It is so frustrating to have a sleepless night and need to be up early the next morning. Since I started writing regularly, I notice that I had difficulty finding the mood to sleep. This may be because my head cannot stop from generating ideas to write. I know that you have concerns as well when you force yourself to get up in the morning without much sleep. Here are some steps I learned on how to get best kind of sleep.
Keep regular hours. Train your body by going to bed at the same time each night and wake up at the same time each morning – even on weekends.
Have a sleep ritual. Doing the same things every night just before bed prompts your body to settle down for the night. Try reading something light or listening to soothing music.
Don’t take your worries at bed. If you have a nagging problem that won’t go away, it helps if you write about it on a piece of paper and promise to take care of it in the morning.
Don’t smoke. Smokers take longer to fall asleep, wake up more often and experience disrupted, fragmented sleep. Cigarettes have stimulant like nicotine that wake up the body.
Cut down stimulants. As we all know consuming caffeine in the evening interferes with falling asleep and prevents deep sleep. Try drinking your last coffee 5 hours before your bedtime.
Drink alcohol in moderation. Alcohol consumption influences sleep. However, too much it can induce sleep disorders by disrupting the sequence and duration of sleep states and by altering total sleep time as well as the time required to fall asleep.
Create a restful sleep environment. Create a better sleep environment that will provide you with the best chances of a full night's sleep. Make sure o your mattress, lights, sounds or noise, temperature and even the scent in your bedroom are comfortable because a conducive bedroom can promote a good night sleep.
Exercise regularly. Regular exercise can help to relieve the day’s tension. It promotes improved sleep quality by allowing smoother and more regular transition between the cycles and phases of sleep. However, do not exercise too close to bedtime or you may have a hard time falling asleep.
Have a good eating habit. When we are tired, we need sleep. However, many of us respond to sleepiness with food instead of rest. Snacking may release glucose into the bloodstream making your body feel energized instead of sleepy and upset your sleeping cycles. Allow at least three hours of rest after eating before you sleep.
Make sleep a priority. Make a list of your daily activities and include adequate sleep in it, so you can prioritize. If you feel bright and alive, you will be more consistent in your commitments. The quality of hours you spend asleep affects the quality of hours you spend awake, so rest is an investment.
You owe it to your body to sleep well. However if you still have difficulty sleeping, it is essential to determine whether an underlying disease or condition is causing the problem. So, good luck and good night.
Listen to Dr. Mercola to learn more about insomnia and Why it is important to go to bed early:
