In times such as now, when stress levels are high, it’s often very troubling to get to sleep. For people of all ages, the seemingly simple task of sleeping is actually quite difficult. No matter how hard you try, you can’t seem to float away into the darkness of your mind. In this article, I will explain some simple tips to get better and more fulfilling sleep.
Why is Sleep Important?
It’s common knowledge that getting more and better sleep gives you better health, but how does it really help you? First of all, sleep helps your brain function properly. I’m sure most people reading this article have woken up after a few hours of sleep and feel terrible. The lack of sleep causing this harms certain parts of the brain, which affects your emotions, and decisions. Also, sleep gives your physical body benefits as well. Aside from resting your brain, sleep allows your muscles to heal and the repair of blood vessels. There are many other benefits of sleep, but those are the main ones to acknowledge.
Here are 4 Tips to Ensure Good Health During Sleep:
Tip 1: Make sure to get at least 7 hours of sleep a night!
I cannot stress enough the importance of sleeping at least 7 hours. Doctors all around the world stress the fact the 7 hours is the very minimum amount of sleep in order for your body to fully heal and adjust to the upcoming day.
Tip 2: Try to fall asleep and wake up at the same times everyday
By having a good routine sleep schedule, it allows your body’s personal internal alarm clock to set for that specific time and wake you up. Doing this makes it so when you need to wake up, your body is prepared, and no internal functions will be disrupted.
Tip 3: If you’re going to nap, set specific times
Even if you’re sleepy from being sleep deprived, you should try not to have a non-scheduled nap unless you need to. Similar to sleeping and waking up the same times a day, napping can also be worked into your schedule. By molding napping into your schedule, you can be sure to not feel terrible after those as well, even if the nap is short.
Tip 4: Keep your exposure to light a minimum before sleeping (that means your phone!)
In order to feel what we call “sleepy”, we need to be in the dark, as darkness allows the brain to secrete melatonin, which allows us to sleep. When you look at an electronic device too much before sleeping, you will find you are unable to immediately sleep, no matter how tired you are. This is because in light, the brain does not secrete melatonin, making it very hard to fall asleep.
Tip 5: Be smart on eating before sleep
Although it may be common knowledge, doctors all over the world say to not drink caffeine before bed. Many people think that caffeine has short term effects, but the actual effects can last up to 12 hours after drinking. Other things to avoid are big meals, alcohol, and nicotine, which all affect your nightly rest.
Sources for more information:
- https://www.helpguide.org/articles/sleep/getting-better-sleep.htm
- https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/sleep-deprivation-and-deficiency#:~:text=Sleep%20plays%20an%20important%20role,pressure%2C%20diabetes%2C%20and%20stroke.
