10 tips to help you sleep better

sleep (1).jpg

Sleep plays an essential role in our well-being and yet it is one of the most neglected parts of our daily life. Many of us would lose sleep over the latest series on Netflix or bur the midnight oil. While there’s nothing wrong with catching up on work but I firmly believe we would be more productive at work after a good night’s rest.

Having poor sleep duration, quality and timing can have negative effects both physically and psychologically on our immunity, cognitive function, digestion, appetite, energy levels, libido, etc.

If you are keen on improving your sleeping habits, here are 10 tips that may help you fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer;

  1. Set a bedtime ritual for yourself. Commit to a routine where you would sleep and wake up around the same time every day.

  2. Avoid caffeine, alcohol, and nicotine. For caffeine, it’s best to consume 6-8 hours prior to bedtime and 4-6 hours for alcohol and nicotine in order for your body to have sufficient time to process the substances and not let it affect your sleep quality as much.

  3. Minimize tech usage and exposure to bright lights. Blue lights emitted from screens at night reduce our ability to get into a deeper sleep state. And yes, this means content from social media on our phones and TV watching is enough to keep your brain awake.

  4. Create a comfortable and relaxing environment. Dim the lights around the house and make sure the temperature is just nice and cool. Some soothing music in the background and an essential oil diffuser would help set the right mood to sleep too!

  5. Avoid eating too full or drinking too much water. Try to have smaller meals closer to your bedtime to avoid upsetting your stomach. If you enjoy having bigger portion meals, try to have a gap of 3-4 hours away from your bedtime. As for water intake, take sips of water when night falls, save the big gulps, and frequent water intake for day time.

  6. Avoid working out before bed. The increase of adrenaline, heart rate, and body temperature is enough to keep your mind up and running for the rest of the evening, Besides, your body would not function as optimally later in the evening, so save the hardcore workouts for the next day.

  7. Put away any work-related stuff an hour before bed. Have a cut-off time of 45 minutes to an hour of “me” time to yourself. Read a book, meditate or if you have too many thoughts going in your mind, write them down into a journal. Go to bed without stress.

  8. Don’t argue with your partner/loved ones in the evening. This is something I’ve learned during a Pre-Marriage Course and I’ve found it to be incredibly useful to not only improve my sleep but also my relationship with my wife. Which is a time rule, no arguments past 9 pm (time is up to you), we’ll only discuss the matter in the morning and by then, what seemed to be a problem had just been a mere miscommunication which can be avoided.

  9. Get out of your room. If you find yourself rolling in bed for more than 10 minutes, try getting out of your room and sitting on a couch or dining area to read or meditate until you feel sleepy again.

  10. Avoid looking at the clock. Set your alarm in advance and turn your clock away. Once you hit the sack, try not to think about the number of hours you’re going to get and just simply allow yourself to drift off to sleep. The habit of clock-watching will only make you more anxious and more difficult to fall asleep, especially if you do wake up in the middle of the night.

If your work requires you and/or your goal is to be more productive, energetic, focused, and healthy, then you have to prioritize and make sleep your non-negotiable task daily. Start by assessing your sleep quality and energy levels upon waking up and recall back the things that you did the night before, whether you fell asleep as fast or woke up in the middle of the night. Take notes on that, as well as your energy level (i.e. groggy, tired, energetic, etc.) then, make small adjustments to your sleeping habit then repeat the whole process.

I hope you’ve found this article helpful to you and if it was, please feel free to reach out to me on my Instagram DM or email me, I’d be delighted to hear about the details from you. In the meantime, stay safe and stay healthy my friend.

Previous
Previous

10 Foods To Include In Your Diet For Optimal Health

Next
Next

How To Avoid Gaining Unintended Weight During Lockdown