We all look ahead for a beautiful new year and make resolutions to be a better version of ourselves. While a majority of us add meditation, exercise and a healthy diet to the list, we often fail to incorporate better sleep in it. Getting good sleep is vital for maintaining an ideal body and mind functioning. A lack of it can invite various physical and mental health issues.
Although the concept of getting baby-like sleep every day might seem tough, it is, however, not the case. By adopting some changes in your lifestyle, you can soon get your healthy dose of sleep
- Go to Bed On-Time
This is essentially the starting step for getting the right amount of sleep. Following a fixed sleep schedule helps you to quickly doze off as your body loves sticking to a routine. Studies have shown that people who had irregular sleeping times reported poor sleep and consequently, bad health. Try to sleep and wake up on time and you will soon see a tremendous improvement in your sleep quality. Besides that, you won’t be needing an alarm to wake up after a while.
- Get Enough Sunlight
When our bodies are exposed to sunlight, there is a release of a chemical called Serotonin. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that regulates everything from mood to sleep in the human body. Serotonin then gets converted into another chemical known as Melatonin which is responsible for inducing sleep. Hence sunlight act as one of the best medicine for insomniacs. Spend some time in the light outside for quickly falling asleep at night.
- Check Your Diet
Our body takes longer to digest processed and spicy foods. These types of foods can adversely impact our sleep cycle. Energy drinks and caffeine are also some of the worst beverages to consume before sleep, as they keep you charged up. Start eating almonds before sleep as this dry fruit is rich in magnesium, which is vital for inducing sleep. An ounce per serving before going to bed would be more than enough for an adult. If you are not a vegetarian, eat fishes rich in fatty acids as they are the best foods which beat chronic sleep deprivation, especially in kids.
- Clean Your Bedroom
Even though it might sound strange, keeping your bedroom neat and tidy helps a great deal in giving you a good night’s sleep. The clutters in your bed can cause discomfort that keeps you awake. Having a clean bed also prevents the chances of allergies and infections. Get rid of that extra pillows in your bed for having enough space while sleeping. By making your bed, you will soon get that refreshing slumber you were waiting for.
- Limit your alcohol and caffeine consumption
As mentioned above, caffeine is one of those beverages that disrupts the sleep cycle by delaying the timing of our body clock. Research showed that half of the adults in the United States consume caffeine up to 300 milligrams a day, 3 times higher than the world average.
Speaking about alcohol, it is dangerously mistaken as a sleeping aid by most people. While alcohol helps quickly to doze off, the quality of sleep is severely hampered. Alcohol also affects bodily chemicals that help to encourage sleep. Reduce the quota of both of these beverages for slowly curbing the dependency on them.
- Cut Back Smoking
Tobacco present in cigarettes is a highly addictive substance, which also leads to disturbance in sleep. Smoking is also known to cause sleep apnea, a disorder in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts, making you snore loudly.
Smoking is an addiction that is highly difficult to drop at once. There are great alternatives like vaping as e-cigarettes have the facility to vary the nicotine levels, which considerably reduces your dependency on it.
- Try Digital Detoxification
Gadgets are probably the number one cause of sleep deprivation in teenagers. The blue light emitted by laptop and mobile screens delay the release of melatonin, increasing alertness. One can try digital detoxification, which is a process where the user entirely shuns the use of digital devices. You shall be amazed by the effectiveness of this method. If you find it tough to keep your gadgets away for a long time, put them aside two or three hours before going to bed.
Sacrificing your sleep regularly is the worst thing you can do to your body. To be the stronger version of yourself, one should begin from taking care of his or her physical health. For building excellent physical health, getting 6-7 hours of proper sleep is the starting step towards it.
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