Who doesn’t want to “sleep like a baby”? But in today’s high paced living and an equally stressful lifestyle, this seems a pretty distant thought.
Six Things To Ensure A Good Night’s Sleep
All that running around, meeting deadlines, untimely food habits, working long hours, (some times in shifts) takes a toll not only on our health but on your sleeping pattern as well.
Obviously you can’t change work culture but can definitely incorporate some minor, easy to follow and practical steps to ensure a better night’s sleep.
Create a Comfortable Sleep Environment: A comfortable and cozy sleeping area is pivotal in determining the quality of your sleep. Your bed should have enough space for you to stretch and roll over.
The mattress, pillows and other bedding objects should be of good quality to enable proper support. Extremely soft or hard beds can cause cramp in your back and neck.
During night, your bedroom should have soft lighting rather than harsh ones. Too much of noise in and around the room can also make it difficult for you to fall asleep. Proper ventilation and a comfortable room temperature should also be maintained.
Develop a Relaxing Bedtime Routine: Even after a hectic day at work, make an effort to relax and unwind before bedtime. Set a daily routine before going to bed, such as reading a light book, listening to some soft music (in low volume), having a cup of lukewarm milk or saying a small prayer. A consistent and relaxing routine before sleeping will send signals to your brain that it is time for your slumber.
Make sure this routine should not include watching television as visual images stimulate the mind, rather than relaxing it.
Learn How to Get Back to Sleep: It’s normal to wake up a couple of times during the night. But if you are having trouble sleeping back again, then it needs to be worked on.
If you are up for a while and not able to sleep again, try to relax and engage the mind in any repetitive and non-stimulating activity. The age old technique of “counting sheep” might work for you.
You can also try getting out of bed and doing a quite activity. A light snack or some herbal tea might help in relaxing you. No heavy meals at this time.
Make a Sleep Schedule: If you are feeling sleepy early in the evening after a tiring day at work, do some light chores to prevent you from dozing off at that time. Get your clothes ready for the next day or do dishes.
Try to stay awake till your normal bedtime. Sleep on a particular time each day to set and accustom your body clock accordingly. Day time napping is a strict no-no for people who have trouble sleeping.
Look What You Eat and Drink: Avoid eating a large meal at night. Try to eat early in the evening (at least two hours before the bed time) and avoid heavy and rich food. For a sound sleep add extra calcium in your dinner.
Caffeine, alcohol, smoking, too much of food and liquids should not be consumed before bed time.
Do Regular Exercise: Benefits of regular exercising are manifold. Apart from the mental and physical health benefits, it also improves the quantity and quality of sleep.
A brisk walk, bicycle ride or running for thirty minutes ensures a good muscles movement. It is best to keep your exercising schedule for the mornings as exercising too late in the day stimulates the body and raises it’s temperature, which can work against a good sleep.
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