You’ve been laying in your bed for some quiet time now, twisting and turning under the sheets, trying to get all comfy so you can finally get some Z’s after a hard day’s work, but can’t seem to do so.
You fluff your pillows and add another one under your head to see if it’ll do the trick but, unfortunately, it doesn’t. Frustrated, you look at the clock for the nth time and it’s already 3 AM. In just a few hours, you’ll need to get up again to prepare for another day at work. Situation sound familiar?
We’ve all been there more than once in our lives. If you’ve been experiencing this annoying scenario more frequently recently, read on for some tips from Eva Teleconsult on how you can help yourself get a good night’s sleep.
1. Maintain a Regular Sleep Schedule
Go to bed and wake up at the same time each day and try to stick to it even on weekends and holidays.
This should help regulate your body’s clock and enhance the quality of your sleep. If possible, avoid naps during the day. If you have to, try to keep it to less than one hour and avoid taking a nap late in the afternoon.
2. Practice Relaxation Techniques
Try deep breathing exercises or listen to soothing music. You can also take a warm shower or bath 90 minutes before sleeping.
Several studies have shown that doing this helps people fall asleep more quickly.
3. Curb Cravings with a Light Snack
If you’ve been experiencing hunger pangs late at night, have a light snack but avoid eating heavy meals. Having undigested food in our body signals wakefulness in the brain and interferes with the ability to fall asleep faster.
Keep a 3-hour interval between dinner and bedtime to allow the muscles responsible for digesting food to have enough time to digest, metabolize, and prepare for sleep as bedtime approaches. Doing this will also decrease the chances of you experiencing acid reflux or indigestion when you lay down in bed.
4. Avoid Blue Light Exposure at Least 1-2 Hours Before Bedtime
Gadgets like the TV and our cellphones emit blue light. This blue light has been found to block “melatonin”, the hormone responsible for making us sleepy and stay asleep.
Instead of watching videos or browsing through social media, read a book or catch up with your family on how their day went.
5. Exercise Regularly
This is one of the key takeaways from an EVA Doctor during an online consultation. Regular exercise can not only help you achieve a fit body, but also help you sleep better.
Performing regular moderate-intensity aerobic-type of exercises like brisk walking, dancing, gardening, or biking, can help correct a misaligned body clock through the production of serotonin, another important hormone for sleep regulation.
6. Ensure That Your Bedroom is as Dark as Possible
Light exposure during the mornings helps maintain a healthy sleep-wake cycle by pushing our sleep schedule earlier.
If exposed to unnecessary light in the evening, the sleep cycle is placed in reverse, meaning it causes a later bedtime. This is again because of melatonin, which is produced when we are exposed to darkness.
Use curtains or blinds to block out light from outside. Avoid using nightlights that are too bright, too.
7. Keep Your Bedroom Quiet and Cool
If unavoidable noise surrounds your bedroom during the night and bothers you, consider wearing earplugs, playing soothing low-volume music, or turning on a fan to block out loud sounds.
Your bedroom temperature should also not be extreme. A cool room along with some blankets to tuck you in and keep you adequately warm is recommended.
8. Hide the Clock
Looking at the clock when you wake up in the middle of the night and counting how many hours you have left before you need to get out of bed can produce unnecessary anxiety and stress.
Set an alarm instead so you don’t have to worry about over-sleeping. If you have an alarm clock at your bedside table, don’t let the numbers face you so you aren’t tempted to look at it. If you have a hanging wall clock in your bedroom, position it on a wall that isn’t facing you.
Try practicing these tips daily for a restful, uninterrupted sleep. Tried these already but still no success? You might have insomnia or a medical condition that is preventing you from having a good night’s sleep.
At Eva Teleconsult, you can consult our expert doctors and be assured that you get the best medical advice for your sleep cycle. We’re here to help. Book an appointment with Eva Teleconsult and get a guaranteed 30-minute consultation with your doctor. We’ll make sure that all the bases are covered for the best treatment for your condition.
