Have you been feeling lethargic recently? Do you struggle to stay focused during the day? Is dragging yourself out of bed each morning a chore? Poor quality sleep can be detrimental to your health both physically and mentally, so try these 5 steps for a restful night and improved health.
- Get a solid 7 to 9 hours sleep each night
The majority of adults over 18 require between 7 and 9 hours sleep each night according to a professional sleep study undertaken by the National Sleep Foundation. If you tend to run on less than 6 hours, it’s likely that you’ll find yourself feeling lethargic and rundown throughout the day.
Equally, if you sleep for longer than the recommended 7 to 9 hours you could feel just as lousy since too much sleep has an impact on our bodies too. Don’t be tempted to make up for lack of sleep with a marathon 12 hour snooze; it will mess up your sleep pattern and leave you feeling groggy. Aim for around 8 hours every night.
- Plan a sleep schedule and stick to it
Late nights and early starts can leave us feeling lousy, but even worse is an erratic sleep pattern with bedtimes and rise times differing from day to day. You should aim to go to sleep and wake up at the same time each day as much as you possibly can. Once you get into a routine your body will get adjust to it; you’ll fall asleep faster and won’t struggle to get up in a morning.
There are a number great ways to get into a successful sleep schedule; ban the snooze button on a morning, avoid nightlights, smartphones and other sources of unnatural light close to bedtime, and above all else, be consistent.
- Don’t eat right before bed
There’s an old myth that eating just before bed leads to increased weight gain, but whilst this isn’t true there are plenty of other reasons why you should avoid eating just before bed. You run the risk of heartburn and acid reflux which can affect the quality of your sleep and cause sleep apnea. Plus, there have even been studies to suggest that eating just before bed can increase your risk of stroke. Aim to eat at least 1 hour before bed, preferably 2 or 3, to minimize the risk.
- Choose a high quality mattress
You may believe you sleep soundly, but a mattress which doesn’t support your body correctly can cause you to toss and turn each night and prevent you from becoming fully rested. A hard, lumpy mattress could trigger pressure points as you sleep, whilst a mattress which is too soft can often cause chronic back pain.
If you’ve been feeling lethargic recently it could be time to invest in a new mattress. Spend time researching various mattress types and testing a few out to find out which mattress is right for you. It’s a big investment and it needs to be just right if you’re to improve your sleep quality.
- Find a way to wind down
Feeling overstimulated before bed can make it difficult to drift off and prevent your body from feeling fully rested. In order to avoid this and get a healthier sleep, you must relax your body in preparation for sleep by finding a routine to help you wind down. Unnatural light from televisions, phones and tablets can overstimulate the brain, so although watching a movie or checking out Facebook might feel like you’re unwinding, it could be doing the opposite. Try reading a book or newspaper, listening to relaxing music or meditating instead.
No matter how much trouble you have getting a good night’s sleep, implementing a few or all of these tips could help you get the rest you need to stay healthy and happy. You’ll be amazed at what a healthy sleep pattern can do for your physical and mental wellbeing.
