6 Tips To Help You Sleep Better At Night
By Jessica, January 20, 2014
Getting your beauty sleep is essential for healthy well-being and unfortunately when you’re stressed out about something, it can affect your sleeping pattern.
Losing out on sleep can make you grouchy, snappy and run-down, so here are a few tips to help you catch those zzz’s every night.
1. Eat Dinner Early In The Evening
To increase your chances of a better sleep, you should eat your dinner at least 4 hours before you head to bed. If you eat closer to bedtime, you’re more likely to lie awake with heartburn or indigestion while your body tries to digest your food.
2. Get Some Sunlight
Melatonin is a hormone the body produces to help regulate your sleep-wake cycle, and it’s controlled by light exposure.We spend so much time in front of computer screens and artificial light that it’s important to make sure you get outside for some natural sunlight during the day.
Try letting as much natural light into the office or your home during the day as well.
3. No TV, Laptops, Browsing Through Facebook Before Bed
Sitting on your phone browsing through Facebook or Instagram, watching TV and working on your laptop before you sleep are all big no-no’s if you’re looking for a solid night’s sleep.
Turn off all electronics before bed as the artificial light suppresses your melatonin production, which stimulates your brain instead of helping you unwind. Instead, make sure your room is cosy and dark, and listen to some soothing music.
4. Get Yourself Moving
Just 30 minutes of exercise, even the lightest exercise, can make all the difference in the world to your sleeping pattern. Taking your dog for a walk, or even some simple yoga poses can help you get a good night’s sleep.
However, try not to exercise right before bed because you will be left feeling too energised and stimulated to sleep.
5. Cut Out The Caffeine
If you’re already having difficulty sleeping, the last thing you need are more stimulants to keep you awake. Try to stop drinking tea, coffee and fizzy drinks after midday to avoid lying wide awake at night.
6. Stop Stressing About Sleeping
Chances are you have enough on your plate to worry about without adding sleep worries to the list. Instead of counting down how many hours of sleep you have left, focus on completely relaxing your mind.
If you find too many thoughts are running through your head, write them down on a notebook or a diary beside your bed. Doing this regularly can really reduce those nagging thoughts that you just can’t seem to let go of at night, finally letting your body relax.
