How many people have you heard complain about how they only get four hours of sleep a night? In today’s fast-paced world and its love of the hustle culture, it can be all too easy for sleep to fall by the wayside. However, this is a big mistake. Sleep is crucial for both our mental and physical health, and we should be aiming for between seven and nine hours of shuteye a night. If that sounds impossible to you, don’t worry. This post will give you some great tips to help you drift off quickly and stay asleep throughout the night.
The importance of sleep
Before getting into the tips, it’s worth going over why sleep is so vital. Just like eating healthily and exercising regularly, getting plenty of good quality sleep is key for our wellbeing. It helps our brains and bodies to function at their best, leaving us feeling refreshed and recharged. Sleep is necessary for everything from productivity and concentration to coordination and speed. Not only that, it lowers our risk of a number of harmful medical conditions including heart disease, inflammation, and depression. That’s because sleep boosts both your mood and your immune system. So, how can you ensure you get enough of it?
How to get a good night’s sleep
If you find it difficult to either get to sleep or stay asleep, the following tips can help you out. Remember that some pieces of advice will work better for you than others, so do some experimentation and see what’s most effective for your personal circumstances:
- Keep your bedroom cool, dark, and quiet. You can achieve this with blackout curtains, double glazing, air conditioning, and a sleep mask. If you live in a noisy area, try playing a sleep story, white noise, or soothing music to help you drift off.
- If you suffer from hay fever or other allergies that leave you congested and make it harder to sleep, try using Mometasone spray or other medication to alleviate your symptoms.
- Stick to a regular sleep schedule, which means getting up at the same time every morning and going to bed at the same time every night—even on your days off! As soon as you wake up, get some sunlight on your skin to help set your body clock.
- Invest in a high-quality mattress, duvet, and pillows to ensure that you’re comfortable in bed. You should also avoid watching TV or working in bed.
- Exercise during the day, but don’t do high-intensity workouts too close to bedtime. Gentle exercise such as yoga, tai chi, or stretching is fine.
- Use calming scents such as lavender to relax you before sleep.
- If you nap, try to do so in the middle of the day or early afternoon, and only for around 20 minutes.
- Limit your caffeine intake and screen time before bed, as these can prevent you from sleeping. It’s also wise to avoid alcohol, because this will lower the quality of your sleep.
Wind down before going to bed by dimming the lights and reading, meditating, or doing some breathing exercises. These can help to lower your heart rate, clear your mind, and prime the body for relaxation and sleep.