Do you depend on a big cup of coffee in order to get yourself out of bed? Are you struggling to keep your eyes open only hours after you wake up? If you can relate, you might be experiencing the ramifications of poor sleeping habits.
If you want to get better sleep and feel more energetic throughout the day, try implementing some of these habits to help you get a full night’s worth of rest.
1. Keep A Nighttime Routine
When you’re tired, it’s tempting to simply plop into bed and knock out. But keeping a strict nighttime regimen is a crucial (and often neglected) component of a good night’s sleep. The beginning of your routine lets your mind and body know that it’s time to start preparing for sleep. As you consistently engage with a nighttime routine, it will help you get in the habit of preparing yourself to truly rest.
2. Don’t Use Screens In Bed
Using devices in bed is a bad habit that most people have, and it can have detrimental effects on your sleep. The blue light of your screen prevents your brain from producing melatonin, the chemical responsible for inducing sleep. Over time, this can affect your sleep patterns and cause increased fatigue.
3. Limit Your Caffeine Intake
The length of time a cup of coffee stays in your system depends on various health factors, but its half-life averages at 5 hours. In order to make sure that you’re not too wired to sleep, stick to consuming caffeine in the morning. Studies have shown that intaking caffeine 6 hours prior to going to bed can reduce your total sleep time by an hour.
4. Make Time To Unwind
After enduring the commotion of a busy day, it’s important to give your body time to decompress. This can include relaxing your muscles with a warm bath or listening to some soothing music. There are also breathing exercises that you can perform in order to better prepare your body for proper sleep.
5. Think Positive Thoughts
It’s difficult to rest effectively when your mind is racing with thoughts. If you’re able to calm your mind, you’ll be much more likely to fall asleep quickly and have more pleasant dreams. As your head hits the pillow, try envisioning things that make you happy so that you can block out the negative thought patterns that will try to creep in and keep you awake.
6. Get Comfortable
If you want to fall asleep and stay asleep, be sure to get cozy! Throw on your favorite pair of sweatpants and snag the softest blanket out of your linen closet. Whatever you need to do, making it a point to get as comfortable as possible will help you drift into a much deeper sleep.
