Are you struggling with your sleep cycle? It’s ironic how people promote sleep deprivation for hustle culture when better sleep is the most important part of one’s lifestyle. Proper rest ensures a healthy body as well as mind. Not getting enough sleep can make you feel sluggish during the day while oversleeping can make you feel tired. Apart from this, lack of sleep can also lead to various heart diseases, high blood pressure, diabetes, and many more such lifestyle diseases. Research has proved that lack of it hampers the human ability to concentrate, thus affecting productivity levels. Hence, you need to avoid being a night owl to ward off such issues and live a quality life.
There can be a lot of reasons for getting insufficient sleep, and most of them are treatable by making the right lifestyle choices. So, here in this article, you will see why sleep plays such an important role in your daily life and get practical tips that will help you to sleep better.
Why Sleep Is Important
Before you try out methods for effective sleep, you must understand why a proper sleep schedule is important for your health. As per various research, sleep has proven to have a significant effect on your brain health, heart health, metabolism, hormones as well as on the immune system. Healthy amounts of sleep can help in refreshing your mind to boost your attention levels whenever needed. It helps your brain to relax yet works continuously in processing your thoughts and storing memories. Thus, lack of sleep leads to impaired memory, increased stress, deteriorated communication skills, and slowing cognition. This makes it pretty clear if you don’t get enough sleep it can degrade your quality of life crucially.
The recommended amount of sleep for various ages is as follows:
- Newborns: 14 to 17 hours
- Infants: 12 to 15 hours
- Teens: 8 to 10 hours
- Adults: 7 to 9 hours
The reason why younger age groups are advised more hours of sleep is due to the fact that during the initial stages of life, the brain is still developing. And, longer sleep ensures that all the functions required for adequate growth are carried out in the most effective way.
Role of Nutrition
Sleep is one of the pillars of a healthy lifestyle, thus naturally has a strong connection with what you eat. An adequate amount of nutrition can help in sleeping better. Studies suggest that the type of diet you are following can influence your sleep quality as well as quantity strongly. Therefore, it is essential to focus on consuming nutrition-rich meals.
Banana, Kiwi, Chamomile, Tart cherries, Pistachios, pumpkin pie/spice, turkey, peanut butter, chickpeas, oats, walnuts, avocado, and lavender tea stimulates sleep and provide a good amount of nutrition.
Tips to Get Better Sleep
Now we get to the part where you can find practical and most effective tips, and help you reap the benefits that come with a good sleep schedule!
In the Morning
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Maintain a Wakeup Routine
As soon as you wake up drink a glass of water. Start your day by going for a workout or meditating and try to have a healthy breakfast option.
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Take in the Sunshine
Studies suggest, going for a morning walk or a sunbath to acquire Vitamin D can stimulate a good sleeping rhythm.
In the Afternoon
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Limit Caffeine Consumption
Excessive caffeine intake causes sleep deprivation by blocking the sleep-promoting chemicals in the brain and disrupting the cycle. Avoiding caffeine at least 6 hours before sleep can also help in falling asleep better.
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Avoid daytime naps
Avoid heavy meals that cause sleepiness during the day, as they can worsen the night routine for people who already have troubled sleeping patterns.
At Night
The perfect bedtime routine consists of putting away your phone, listening to relaxing music that soothes your soul or reading a peaceful book, and positively writing a gratitude journal! Let’s see what all habits can help you fall asleep quickly.
Create a Sleeping Ritual
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Aromatherapy
Certain scents are known to help your brain relax better. There are a variety of essential oils available to choose from and they can be used in a number of ways, primarily by applying to certain parts of the body or using in diffusers. These can help you in falling asleep quickly as well as improve sleep quality.
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Bedtime Yoga
Bedtime yoga can be helpful when you need to let go of stress and just relax to sleep better. You can try poses like the Child’s pose, Butterfly stretch, and Corpse pose to relax your body and get ready for a good night’s rest.
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Warm Shower
Taking a warm water bath half an hour before sleeping can improve your body’s temperature and signal your brain that it’s time to fall asleep.
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Limit Use of Gadgets
It is evident how using electronic gadgets at night can affect both your physical as well as mental health. Actively using your phone while in bed can delay your sleep and lead to disturbed sleeping patterns.
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Practice 10 minutes of meditation
Just like yoga, practicing meditation can help your body feel better and relaxed. You can try guided meditations or even just breath in and out at a slower pace and experience calmness in your body. This can help you avoid staying awake due to stress or overthinking.
Daily Habits for Better Sleep
- Try to get up at the same time every day, even on weekends. This will create a schedule for your body and naturally improve your nap routine.
- Clean up a bit and make your bed. Even just having a tidy bed with clean sheets can help in sleeping better at night.
- Enjoy a hearty, nutritious breakfast. It is best to eat larger meals in the morning and smaller ones just before bed. A warm glass of milk is recommended as it contains tryptophan, which acts as a natural sleep inducer.
Conclusion
There are ample reasons to prioritize proper rest, it helps in maintaining your health, minimizing the risk of obesity and weight gain, good physical performance, and high immunity. Your learning capacity can also enhance by sleeping better as it facilitates concentration, decision-making, and creativity.
The tips mentioned in this article will help you in finding a suitable sleeping schedule and thus improve your overall health. Let us know your thoughts and comments down below.