Terri Ramsey Beavers If you’re in search of a better night’s rest, one of the best things you can do is to stop using caffeine. The effects of caffeine are quite long-lasting and it can stay in your body for as many as 8 hours or even more. As a result, if you drink a cup of coffee in the evening, you may find yourself awake in the night and unable to sleep. It is best that you avoid drinking any coffee or ingesting anything that contains caffeine at least five to seven hours before you intend to go to bed.
Next, you shouldn’t use alcohol to sleep. Even though alcohol may make you fall asleep, it doesn’t cause high-quality sleep and you will find that your sleep is interrupted. Even as little as one drink before bed can cause poor quality sleep and make you wake up at odd hours throughout the night.
Thirdly, you should avoid stress as much as possible and try to relax before you go to bed. Stress is the enemy of sleep and you should try to de-stress from your day before bedtime. It is best to create a bedtime ritual that will help you to get rid of daily stress which can take as little time as 10 minutes to an hour.
One way to reduce stress is to make a list of all those things that are currently stressing you as well as how you intend on resolving them. When you create this list and then do your bedtime ritual, it will help to reduce your stress and improve your sleep quality. Some of the things you can do for your bedtime ritual include meditating, stretching, aromatherapy, taking a warm bath, and much more.
Next, you should try to exercise on a daily basis as this can help you to sleep better at night. However, you need to properly time your exercise so that it has a positive effect on your sleep. In the event that you typically become quite energetic after exercising, then you should exercise in the morning or mid-day and not the evening. There is even a study that shows that exercising in the morning leads to better sleep and relief from insomnia.
Additionally, you should make sure that your bedroom is comfortable, dark, and quiet enough for you to sleep comfortably. This is especially true if you’re one of those people where the slightest noise or light causes sleep disturbances. Therefore, you should make sure to use earplugs as well as dark curtains or window blinds. If you live in a hot climate, you should also use an air conditioner to make sure your room is comfortable and conducive to sleep. The best temperature is between 68 and 72 degrees Fahrenheit. make sure your mattress is comfortable, look at these Denver Mattress reviews to find the best one for you. In the event that you have to get up during the night, use a night light instead of the overhead light.
Lastly, make sure that your eating schedule is conducive to your sleep. You should not try to sleep while hungry but you should not eat heavy meals right before bed as well. There are specific foods that can help you to sleep such as milk which has tryptophan which helps most people to sleep better. There are many other foods that actually help sleep and these include potatoes, bananas, pumpkin, tuna, avocados, eggs, peaches, walnuts, asparagus, buckwheat, artichokes, almonds, and more.