Has anyone else been having this issue with not being able to get a great night’s sleep lately? For me, it seems that since we gained an hour of sleep back on November 7th, I’ve been sleeping like crap most of the time.
Getting enough sleep is vital for your body and brain to function at their best. Many crucial processes take place in your sleep, yet many people struggle to get enough rest. As well as impacting your health, a lack of sleep can also have a damaging effect on your mood and wellbeing. Being unable to get to sleep and stay asleep can be frustrating, and you may feel stressed the following day. When being unable to sleep becomes a persistent problem, this can have a more significant impact on your daily life and escalate into a deeper issue. Knowing how to address your sleep problems and improve the amount of sleep you get and its quality is vital to help you feel at your best.
How Much Sleep Do You Need?
Some people say they only need a few hours of sleep each night, and they can function perfectly well the next day. However, this goes against the recommendations for the optimal amount of sleep needed to be healthy. How much sleep you need varies by your age, but experts recommend that adults get at least seven hours of sleep per night. If you are struggling to get anywhere near this amount of sleep, you should find the tips below to help you get a better night’s rest:
- Turn Off the Tech
While technology has many benefits, it is not helpful when trying to get to sleep. In a world where you can be contacted at any time, it can be hard to switch off and relax. Using your cell phone or other devices before bed impacts your ability to sleep in two ways. Firstly, using tech before bed makes you feel alert and awake. Secondly, back-lit devices such as tablets and phones emit blue light. This blue light interferes with your body’s sleep hormone, melatonin, by suppressing it. Suppressing melatonin means you don’t feel tired and ready to sleep, so your natural sleep cycle is altered.
While this may be “technically” true … I am one of those individuals that absolutely cannot sleep in a completely quiet and dark bedroom. I just cannot. So my television plays 24/7, turned down low so you can barely hear it, but it helps me fall right to sleep. Is that just me or is there anyone else like that?
- Stay Away From Caffeine
When you struggle to sleep, you may find you consume lots of caffeine the following day to help you stay awake. However, sipping on coffee throughout the day can exacerbate your sleep problems and make it harder to fall asleep at night. Avoiding caffeine after lunch should help minimize the impact it has on your sleep. Choosing a soothing drink, such as milk or a malt-based beverage, could help get you ready for bed. Some people also include CBD products in their bedtime routine, such as the ones shown here, as they find them a helpful way to relax and get some rest.
- Get Comfortable
If the set-up in your room is not comfortable, it can make your sleep problems worse. A room that is too hot or cold, or has too much light shining through the window, can make falling asleep even more challenging. So, it may be worth making adjustments in your bedroom to help you feel comfortable enough to fall asleep and get a full night’s rest.
Always at a loss of sleep and always looking for ways to get some sleep. Thank you for these suggestions and hints.
Great tips for helping get better sleep. I wake up often at night, maybe some of these tips will help! Especially the caffeine one!