Did you know that lack of sleep impacts not just your mental state, but your physical health as well? In today’s world, it’s easy to become overwhelmed with activities and thoughts that can keep you up well past a sensible bed time. Here are five easy tips to help get your sleep back on track!
1. Go to bed and wake up at a similar time every day.
Creating a regular sleeping pattern helps your body regulate when to get tired. This is particularly useful if you have trouble with insomnia. The catch? It means not sleeping in on weekends!
2. Create a sleepy environment.
This doesn’t mean finding a bunch of people nodding off in an airport lounge. It means dimming the lights, removing distractions like phones and computers and setting the thermostat to a comfortable temperature. This will help your body and mind wind down for sleep.
3. No more midnight snacks.
It’s important not to go to bed on an empty stomach or an over-stuffed one. Try to eat your dinner a few hours before bedtime, but if you’re starving, have a light snack so your grumbly belly won’t keep you up. You might also want to limit your fluid intake near bedtime to avoid waking up in the night for trips to the bathroom!
4. Dial down the stress.
In today’s mile-a-second world, this can be much easier said than done. But it’s important to find ways to manage unavoidable stress so that it doesn’t keep you up at night. Organize your time during the day, keep a pen and paper next to the bed to jot down any tasks that pop into your head, and try relaxation strategies like meditation or a warm bath if you still feel stressed.
5. Exercise – but not too late.
Exercising regularly is a great way to help your body relax and to work off some of the stress that can interfere with sleep patterns. Don’t exercise too late in the day, however, because it tends to make you more alert.
These are a few easy changes that can make a huge difference, not only to how you feel at night, but to how you feel the rest of the time as well. Give them a try!
READY TO CLIMB
Thank you for the great tips on sleeping. As live with chronic pain very hard to fall asleep & to stay asleep.