How to get a better rest at night?
Are you getting enough sleep at night?
Do you have problems falling asleep or staying asleep?
Are you tired of tossing and turning at night?
Sleeping quality affects your mental as well as physical health.
However, many of us regularly toss and turn at night, struggling to get the sleep we need.
Unhealthy daytime habits and lifestyles can lead to sleeping difficulties at night and adversely affect your mood and health.
By experimenting with the following tips, you can enjoy better sleep at night and feel vital during the day.
Tip 1: Follow a routine sleep schedule. Setting regular bedtimes and wake times can help your body fall into a more natural sleeping pattern. Aim to get around eight hours of sleep per night.
Tip 2: Skip caffeinated drinks like coffee and other stimulants or finish your last cup before noon.
Tip 3: Save hard exercise for the morning or early afternoon hours. Vigorous exercise before bed may raise your adrenaline levels and even your body temperature which cause you even harder to sleep.
Tip 4: Be smart about napping. Although taking naps are a great way to make up for a lack of sleep, they can make things worse if you’re having trouble falling asleep at night. It’s recommended to limit naps to 15 to 20 minutes in the early afternoon.
Tip 5: Start your day with a healthy breakfast. Eating a balanced breakfast helps to sync up your biological clock by letting your body know that it’s time to wake up and get going. Skipping breakfast on the other hand, delays your blood sugar rhythms, lowers your energy levels, and increases your stress, which may disrupt your sleep.
Tip 6: Avoid big meals at night. Try to have dinner earlier in the evening, and avoid heavy, rich foods within two hours of bed. Spicy or acidic foods can cause stomach problem and heartburn.
Tip 7: Avoid alcohol before bed. While a alcohol intakes may help you relax, it interferes with your sleep cycle.
Tip 8: Avoid drinking too many liquids in the evening. Large amount of fluid intake may result in frequent bathroom trips throughout the night.
Tip 9: A deep breathing exercise helps you sleep. It activates the relaxation response and lowers your heart rate, blood pressure, and stress levels to help you drift off to sleep.
Tip 10: Improve your sleep environment. A comfortable setting is important for a dreamy night’s sleep. Keep your room dark, cool, and quiet. A bedroom that is too hot or too cold can interfere with quality sleep.
Tip 11: Make sure your bed is comfortable. Make sure you have enough room to stretch and turn comfortably on your bed. If you often experience a backache or neck stiffness waking up in the morning, you may need to experiment with different levels of mattress firmness that provide different support.
Tip 12: Reserve your bed for sleeping. Try to avoid watching TV, working, or using your phone, tablet, or computer in bed. Let your brain associate the bedroom with just sleep, which makes it easier to wind down at night.
It is important to have your head elevated properly when sleeping on the back. This will help to avert any acid reflux distress. With the head raised, gravity allows for the stomach to sit below the oesophagus, keeping any acid from food coming up to the throat to cause discomfort.
Make sure all the pressure points in the body are equally supported. You will want a firm mattress that allows the cradling of all points of the body resting on the surface. Consider adding a mattress topper to a very firm mattress, or to top an older bed.
Although researchers have found that sleeping on the back is the best for back pain, adding a rolled pillow behind the knees, to assure that your spine lies flat against the mattress, will help to prevent lower back pain.
Research shows that sleeping on your back may lead to snoring, difficulty breathing, and an overall bad night’s sleep. Is your snoring keeping someone awake at night? Try flipping over—you’ll both wake up more refreshed.
1. Sleep on your side with a pillow between your knees
2. Sleep on your side in the foetal position
3. Sleep on your stomach with a pillow under your abdomen
4. Sleep on your back with a pillow under your knees
5. Sleep on your back in a reclined position
Remember: Keeping proper alignment of your spine is the most important key regardless of your sleeping position. You may notice gaps between your body and the bed that strain your muscles and spine. You can reduce this stress by using pillows to fill the gaps.
Be careful while turning in bed as you may get out of alignment during twisting and turning. Always move your entire body together, keeping your core tight and pulled in. You may even find it helpful to bring your knees toward your chest as you roll over.
How to look after your bed for years to come?
We have some helpful tips for mattress care