Everyone needs quality sleep at night for better physical and mental health. But, several factors like irregular lifestyle, bad habits, etc., play a spoilsport in maintaining a perfect sleep cycle.
You could easily change these unwanted habits by introducing some required changes. Hence, this article will list some crucial tips for managing your day and improving sleep quality.
Build A Sleep-Friendly Bedroom
The best and easiest method to fall asleep quickly is to create your bedroom relaxing and comfortable.
To create a good and comfortable environment, you would have to work on minute details like bedding, cushion, etc.
Hence, you may go through some of these ideas to create a sleep-friendly bedroom.
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Choose The Right Mattress And Pillow
Choosing the ideal mattress and pillow plays a significant role in inducing sleep.
A quality and comfortable mattress would[1] allow you to sleep in the perfect position without discomfort.
Moreover, a better cushion and pillow would provide ample support to your spine to avoid pain.
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Perfect Bedding
Bedding plays a significant role in improving an individual’s sleep quality. While buying the right bedding, you should[2] consider different parameters like fabric, thread count, etc.
Generally, synthetic bed sheets help trap surrounding heat; hence, you may use them during winter.
But, buying quality cotton bedding offers comfort and breathability for a better sleep experience.
Moreover, these cotton bedsheets self-regulate or adapt to the surrounding temperature to make the bed perfect for sleep.
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Create A Calm And Peaceful Environment
Any disturbing sound nearby your sleeping area would[3] make it difficult to sleep. Hence, creating a calm and peaceful environment is essential for better sleep quality.
You should try to suppress the surrounding volume or take necessary actions to eliminate noises. You may try switching on the fan or using earplugs to avoid unwanted noises.
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Dim Your Bedroom Light
Excessive light in the sleeping area may make it difficult for you to sleep.
Moreover, exposing yourself to bright light may[4] suppress the production of melatonin, the sleep-inducing hormone.
You should consider reducing the brightness in your room to sleep quickly. You may use dark-colored curtains to prevent the entry of outside light.
Moreover, switching off the bedroom light or using low-brightness bulbs may help you sleep comfortably.
Some people consider using sleep masks to create a dark environment for the eyes.
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Adjust Surrounding Temperature
The bedroom’s temperature plays a crucial role in getting a sound sleep. It is believed that adjusting the room temperature between 12-24°C allows you to sleep comfortably.
You won’t be able to sleep comfortably in higher temperatures during summer and vice versa.
Hence, you should[5] maintain the inside temperature based on the outside temperatures.
You may use air-conditioners or fans during the summer to cool the room. On the other hand, you could use room heaters during winter to get the right temperature to sleep.
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Use Room Fresheners Or Incense Sticks
Sometimes a foul smell or uncomfortable aroma may not allow you to sleep comfortably.
Hence, using room fresheners or incense sticks of your preference may help you sleep comfortably.
Moreover, using light fragrance candles may create a soothing atmosphere for sleep.
Create A Sleep Schedule
You should focus on creating a good sleep schedule to improve your sleep. Generally, people who follow a sleep schedule consistently won’t struggle at night to sleep.
Moreover, creating a sleep schedule allows you to improve your circadian rhythm, i.e., the sleep-wake cycle, which is essential for good sleep.
Hence, you should follow these crucial steps to create a good sleep schedule.
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Choose A Convenient Bedtime
Fixing a permanent bedtime would help you sleep on time. But, if you have a disturbed or unusual bedtime, you may have to adjust slowly to your new bedtime.
If you want to sleep earlier, you should prepare yourself by sleeping 15-20 minutes earlier than your current bedtime.
Shift your bedtime by 15-20 minutes every two to three days to reach your desired bedtime.
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Set A Wake-Up Time
A healthy adult requires 7-8 hours of deep sleep at night for better physical and mental health. Hence, you should[6]fix your wake-up time based on your bedtime.
You must follow the wake-up routine with discipline to get a perfect sleep schedule.
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Avoid Daytime Naps
Daytime naps could spoil or disturb your convenient sleep cycle and keep you awake at night. Hence, avoiding small naps during the day would be highly beneficial.
But, if you need a small break, you may consider a nap of 15 minutes. Some people prefer doing exercise to avoid daytime sleep.
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Follow The Above Three Steps Consistently
Every individual needs consistency to master a new change in their life. Hence, you should consistently follow your sleep-wake routine to get sufficient sleep in a day.
