Ever struggle to sleep at night? Now is the time to have a good night’s sleep. I didn’t appreciate good sleep in secondary school when we observed lights out. I considered it a punishment, being forced to sleep and wake up at a particular time as I was in a boarding house.
There were times when sleeping wasn’t an issue for me. Once I got into bed, I was off, with no trouble finding sleep, but I guess now it has to do with age. (Thinking out loud.) As we grow older, we have many things on our plates.
Now, I know better than to take my bedtime for granted. Once it’s 9:30 p.m.–10:00 p.m., I hear my bed calling me. I hope yours does, too.
The Benefit of a Good Night Sleep
Having a good night’s sleep is vital to our health and well-being. It helps regulate our hormones. Do you know that it helps maintain body weight, lower blood pressure, and reduce anxiety? Okay, now you know. Oh yeah, you are welcome.
Just imagine a day without sleep. It won’t kill you, but you feel the impact on your body, such as lack of concentration or headache. So, depriving yourself of a good night’s sleep can be unhealthy. We all need that rest to function well.
Sleep can improve your mood if you’re stressed, worried, or not in a good mood. You might want to give it a try.
How To Sleep Better At Night
Creating “your” bedtime routine is vital for better sleep. It could be picking a specific time to go to bed, taking a warm bath or shower before bed, brushing and personal hygiene, or reading a book. Anything that helps you get a quicker shut-eye. I hope you find these tips helpful.
1. Room Ambience
Try to ensure your room is as calming as possible. Room temperature plays a vital role in going to sleep. When we settle into our beds at night, our body temperature decreases compared to the daytime.
According to a sleep advisor, sleeping in a cool room improves sleep quality and makes you fall asleep quicker.
Depending on the room temperature, you might want to open the window or use a fan or air conditioner. I usually open the windows for a few minutes just before I get into bed.
Your mattress and pillow can affect your sleep, so ensure your bed is comfortable to avoid tossing at night.
Not to forget the lights; I can’t sleep with the lights on. Sleeping with the lights on has been linked to depression, according to Healthline. Try sleeping with your lights off, and thank me later.
2. Late-night meals
You should consider the type of food and timing because eating late can disrupt your sleep. The lighter the food, the better.
3. Taking naps late in the afternoons or evenings
Napping can boost our mood and reduce stress and all that good stuff, but taking naps late afternoon or evening can affect our ability to sleep at night when we most need it. So, as tempting as it may be, try to avoid it.
4. Consumption of caffeine late at night
We all know how satisfying coffee can be after a sip which could be. The same feeling you get when you take caffeine during the day (buzzing) is the same way you get when you take it at night, so you might want to limit it to the early hours of the day. The effect of excessive caffeine at night could be insomnia.
5. Meditation
I try to practice mindfulness whenever I struggle to sleep, as it’s been shown to promote healthy sleep, according to Mindful. I close my eyes and try to concentrate from my feet upwards. You can search for videos on YouTube on how to practice mindfulness.
6. Keep that phone away
Yeah, that’s right! We’re all guilty of checking our phones before bed.
Anytime I put my phone away to get into sleep mode, it beeps, and then I get tempted to check one last time. It drags on for a lot longer than anticipated, So you might want to put that phone on silent or put it far from arm’s reach so you are not tempted to take a sneak peek.
On a lighter note
We all need good sleep.
What say you?
What is your bedtime routine? I’d love to know your tips for better sleep.
Good night!
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Adelayo Adenike Banjo says
My bedtime routine includes switching off the lights and putting my phone away. I miss the days I could sleep from night until noon.
Fadila says
Hi Adelayo, I’m glad you can relate with these tips.#Team switch off the lights
I need to learn to keep my phone away 😂
It can be hard but just try putting it away for the night. Take it one step at a time.