Many factors can interrupt a good night’s sleep. Quality sleep can seem elusive when you’re dealing with stress, kids, work, or illness. These are the best habits for the best night’s sleep so that you can improve your sleep quality.
Set a Sleep Schedule
Consistency reinforces your sleep cycle. Heading to bed at the same time each night helps keep your circadian rhythm up and running. It’s also best to wake at the same time every day. During the weekend, limit the difference by no more than an hour.
A healthy adult needs no more than eight hours of sleep to function. Enjoy eight hours in bed and seven of those hours sleeping.
If you’re having trouble falling asleep within 20 minutes, leave the bedroom to do some relaxing. Try reading or listening to calming music, then head back to bed.
Include Physical Activity in Your Daily Routine
Regularly exercising or receiving some type of physical activity can help you sleep better. If you can, avoid exercising close to bedtime. Spending time outdoors is also helpful.
Watch What You Eat and Drink
Avoid going to bed full or hungry. Don’t eat large meals close to bedtime to avoid discomfort because it may keep you awake.
Alcohol, nicotine, and caffeine deserve caution. Alcohol can make you feel sleepy but disrupt your sleep during the night. Caffeine and nicotine are stimulants that can take hours to wear off and wreak havoc on your sleep quality.
Create a Soothing Environment
There are many soothing ways to create an ideal sleep environment. Create a cool, dark, and quiet bedroom. Prolonged exposure to television or phone screens makes it difficult to fall asleep, so avoid them if you can. Also, use room darkening shades to eliminate any outside light. Purchase a pair of sleep-friendly earplugs to drown out any noise. A fan is a nice touch to cool down your room to the perfect sleeping temperature.
Enjoy relaxing activities before bed, like a bath, meditation, or relaxing techniques. These may promote better sleep.
Adopt all or several of these habits for the best night’s sleep. You’ll be sleeping like a baby in no time!
