Let’s imagine that there is a chance that you feel far from well-rested when you wake up. After all, more than a third of Americans aren’t getting enough sleep these days. There are some adverse consequences. People who don’t get enough sleep feel bad, and even more: extreme irritability, weight gain, short-term memory loss, heart disease. But what if we told you that you don’t have to feel tired and anxious any longer and that you could reduce all of those risks and stress from now? Get ready to start sleeping better tonight and feeling better tomorrow!
- Try to sleep on your side.
There are three main sleep positions: back, stomach, and side. Each has its pros and cons, but the best one for insomnia is your side. Sleep specialists recommend sleeping on your side in order to rest more comfortably and decrease sleep interruptions. And what is “your side”, you may ask? There are many variations of sleeping on your side, all of which are beneficial in helping to cope with insomnia and sleep deprivation, but the most comfortable position involves bending the knees slightly upward toward the chest.
- Go to bed at the same time every night.
Late nights at the office, many responsibilities and emergencies tend to get in the way of our life. If you want to sleep well every night, you should do your best to follow your schedule. People who had stable and predictable schedules took less time to fall asleep, had improved sleep quality, and slept more efficiently. The next step to healthy sleep is going to bed at the same time every night.
- Use a special app or an alarm to signify bedtime.
There are many applications for sleep control. Whether you use it on your smartphone, it is a really great way to remind you to go to bed at the same time every night. Once the alarm goes off, start to follow your nighttime schedule.
- Wake up at the same time every morning (try to do it even on weekends).
Remember, the best thing you can do for yourself is to create a sleep schedule and follow it. That means going to bed at the same time every night and waking up at the same time every morning. Following your sleep schedule is important seven days a week. If you have to wake up every day at 6 a.m. for work, but you sleep in until 9 a.m. on the weekends, that’s going to disrupt your sleep-wake pattern.
- Write a to-do list before you sleep.
Could you ever imagine that writing a to-do list could help you relax?. But, according to a study in the Journal of Experimental Psychology, writing your to-dos down before bed can help you fall asleep faster. By getting all of your impending thoughts out at once, the thinking goes, you won’t waste any time hours in the morning by planning some little things and all your day.
- Spend some time in the dark.
Notice how much time you spend sitting in bright rooms before going to bed. There are studies that found that when people were exposed to light in the 8 hours before bed, 99% of them saw a delayed release of melatonin, making it more difficult to fall asleep.
- Meditate or take a yoga class
Meditation can have some serious relaxation and calming benefits. The researchers found that people who participated in mindfulness-based practices experienced fewer sleep-related problems, fewer symptoms of insomnia, and were less tired. That’s also about yoga classes. The survey conducted by the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health showed that more than 55% of people who took yoga classes reported that they experienced improved sleep afterwards.
- Try muscle relaxation.
For this just lie down to bed, try focusing on each muscle group, tightening each for 10 seconds, then continuing on to the next group. Start with your feet and tight the muscles in your toes, heels, etc. and count to 10. Then move your way up the body: calves, thighs, abs, all the way up until you reach the muscles in your face. People who suffer from insomnia often report that practicing muscle relaxation at night helps them fall asleep.
- Make reading part of your evenings.
Whether you’re a detective stories fanatic or you prefer to revel in romance novels, try to read a good book before bed every night. In the 2009 study researchers found that reading reduced stress levels by 68% — and the less stressed you are, the easier it is to fall asleep.
- Try using an anxiety-relieving app.
Meditative app might be what you need to get rid of anxiety and sleep better. These guided meditation apps, though they each take a different approach to anxiety and stress relief, are designed to ease your mind and avoid any thoughts that are preventing you from sleeping.
First you may try to follow some of these tips, which are close to you. But remember that it is easier to climb the stairs one by one, after jumping over some steps. Walk up the stairs and wake up well-rested tomorrow and every other day.
