycle. Of course, in order to sync your body and get used to the new routine, it’ll be necessary to be patient and practice your new routine on regular basis. Once your body and mind get used to this new pattern, the quality of your life will improve and sleeping will not be an issue anymore.
Lana Hawkins is a crafty girl and an architecture student from Sydney. She enjoys writing about home improvement projects, as well as landscaping. In her free time, Lana loves cooking for her family and friends.
Find Lana on Facebook.
