If I asked you how well you slept last night what would you say? More often than not, the answer is always 'eh, not great. Do you have any tips on how to get better sleep?'
We know that getting a good night's sleep is one of the most important things we can do for our overall health and wellness, yet most of us still fail to take the proper steps to ensure we are getting the rest we really need each night! For that reason, I've put together a short, but effective list of the things I personally do to help get good, quality sleep that will help you tackle the tasks you'll be facing the next day.
TIP 1) Invest in some Blue-Light Blocking Glasses and use Night mode on Electronics!
Blue-Light Blocking Glasses have been a huge help for me especially when I need to be on my phone or computer before bedtime. No need to spend tons of money, just a solid reviewed pair off Amazon for no more than $25 will do the trick! Combine that with making use of the 'Night Mode' feature many devices have now. This mode basically makes the screen
more of a warmer tone eliminating some of the Blue light emitting from it.
TIP 2) Make an effort to lower your heart rate down to its resting state 1-2 hours before bed!
Opposite of what we want, an elevated heart rate will basically cause your body/mind to want to stay awake. Letting your heart rate come down to its resting state will not only relax you but will also ensure you're not doing anything too strenuous/stressful when it comes time to try and go to sleep.
TIP 3) Make sure your Dinner or Final snack/meal isn't too close to bedtime!
I have found that when I go to bed SLIGHTLY hungry or just about fully digested, my sleep that night is way more restful. This is most likely due to all the energy your body uses to digest food and when not tasked with digesting, it can finally relax and sleep. Since Carbs/Sugar is the primary energy source for humans, a high carbohydrate dinner right before bed, especially one with sugary/fast-digesting carbs, might also throw you off by waking you up and giving you an energy boost before bed. NOTE: This method is to not be confused with the FALSE claims that consuming calories before going to bed leads to fat gain. Calories before bed will NOT lead to gaining extra fat...
TIP 4) Make sure your room is very dark and cool!
Try to make the room as cold as you can (65-68deg F is solid) and block or fully remove any ambient lights from electronics or other devices within the room so there isn't any way those lights can get in your eyes while trying to sleep! Also investing in a good pair of blinds/light-blocking curtains to keep morning sunlight out will also be very helpful.
TIP 5) Use the bathroom before going to bed!
It might sound obvious, but if your someone who finds themself up in the middle of the night needing to use the bathroom, do your best to make an effort to use it right before going to sleep. This way your sleep rhythm isn't disrupted by having to get up. Limiting liquids a few hours prior to going to bed is a great idea.
TIP 6) Try to create some form of 'White Noise'!
This can be anything from a ceiling fan to a speaker playing some type of relaxing, low-tone music to help you get to sleep faster. There are tons of apps out there for this, just be sure it isn't too loud that it keeps you up instead.
TIP 7) Limit Alcohol!
A casual drink won't affect you much at all, however, after a long night of drinking you're more than likely not going to bed at a decent hour. And when going to sleep with alcohol in your system, your body doesn't fully enter all the proper stages of sleep. This means that if you're an avid gym-goer, you are missing out on important recovery time that your body needs!
TIP 8) Use your bed strickly for a Place to Sleep
Some will watch TV, use their phone or do some sort of work rather than try and go right to sleep when getting into bed. If you can do it, rather than use your bed as a place for work/TV, try to go into bed only when you're ready to actually sleep.
TIP 9) Use a Sleep Tracker