You may take the help of a good alarm clock and get up immediately after it rings. So, avoid disturbing the sleep cycle at any cost, as it may spoil your progress.
Create A Pre-Bed Routine
The pre-bed routines are highly essential for boosting your melatonin levels before sleep. A pre-bed routine makes you feel sleepy; hence, you will quickly fall asleep on time.
But, you should include tasks that are relaxing and soothing before sleep. You may consider the following habits in your pre-bed routine.
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Meditation
Meditation is a perfect practice to relax and calm your mind after a busy day. Regular meditation may[7]help improve an individual’s focus and mental health.
Moreover, performing meditation before bedtime may help you sleep quickly.
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Avoiding Electronics One Hour Before Bedtime
You should[8]avoid using smartphones, tablets, laptops, and other electronic devices one hour before sleep.
The LED light from these electronic gadgets may disturb your internal clock and suppress your melatonin production.
Moreover, texting someone before bedtime may distract you from sleep; thus, avoiding smartphones is crucial.
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Perform Different Soothing Activities
Relaxing activities like reading books, listening to slow music or bedtime stories, etc., may[9]help induce sleep.
You may consider doing any of these activities to get into the right mindset to sleep.
These activities allow you to concentrate on a single thing that makes you feel sleepy.
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Write Down Whole Day’s Experience
Writing down the whole day’s experience in a diary makes you feel relaxed.You should write positive and negative things in the diary to avoid overthinking while sleeping.
Moreover, you may also consider writing a to-do list before sleeping to sleep peacefully.
Things To Consider For Better Sleep At Night
Your night’s sleep entirely relies on what you do during the day. Your food habits, workout routine, etc., play a significant role in keeping you awake or letting you sleep.
Hence, you should consider the following things to sleep better at night.
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Avoid Eating Just Before Bedtime
It would be difficult for an individual to fall asleep immediately after the night’s meal.
Moreover, eating close to bedtime may impact your hormones, sleeping patterns, digestion, etc., resulting in a lack of sleep.
Hence, you should[10]try consuming your dinner one or two hours before bedtime.
You should also consider the quantity of your dinner. Sometimes a heavy dinner may make you struggle to sleep.
Thus, you should always have a light and moderate dinner to sleep comfortably at night.
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Lower The Caffeine Consumption
Excessive caffeine intake throughout the day may interfere with your sleep at night.
Generally, caffeine consumption suppresses sleep-promoting receptors, i.e., adenosine receptors in the brain that keeps you awake.
Thus, avoiding excess consumption of caffeinated drinks like coffee, tea, etc., may [11]help you sleep uninterrupted.
Moreover, you should avoid consuming caffeine a few hours before bedtime for better sleep.
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Exercise
Regular exercise has a significant role in promoting sleep at night. It is believed that mild exercises like brisk walks, skipping, etc., at any time in the day may help you sleep better.
Generally, exercising boosts the production of natural sleep hormones, i.e., melatonin, resulting in smooth and calm sleep at night.
But, you should[12]avoid exercising close to your bedtime as it may have a negative impact, i.e., keeping you awake for longer.
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Avoid Cigarette, Drug, And Alcohol Consumption
Smoking cigarettes and taking drugs may disturb your sleep cycle. Generally, cigarettes contain a stimulant called nicotine that[13]plays a significant role in keeping you awake.
Hence, smoking at any time of the day may impact your night’s sleep.
Similarly, drinking alcohol may give you a drowsy feeling resulting in poor sleep. Hence, you should avoid consuming alcohol close to your bedtime for better sleep.
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Get Sufficient Sunlight
An individual requires sufficient exposure to sunlight to stimulate the brain to produce serotonin.
Hence, you should [14]expose yourself to sunlight for 15-30 minutes daily to get serotonin for a calm and focused feeling.
Moreover, sunlight is highly responsible for regulating the melatonin levels in the body.
Hence, increased sunlight exposure would help prepare sufficient melatonin for quality sleep.
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Eat A Sleep-Friendly Diet
Your diet may have a role in inducing or improving sleep. You may [15]include several food items, like kiwi, grapes, etc., that provide natural melatonin essential for good sleep.
Moreover, some food items rich in magnesium, tryptophan, calcium, etc., could be beneficial for getting quality sleep.
Conclusion
After a hectic day at work, getting good sleep is every individual’s demand. But, several ill practices or irregular sleep cycles prevent you from falling asleep.
