6 Tips To Help You Sleep Better Night After Night

It used to happen all so effortlessly: You’d waft into dreamland literally within seconds of hitting the sheets. But now you consider yourself lucky if you manage to sleep more than a couple of hours on any given night. When did such an easy task suddenly turn into an elusive quest?

Well, you’ve come to the right place. The following tips will help you get better sleep every single night.

Cut Down on Coffee/Stimulants

Nothing better rouses your mind like a cup of coffee during breakfast. And like most people, you probably drink a few more at work to keep you going through the day. Could this be the culprit behind your sleep troubles? You bet!

See, caffeine is said to have a half life of 3 to 7 hours. That means for any amount you take during the day, a fraction will still be in your system when bedtime arrives. You don’t want this to be so high that it interferes with your body’s slumber mechanisms. Make an effort to limit your consumption of coffee, tea, soda, and other caffeinated beverages; particularly after lunch hour.

Experts also recommend refraining from nicotine, alcohol and other stimulants close to one’s bedtime. These substances will either lower your sleep quality or prevent you from falling asleep altogether.

Avoid Late-Night Heavy Meals

Eating heavy meals just before hitting the sack is generally a recipe for disaster. Digestion is an energy-intensive process, and your body will strive to remain awake until its complete. And depending on the kinds of food you ate, issues like bloating and heartburn are bound to follow — which only makes it more difficult to catch some shut-eye.

Save yourself the ordeal by having dinner around 3 hours before your planned bedtime. Try snacking on sleep-conducive foods like almonds, bananas, or oatmeal if you feel peckish in the meantime.

Have a Consistent Sleep Schedule

Notice how we recommended planning mealtimes around your scheduled bedtime in the previous point? Turns out that your body has an internal clock for all these things! And this clock needs consistency to be able to function properly.

Consistency means going to bed and waking up at similar times each day. Even on weekends, holidays, and other instances when it’s tempting to over-indulge; avoid varying your sleep/wake times by more than half an hour. Once your body is fully accustomed to this routine, falling asleep will no longer be an uphill battle. And neither will waking up in the morning — you might not even need alarms for that anymore. Sticking to a familiar schedule will also improve your sleep quality. Your body basically synchronizes all processes to avoid interference, consequently making it easier to stay sleeping.

To help you adopt the most suitable sleep schedule, start by figuring out your ideal wake-up time on a regular day. Subtracting the recommended 7.5 – 8 hours of slumber will give you the best time to get in bed.

Establish a Pre-Bed Routine

Being able to fall asleep at the same time each day isn’t as difficult as you might think. The key is to wind down your body and mind; do away with the day’s stresses/excitement and put yourself in the right position to catch some slumber.

Your relaxation routine starts off once you’ve wrapped up on the day’s activities. Start off with a warm bath to help your body settle into an ideal temperature. You could then spend the rest of the evening reading a book, listening to soothing music, meditating, or partaking any other ritual you like. Resist the urge to do anything that might invite stress, like checking your email. For that matter, it’s best to avoid electronic devices altogether.

That’s because electronics give off blue light, which essentially stimulates your eyes similar to how caffeine does your body. Blue light tricks your mind that it needs to be awake and alert at just about the worst time, which prevents you from drifting into slumber. Do yourself a favor and banish these gadgets from your pre-sleep routine.

Wear Bluelight Glasses During the Day

It could be that you’re still unable to fall asleep even after adopting a pre-bedtime routine. That’s probably because you’re still exposed to the blue light emanating from your light fixtures and other external sources. What you need is a good pair of blue-light-filtering glasses.

Like the name indicates, these glasses are designed to shield your eyes from the problematic wavelengths of light. Putting them on after dusk each evening will minimize the interference caused by these wavelengths. Grab a pair today and give yourself the chance to catch some Zzzs!

Optimize Your Sleep Environment

Have you ever noticed that you tend to sleep better in hotels, or other places away from your own home? Well, it’s time you started paying more attention to your habitat! Let’s start with your bed; how sleep-friendly is it really? Does it squeak, creak, or sag awkwardly when you lie down? Get a more supportive one. Consider upgrading your mattress and the rest of your bedding while you’re at it. You’re gonna spend at least one third of each day in your sleep environment — it’s only proper that you make it as conducive as it can be.