Struggling to get a good night’s sleep can be an absolute nightmare. Luckily there are some things you can do that can help. These tips for improving sleep can help you get a better night’s rest so you can wake well-rested and refreshed.
If you have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, you may not be putting your body in the best position to rest. Numerous factors can affect our sleep and our sleep habits and identifying the ones that may be offsetting your natural body clock can help you to get more sleep at night.
With that in mind, we’re taking a closer look at the ways you can improve your sleep and ultimately have a more comfortable night’s sleep. Let us know if these tips for improving sleep work for you.
Have A Consistent Sleep Schedule
One of the best tips for improving sleep is to have a consistent sleep schedule and stick with it. Going to sleep and waking up at the same time every day is the first step to breaking bad sleeping habits and encouraging your body to enter the same sleep state on a daily basis.
The more you follow a good sleep schedule, the less likely you are to face trouble when trying to fall asleep and stay asleep.
Even if you aren’t necessarily ready to go to bed at the time you set or wake up when your alarm goes off, making an effort will really help in the long run.
Prioritize Exercise
Next on our list of effective tips for improving sleep is to get some exercise. Sometimes we put exercise on the back burner and leave it for another day – and that day never comes. Instead of pushing working out to the back of your priority list, make an effort to get up and active each day.
This is particularly true if you are working from home and don’t necessarily have a reason to leave the house. Take 10 minutes on your lunch to get outside and walk around. Not only will it leave you feeling refreshed for the afternoon, but improve your sleep.
You could also try one of the best under the desk treadmill to keep your feet moving all day, too!
Shut Off Electronic Devices
Watching TV or going on your phone for an extended period of time right before bed might be doing you more harm than good. This is because the blue light emitted from said devices is actually harmful to us and restricts the production of melatonin which controls our circadian rhythm. By using them too close to bedtime, you may find it difficult to fall asleep or experience greater tiredness the next day.
Instead of sitting on your handheld device, make a conscious effort to switch off all electronic items a couple of hours before bed.
Avoid Caffeine In The Afternoon and At Night
When it comes to tips for improving sleep, avoiding caffeine late in the day is a biggie. Consuming caffeine too close to bedtime can negatively impact your sleep, making it more difficult to fall asleep and/or resulting in interrupted sleep that increases your tiredness the next day. This is because caffeine is known to offset the timing of our natural body clocks, implying the feeling of awakeness for prolonged periods of time.
So, instead of enjoying a caffeinated drink at dinner time, consider replacing it with a caffeine-free alternative and avoid consuming any form of caffeine at least 4 hours before you’re due to sleep to improve your rest.