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Create A Sleep Routine
Does sleep seem elusive to you? Changing your habits, especially towards bedtime, can help. One of the best ways to do this is to create a sleep routine to help the body slow down and get ready for a restful night. This mainly involves improving your circadian rhythm to ensure your body and mind know when to go to bed and sleep and when to wake up. Creating a simple sleep routine, such as turning off or dimming the lights, turning off the TV, taking a warm shower, listening to calming music, or even sipping a warm cup of milk when preparing to retire, are some of the ways to boost your sleep health. Your bed must be comfortable, find out how to tell which Tempurpedic mattress is best for you with this guide. You also must habitually go to bed and wake up at the same time every day. This will help improve the body’s biological clock.
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Turn The Bedroom Lights Off
A dark room makes it easier to fall asleep faster than a brightly lit one. That said, it would be advisable to keep your bedroom dark enough to help trigger the increased production of sleep hormones.
Avoid Daytime Naps
While rejuvenating, afternoon naps can wreak havoc on your circadian rhythm, making it almost impossible to fall asleep at the right time. That said, it would be advisable to avoid daytime naps at all costs and only nap for less than 20 minutes if/when you have to. You also should avoid napping any later than 3 PM, as this would disrupt your sleep routine.
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Exercise
Physical exercise is good for your health and improves sleep quality. According to numerous studies, exercising for at least 30 minutes daily can improve your sleep quality significantly. 60-minute exercises per week will also have an almost similar effect, hence recommended for all. You might however want to restrict exercise times to morning and afternoon hours, no later than 4 PM, to avoid sleep disruptions. This is because physical exercise triggers increased alertness, which might keep you from falling asleep at night.
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Avoid Cell Phones or Digital Devices at Night
Smartphones, TVs, and video games have one thing in common, they emit blue light, which interferes with the body’s ability to produce sleep hormones. Although these have become a part of our daily lives, sleep experts advise against using such devices 3-4 hours before bedtime. If unable to, be sure to keep these devices away from your bedroom or turned off (or in silent mode) 30 minutes before bedtime. Studies show that smartphone use is one of the leading causes of sleeplessness in young and older persons, especially those who use their phones while in bed. Watching your favorite TV show in the bedroom can also negatively impact your sleep quality. That said, limiting screen time at night or a few hours to bedtime would be advisable to enjoy a restful and good night’s sleep.
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Read A Book
Reading a book or a novel is one of the best remedies for beating sleeplessness. Studies show that people that read a book just before bedtime, or even when in bed, sleep better than those that don’t. The results are even better when you read the physical book compared to digitized versions of the same. Sleep experts also recommend reading the book away from your bed to reduce the risk of insomnia. One reason for this is that some books, especially novels, might be too intriguing, causing you to read through the night. It is thus good practice to only read in the living room or any other room and/or set the alarm to let you know it is time to rest. Be sure to avoid books that might trigger emotional responses, as these could also make it harder to fall asleep. Audiobooks may also suffice if you do not have a novel with you, and you don’t fancy reading from the kindle or your smartphone screen.