Sleeping is an autonomous instinct. Much like feeling the need to breathe or to eat, everybody at some point will feel the need to sleep. Not enough of it leaves us feeling groggy and exhausted. But even though sleep is such a core part of daily wellness and even survival, many have trouble achieving the quantity and quality necessary to be at 100%. Below are three tips for a consistently better sleep.
Schedule
The human body likes routine. Setting a schedule where you consciously dictate the time that you go to bed and the number of hours you sleep for will eventually make the process second nature: at first going to bed and getting up at the same time every day will be a chore, but soon it will be instinct. Most people don’t need any more than 8 hours to be 100%, so try and get to bed early enough to log enough sleep to be at your best.
If it’s difficult to sleep at will or if you take a while to hit dreamland, experts recommend getting up and leaving your bedroom to do something relaxing. Read a book or meditate, then return to bed when you’re tired.
Diet
Avoid extremes before bed: you don’t want to be stuffed or hungry when you hit the hay. Discomfort on either side of the spectrum can keep you up.
Stimulants like caffeine and nicotine should be avoided too. There’s a reason we drink coffee in the morning and not at night. Even an afternoon cup of joe can keep you tossing and turning come bedtime.
Environment
Put your phone down. Turn off the TV. Close your laptop. The blue light that these devices emit trick our brains into thinking it’s still daytime and therefore not yet time to sleep. For most, the darker and more restful the environment the better. Consider some darker shades on your windows or a noise machine to block out anything that may keep you awake.