Getting good sleep is harder to achieve than most people think. If you have issues or experiencing problems like snoring, back pain, or insomnia, then your sleeping habits might need some changes.
1. Buy a Good Pillow and Mattress
A good mattress and pillow can have a significant impact on the quality of sleep we get at night. If we keep tossing and turning, it might be time for a new mattress. When on the lookout for a new mattress, there are several factors to look out for, such as how firm or soft you want it and the kind of support you want.
A good pillow can greatly improve our neck or back pain that we can feel when we wake up in the morning. If you have some intense neck issues, this type of pillow can really help to support a good head and neck position, which I started using when I had some intense neck issues. I hardly recommend this nice Ecoden pillow.
2. Changing Our Sleep Position
When it’s time for bed, doctors recommend that we sleep on our side. While sleeping on the stomach is comfortable for many people, it can cause restlessness as well as neck and lower back pain. Sleeping directly on our back can lead to an increase in snoring at night and physical discomfort. Sleeping on our side is generally the best, but it can cause some problems as well. If it is causing hip pain, we should place a pillow between our legs when we sleep to help with our spinal alignment.
3. Prepare a Nice Bedroom
Making sure that we have a comfortable and clean bedroom before bed can help relax our mind, leading to lower levels of stress and healthier sleep. Preparing our room with items like blackout curtains, comfortable bed sheets, pillows, mattress, and sleeping masks, can help support a high quality sleep.
4. Create a Bedtime Routine
Having a good bedtime routine will improve the quality of sleep we get at night. Try to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day. Doing this will regulate our sleep cycles and make them more consistent. Other tasks to consider before bedtime include a nightly shower, a 10 minute meditation session, reading time, and drinking some water.
5. Take Some Sleep Supplements
If some of these more natural methods aren’t working, some healthy supplements might be necessary. Items that have been proven to help with sleep are melatonin, valerian root, chamomile tea, and the scent of lavender. Also to take some magnesium and calcium supplements at night, helps provide a good sleep. All of these will help regulate our sleep cycle, pattern and lower our stress level.
6. Exercise Every Day
Exercise is another way to help us sleep at night. A nice walk or run and even some yoga are enough to help us achieve a good night’s rest. Daily exercise also regulates our mood and is a stress reducer, which is both important for getting and staying asleep. Doing some good training especially early in the morning, will support a good night sleep and rest, which our body will need for good recovery.
7. Avoid Electronics and Screen Time
If you tend to take your phone, laptop, or tablet with you to bed, you may be unknowingly lowering your sleep quality every night. The blue light produced by electronics throws off your circadian rhythms, making it hard to fall asleep. Try turning them off 1 1/2- 2 hours before bedtime or installing a blue light app that will change the type of light emitted from your electronics.
8. Stay Away from Caffeine and Alcohol or Sugar Before Bedtime
We need to adjust our diet by avoiding anything with caffeine and alcohol before going to bed. It’s recommended not to drink these beverages 4 hours before bedtime. Caffeine will make it harder to go to sleep and will make us more restless at night, and alcohol reduces the quality of sleep we will get. Also eating too much sugar before bedtime can increase our heart rate and energy level, reducing our sleep.
By taking these tips into consideration, you can make sure that the next sleep you get is of good quality. Bad sleep will be gone!
Sleep Well, Feel Good, Run Strong!