HOW TO SLEEP BETTER?

We all wish we could enjoy a good night’s sleep. Sleep fast and sleep all night without interruption. The thing is, you can do it, and best of all, it doesn’t take much.

For some, quality sleep is a luxury, others enjoy it as nothing. But what divides these two groups? How is it possible that some people fall asleep quickly and enjoy a night with excellent sleep quality, while others writhe, and once they fall asleep, have trouble sleeping all night long? Get out of the “I can’t sleep” group into the quality sleep group.

WHAT CAUSES YOUR SLEEP PROBLEMS

The first step to quality sleep is to find out what is causing your sleep problems, and then find out how you can solve them. You will not enjoy better sleep unless you have identified the root cause and are working to eliminate it. Your poor sleep can be caused by several factors: medical, mental or physiological. If you cannot identify your cause, then it may be time to contact an instructor, sleep specialist or doctor who can provide you with medical advice.

COMMON PROBLEMS CAUSING BAD SLEEP

Many factors can lead to poor sleep. You may want to ask yourself these questions, and if you recognize any of them, then you may have found the source of your sleep problems. Keep in mind that there may be more than one cause for your problems, so make sure you identify as many as possible and start with them. These causes can be:

• Bad environment for sleep
• High blood pressure
• some of the various sleep disorders (sleep apnea, poor circadian rhythm, restless legs syndrome)
• mental health problems (anxiety and / or stress)
• Inconsistent sleep mode (you don’t go to bed every day or you don’t wake up at the same time)
• Failure to follow healthy habits
• Be a weekend fighter (sleep poorly during the week and try to catch up on sleep debt during the weekend)
• Excessive alcohol or caffeine consumption at bedtime
• Heavy food shortly before bedtime

WHAT ARE THE CONSEQUENCES OF BAD SLEEP

The consequences of insomnia include irritability, fatigue and malaise throughout the following day. If the body does not get the right dose of sleep, concentration, work performance, mood deteriorates and depression begins. After a while, insomnia manifests as intoxication. With long-term insomnia, mental disorders, perceptual and cognitive impairments can even occur.

What can I do if I can’t sleep?

We have prepared some tips and tricks for you to fall asleep as quickly as possible. These are mainly short-term tips for dealing with transient insomnia, which has ever met each of us. If you have been suffering from insomnia for a long time and are starting to experience some of the more serious consequences, you should seek professional help.

 

Advice on how best to fall asleep

Herbal tea

Before going to bed, it is important to warm and calm our body, and herbal tea will help you with that. The best herbs for tea are chamomile, lemon balm, passion fruit, saffron or St. John’s wort.

Herbs can also be used in other ways because, for example, valerian, which has a special taste, works great for falling asleep problems caused by stress or overwork. It may not suit everyone in the form of tea. For this reason, capsules or bath tinctures are also produced.

Hot bath

Of course, a hot bath at bedtime is even better than tea to warm and thoroughly relax the whole body.

Relaxing scent

There is an inexhaustible amount of scents designed for relaxation. Of course, it’s important to try which one works best for you. The scent of lavender, which has soothing effects, is often recommended. Other great tips are sage, chamomile or rosemary.

The right mattress and bed

A good mattress is the basis of a healthy sleep, and if the main disadvantage of your bedroom is a bad mattress, start thinking about replacing it.

Bedtime routine

Everyone has a routine before bed, someone just brushes their teeth and takes a hot shower. Others read fairy tales to children, or engage in soothing evening yoga. Do “pre-sleep rituals” and follow them. You will see that this will have a big impact on the quality of your sleep.

Regular sleep

It helps the body to fall asleep very much when it goes to sleep and wakes up at the same time every day.

No large portions and heavy meals before bed

If you eat a lot and then try to fall asleep, your body probably won’t let you. Large portions and calorie meals will give you a lot of energy, and even if you feel drowsy during the day during meals, believe that it is not a suitable help for a night’s sleep.

Healthy food

A good diet throughout the day also helps with good sleep. If you do not know how to eat properly, you can visit a nutritionist and have a customized diet compiled.

To drink or not to drink?

Drink plenty of water during the day, ideally two to three liters. On the other hand, do not drink alcohol at bedtime. Although it is said to help you fall asleep, it is not.

Less coffee

Do you have coffee a few times a day and when you go to bed your heart still runs like a race? If so, you probably can’t sleep because of excessive caffeine. Although encouragement in the form of delicious coffee is often needed during the day, you should also consider drinking coffee in the afternoon and evening. Treat yourself to the last coffee a few hours before bedtime. It also dehydrates, so you should increase your water intake when you drink coffee.

No smoking

Smoking is not healthy, nicotine also encourages. It doesn’t affect your sleep as well.

More movement

Healthy sleep requires healthy exercise. We know that there is always little time left, but you can try at least a short, 30-minute brisk walk. You need to get tired for a good night’s sleep and by that we don’t mean sitting at a computer, but really moving.

Skip physical activity before bed

Exercise is great, but don’t plan any physical activity before bedtime. Relaxing yoga, for example, is suitable. You’d better make time in the morning for a boxing workout or gym.

Fresh air

You need to oxygenate your brain to sleep well. Ventilate in the bedroom before going to bed and you will immediately fall asleep better.

Turn off your computer, phone, and television

If you look at any monitor right before bed, stop it. The white light from the monitors confuses the levels of melatonin in your body and it then thinks it’s day. That’s why you can’t sleep and you wake up tired in the morning. Likewise, turn off or otherwise dim other light sources in the room where you fall asleep.

Reading

Try to read something before going to bed. We do not recommend dramatic sci-fi or horror. You’d better start a pleasant and nice book.

Just sleep in bed

Do nothing in bed other than sleep and sex. Instead, skip breakfast in bed, watching Netflix, studying or working out. Also read the book outside of bed.

Try exercises 4 – 7 – 8

It is scientifically proven that if you focus on your breath, your heart will slow down and your pressure will decrease. This forms the ideal basis for falling asleep. So try this technique:

• Inhale for 4 seconds
• Hold your breath for 7 seconds
• Exhale for 8 seconds
• Repeat until you fall asleep

Rating of the day

At the end of the day, say at least three things you can boast of during the previous day. Evaluate how you approached your personal goals that day. Be more positive and don’t stress because you missed something.

Do not do this just before bedtime. You could start a wheel of other thoughts. If you have plans for the next day in your head, write them down and then get them out of your head.

Psychological exercises

Imagine the problem that prevents you from falling asleep is leaving. Another option is to imagine a large chest in which you put your thoughts one by one.

Meditation

Meditate before bed. If you don’t know how to do it, just brag about the things you did, try to calm your mind and let all worries go away. Imagine yourself sleeping. You will fall asleep better right away.

Reduce noise

If possible, try to turn off all sources of noise in your apartment. You can also play the sounds of the forest, the sea or relaxing music.

Sleep applications

Recently, a number of applications have appeared that will help you fall asleep and calm your mind. On the one hand, this advice refutes with advice on the limited use of bedtime monitors, but it can help true technology lovers.

Be sure to set the screen’s color spectrum to a quieter night mode.

The least popular task

If you are already desperate, try to get out of bed and do something you have to, but you don’t want to do it at all.

Seriously, count the sheep

You can also try the good old sheep count. According to psychologists, however, it is good to count either from behind or, for example, only odd numbers.

Good sleep is one of the basic pillars of your overall health. Sleep well again – like a happy carefree child.