If you wake up each morning feeling groggy, or more tired than when you went to bed, you’re not alone. Many people struggle with getting a good night’s sleep, and it starts to impact their daily lives. It’s important that you not only get enough sleep, but that the sleep you do get is restful. Sleeping for 8 hours each night won’t do you much good if you’re waking up every hour. So with that in mind, here are 7 tips you can use to sleep better at night, and then hopefully start feeling better throughout your days.
Invest in a Good Mattress
One of the most important things you can do is invest in a good mattress. Sleeping on an uncomfortable mattress will not only make it harder to fall asleep, but you’re more likely to wake up throughout the night. Mattresses can be expensive, but when you consider that you’ll be spending a third of your time there, it makes it worth the investment. Take some time to find the best place to buy a mattress, then consider all your options. Try out a few different models to see which one works best for you.
Eliminate Light in Your Room
A small amount of light in your bedroom can make it hard to fall asleep. Before going to bed, you should do everything you can to reduce the amount of light in your room. This means turning off digital clocks, closing the blinds all the way, and shutting off any lights outside the room that might spread into your bedroom. If you’re unable to significantly decrease the amount of light, consider using a sleep mask to simulate a dark room.
Wind Down Before Bed
A common reason many of us have trouble sleeping is because we do too much before bed. We watch TV, check social media, read emails, and much more, which keep our brains active. Before going to bed, it’s a good idea to unplug from all electronics and spend a decent amount of time winding down. Read a book before bed, or do some yoga stretches. If you can make this into a habit, your brain will start to recognize the routine and know that it’s time for bed.
Get to Bed Early
Perhaps the reason you’re not sleeping well at night is because you’re going to bed too late. Going to bed late, and getting up early, is not a good recipe for a strong night’s sleep. And even if you go to bed late, and get up late, it can still affect your rest despite getting enough hours. Our bodies are used to being up during the daylight hours, and asleep when it’s dark. If you mess with this natural rhythm too much, it can impact how you feel when you wake up.
Don’t Hit the Snooze Button
When you wake up in the morning, it’s tempting to hit that snooze button on the alarm. You may even set your alarm early just so you can hit it a few times. However, studies have shown that hitting the snooze button, and going back to sleep for 10-15 minutes at a time, can make you feel worse. Instead, you should work on rolling out of bed the moment you wake up. The more you lay there, or the more times you hit snooze, the more groggy you’ll feel throughout the day.
Watch Your Diet
Another important factor to consider is your diet. If you consume too many sugars before bed, this will keep your mind active as you try to fall asleep. Choose what you eat before bed wisely, and only go with foods and drinks that will allow you to wind down. Also think about if there are any foods that cause you discomfort and avoid these before bed. For example, if you have some lactose intolerance, it’s not a good idea to have a bowl of ice cream before bed, as the stomachache will keep you awake.
Stretch Throughout the Day
Finally, you could be having trouble sleeping because your muscles are tense. Tense muscles are unable to relax and will make sleeping uncomfortable. A good way to combat this is by stretching throughout the day, and then again before bed. By doing some quick stretches before bed, your body will be able to get into a more comfortable sleeping position, and you should be able to fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer.
Start Getting a Good Night’s Rest
If you can implement some or all of the tips mentioned above, you should find that your are able to sleep better. If this isn’t the case, it’s then a good idea to talk with a doctor about other strategies you can try. We all deserve to have a good night’s sleep, so start taking measure to ensure you get one.
A professional writer with over a decade of incessant writing skills. Her topics of interest and expertise range from health, nutrition and psychology.