Building Better Habits: 4 Tips for Resetting Your Sleep Cycle

Whether you work night shifts or just have a bad habit of staying up all night, then you probably don’t have a very good sleep cycle. It is important that your internal sleep clock is kept on track so that your biological schedules are met. Our internal body sleep clock, when functioning as it should, tells us when we are tired and sends the relevant signals to our body that state that we should wake up in the morning and go to sleep in the evening. However, if your sleep cycle is out of sync and needs resetting then you can find it difficult to fall asleep in the evening and may find it impossible to get out of bed in time in the morning.

It is important that our ‘sleep clocks’ are set correctly as it is what controls the biological mechanisms of when we feel tired and when we feel awake. Therefore, we have put together a few positive habits that you can build into your daily routine that can be great ways to reset your sleep cycle and start to get your sleeping back to normal.

Adjust The Lighting In Your Bedroom

Research has found that by manipulating the lighting in your bedroom you can trick your sleep cycle into resetting. This has found to be particularly effective for those who are suffering from sleeping problems due to jet lag. Our body reacts to the changes in natural light throughout the day and the daily cycle of light created from morning to evening indicates to our body whether it is time to wake up or go to sleep. This shows how important darkening your bedroom with blackout blinds in the evening. This includes limiting your exposure to screens during the evening.

Normalize Mealtimes

You may be surprised to learn that what we eat, and our metabolism plays a huge role in when we feel sleepy and when we feel awake. Therefore, by watching what you eat and when you eat it, you can help to kick start and reset your sleep cycle. If you are suffering from an out of sync sleep cycle because of jet lag, then you should consider fasting for 16 hours until you are ready to eat at a normal time of day. Eating heavy meals that are high in fat when you should be asleep can disrupt your sleep cycle further. Remember that to create and maintain a natural circadian rhythm your breakfast and evening meal should be around 12 hours apart.

Make Sure You Are Comfortable

It is important that you are comfortable and cool in your bedroom if you want to reset your sleep cycle. The recommended temperature for an optimal night’s sleep is between 60 to 70 degrees so ensure that you don’t feel too warm.

Snoring

Snoring can also disrupt healthy sleep, whether it is you snoring or a partner. If snoring is an issue, try lightweight mouth tape provided by companies such as Somnifix to ease breathing difficulties. Taping the mouth shut to prevent mouth breathing is safe and effective.

Skip Naps

If your sleep cycle needs restoring, then you may find yourself feeling exhausted and wanting a nap throughout the day. However, you should avoid napping outside of usual sleeping hours as this can make it even more difficult for you to get to sleep at night and will prolong your bad sleeping habits.

If you currently maintain bad sleeping habits and need your sleep cycle resetting, then be sure to follow these tips and advice so that you start to get to sleep easier in the evening and wake up feeling refreshed in the morning.

*collaborative post

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