The scientific consensus is strong on this one; getting enough good quality sleep, along with exercise, is the single most important thing you can do for your health. This is because not getting enough sleep can lead to a whole host of health risks, from an increased likelihood of heart disease and cancer, all the way to a heightened risk of developing mental health issues.
On the flip side, regular, good quality sleep can help you feel fit and healthy, each and every day. If you’re keen to get the best sleep of your life, here are six simple habits to adopt.
Six Simple Habits That Can Help You Get Better Sleep
Avoid Electronics Before Bed
While your ritual of watching back-to-back episodes of Masterchef on Netflix may seem to help you fall asleep, opting for an audiobook may be a better option for high-quality shut eye.
The blue light emitted from the television can interfere with melatonin release, making your sleep less effective, and the same goes for your phone. Moreover, it stimulates the brain, which causes further difficulty sleeping. In contrast, audiobooks can be listened to in the darkness.
Alternatively, avoid using electronic devices completely. Instead, read a book to relax and induce sleep. Reading can help you fall asleep faster.
Make Your Bed Every Morning
Yep. Making your bed may improve your sleep quality. As reported by Architectural Digest, “A poll conducted by the National Sleep Foundation found that people who make their bed in the morning are 19 percent more likely to have a good night’s sleep, every night.”
That said, if your bed isn’t comfy to start with, chances are you’re not going to get a good night’s kip.
So how do you make your bed comfy? Start by considering your bed frame height and bed dimensions. According to Feng Shui experts, the height of your bed can determine the quality of your sleep. Indeed, if your bed height is too short, then the flow of energy may become blocked, which in turn prevents you from getting a good night’s rest.
On the other hand, if your bed frame is too tall, you’re exposed and therefore vulnerable to high levels of energy, which makes for a restless night full of tossing and turning.
For more tips on how to make your bed comfy, let us direct you to our article on 6 tips for achieving that 5 star hotel bed at home this summer.
Watch What You Eat and Drink Before Bed
Drinking too much alcohol can disturb your sleeping cycle, so limit your liquid intake in the evening. This will also help you avoid frequent trips to the bathroom.
Don’t stop there; by avoiding late dinners, caffeine, and fatty and spicy food before bed, you can decrease your risk of a disturbed sleep, too. This is because all of these factors can affect your quality of sleep.
Maintain A Proper Routine
We are creatures of habit, make no mistake, and never is this truer than when considering our bedtime routine. This is because your brain’s production of the sleep hormone melatonin relies on predictability and routine.
The hormone melatonin is crucial to the sleep-wake cycle. When it’s dark, your brain starts to release melatonin, which readies your body for sleep. By getting yourself ready for bed in a timely manner, dimming the lights and getting your room to the correct temperature, your brain starts to prepare itself for sleep.
On a more chemical level, darkness prompts the pineal gland to start producing melatonin, facilitating a transition to sleep and promotes consistent, quality rest.
Cut Back On Naps
Hey, we all love a nap, and sometimes, it’s necessary. But everything in moderation, as they say, and this certainly applies to catching a few minutes of sleep in the middle of the day. A longer siesta on the sofa can have detrimental effects on your sleep at night, make no mistake.
Indeed, it’s all about the length of your nap, here. According to the Sleep Foundation, a nap of between ten to twenty minutes shouldn’t pose any problems. But they caution that any more than that could cause problems with your sleep cycle. This is particularly true for naps taken after 2 pm, which ‘’may affect your ability to fall asleep at a reasonable time later that night, potentially disrupting your nocturnal sleep cycle’’.
If you are going to nap, follow the expert’s advice; keep it short and do it early.
Harness The Power Of TikTok
No, don’t look at TikTok late into the night! That’s not what we’re suggesting. You know by now how bad that blue light can be for your sleep quality. Instead, we’ll point you in the direction these top Tiktok sleep tips for the best sleep, as the popular social media and video sharing platform has revealed some real gems in recent months.
The Bottom Line
If you’re looking for ways to get a better night’s sleep, we hope you’ve found our suggestions useful. Now, put that phone down and banish that blue light!