Sleep is one of the most critical parts of your health, alongside your diet and proper exercise. However, it’s alarming how many Americans suffer from problems with their sleep. Science Daily mentions that one in four Americans develop insomnia every year, with up to 75% of them recovering. These numbers are staggering, but they underline a severe problem with society’s focus on adequate sleep. While some Americans can visit clinics to help them many of us are left to fend for ourselves. The British NHS mentions that lack of proper sleep can potentially lead to complications like high blood pressure and diabetes. To help those who are suffering, here are five ways to sleep better.
1. Minimize the Light and Sound Within your Bedroom
Lights and sound both play a part in activating our brains. This is the opposite of what you want when you’re looking for a good night’s sleep. Darkness allows your brain to release melatonin, which carries you off to dreamland. The best way to prevent lights and sounds from impacting your sleep is to leave them out of the bedroom or shut them down after a particular time.
2. Comfort is King
Being comfortable when you’re ready to sleep is a crucial part of drifting off. Set your thermostat to a comfortable level, since being too cold or too hot will keep you awake. Ideally, it would help if you dropped it a few degrees since your core body temperature will naturally fall as you fall asleep. A cooler room will aid in the sleeping process.
3. Destress
Stress can hurt your brain’s ability to relax. When pressure turns into worry or anxiety, it can lead to hours remaining awake. Stress management techniques such as stress balls and medication can help you to bring those levels down to a more manageable point.
4. Set Up a Routine
It’s vital to have a routine set up for your sleep. When you were younger, as Dr. Krueger Sleep & Sinus Clinic explains, you may have thought that you didn’t need to develop a bedtime, but as you get older, proper sleep is necessary if you want to function well. The human body loves to work in cycles, and setting up a bedtime taps into this subconscious evolutionary directive, allowing us to fall asleep more easily at a given time.
5. Don’t Make Yourself Stay in Bed
If you find yourself lying in bed, tossing and turning, you might benefit more from getting out of bed. Do something that relaxes you naturally, like meditation or drinking a cup of tea. Eventually, you’ll be able to get to sleep.
Sleeping Is More Important Than You Think
These methods can help you relax and set the stage for proper sleep. Sleeping well helps your body refresh itself and is a significant part of remaining healthy as you get older. We’re no longer teenagers, and staying up late isn’t helping our bodies at all. This responsibility is one we need to take on for our own health and well-being.