Hence, it is time to fix all those unwanted routines and start fresh with a good sleeping schedule and habits.
You may go through the points mentioned above to grab an idea for a quality sleep schedule.
But, if you still struggle to fall asleep, you should immediately contact any healthcare specialist for the best advice.
References/Sources
- Duo Wai-Chi Wong,Yan Wang,Jin Lin,et al. Sleeping mattress determinants and evaluation: a biomechanical review and critique PeerJ. 2019; 7: e6364.Published online 2019 Jan 25. doi: 10.7717/peerj.6364
- Mirim Shin,Mark Halaki,Paul Swan,et al. The effects of fabric for sleepwear and bedding on sleep at ambient temperatures of 17°C and 22°C Nat Sci Sleep. 2016; 8: 121–131.Published online 2016 Apr 22. doi: 10.2147/NSS.S100271
- Demian Halperin Environmental noise and sleep disturbances: A threat to health? Sleep Sci. 2014 Dec; 7(4): 209–212.Published online 2014 Nov 15. doi: 10.1016/j.slsci.2014.11.003
- Joshua J. Gooley,Kyle Chamberlain, Kurt A. Smith,et al. Exposure to Room Light before Bedtime Suppresses Melatonin Onset and Shortens Melatonin Duration in Humans J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2011 Mar; 96(3): E463–E472.Published online 2010 Dec 30. doi: 10.1210/jc.2010-2098
- Edward C. Harding,Nicholas P. Franks and William Wisden The Temperature Dependence of Sleep Front Neurosci. 2019; 13: 336.Published online 2019 Apr 24. doi: 10.3389/fnins.2019.00336
- Jean-Philippe Chaput,Caroline Dutil,and Hugues Sampasa-Kanyinga Sleeping hours: what is the ideal number and how does age impact this? Nat Sci Sleep. 2018; 10: 421–430.Published online 2018 Nov 27. doi: 10.2147/NSS.S163071
- Heather L. Rusch,Michael Rosario,Lisa M. Levison,et al. The effect of mindfulness meditation on sleep quality: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2019 Jun; 1445(1): 5–16.Published online 2018 Dec 21. doi: 10.1111/nyas.13996
- Hue Thi Pham,Hsiao-Ling Chuang,Ching-Pyng Kuo,et al. Electronic Device Use before Bedtime and Sleep Quality among University Students Healthcare (Basel). 2021 Sep; 9(9): 1091.Published online 2021 Aug 24. doi: 10.3390/healthcare9091091
- Elaine Finucane,Ann O’Brien,Shaun Treweek,et al. Does reading a book in bed make a difference to sleep in comparison to not reading a book in bed? The People’s Trial—an online, pragmatic, randomised trial
- Nikola Chung,Yu Sun Bin,Peter A. Cistulli,et al. Does the Proximity of Meals to Bedtime Influence the Sleep of Young Adults? A Cross-Sectional Survey of University Students Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020 Apr; 17(8): 2677.Published online 2020 Apr 14. doi: 10.3390/ijerph17082677
- Christopher Drake,Timothy Roehrs,John Shambroom,et al. Caffeine Effects on Sleep Taken 0, 3, or 6 Hours before Going to Bed J Clin Sleep Med. 2013 Nov 15; 9(11): 1195–1200.Published online 2013 Nov 15. doi: 10.5664/jcsm.3170
- Christopher E. Kline The bidirectional relationship between exercise and sleep: Implications for exercise adherence and sleep improvement Am J Lifestyle Med. 2014 Nov-Dec; 8(6): 375–379.doi: 10.1177/1559827614544437
- R. C. Jiloha Biological basis of tobacco addiction: Implications for smoking-cessation treatment Indian J Psychiatry. 2010 Oct-Dec; 52(4): 301–307.doi: 10.4103/0019-5545.74303
- Simon N. Young How to increase serotonin in the human brain without drugs J Psychiatry Neurosci. 2007 Nov; 32(6): 394–399.
- Melatonin: What You Need To Know Available from:https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/melatonin-what-you-need-to-know
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Otella has an experience of around eight years of writing about health and nutrition-related topics. She is a full-time mother and a housewife, and the time she has left after doing her mother and household duties is spent writing for Working for Health as a full-time writer. Her life goal is to raise both her boys into a gentleman, and at the same time, she wants to educate people on how to keep themselves fit by tweaking their daily diet.