How to Build Healthier Sleep Habits

If sunrise is your least favorite time of the day, you’re not alone. Many people fail to enjoy the early morning hours, because they rarely get the rest they need to feel alert and fresh when their alarms go off.

Without a proper night’s rest, your body and brain won’t function correctly. Bad sleep habit impair the memory, slow down reflexes and reaction times, and make it impossible to “fire all on cylinders”.

In today’s busy world, good sleep habits sometimes fall by the wayside; in fact, many people greatly underestimate the toll that chronic or temporary fatigue will take on their emotions, actions, and level of success in careers and relationships.

Smart people learn how to get adequate rest, because they know that it’s a key factor in enjoying their daytime hours. Proper rest fuels the imagination and the intellect, allowing for greater creativity and better problem-solving.

To help our readers build better sleeping habits, we’ve compiled a helpful list of practical, easy-to-implement tips and tricks that will contribute to healing rest that improves the mood and promotes better health and well being.

Here are some things to think about:

Avoid “Bad Sleep” Triggers – Sometimes, our eating and drinking habits are part of the problem. Consuming too much caffeine during the day, and too much alcohol at night, may lead to insomnia, fitful sleep, and really depressing mornings.

If you’re a heavy coffee drinker, one cup in the morning should be your goal. While it will take time for your body to adjust to lower levels of caffeine, it will be worth it. Lowering your caffeine intake is one of the keys to adapting your lifestyle for better sleep.

Likewise, alcohol may feel like a “sleep aid”, but it’s actually quite the opposite. While booze may help you to fall asleep, it will ensure that you wake up more often during the night, which wreaks havoc with your sleep schedule. Avoid evening cocktails for deeper, more satisfying sleep.

Eating at night is also a no-no; if you must snack, try pumpkin seeds, a little natural peanut butter, or a small bowl of oatmeal; these foods promote better sleep.

Unplug – Your bedroom should be a peaceful sanctuary, and this means minimal electronic toys, such as televisions, stereos, laptops, and iPhones. To get your best sleep, take away every distraction. Your alarm clock should be your only electronic device.

To inspire better rest, consider redecorating your bedroom so it’s more inviting and beautiful. Use soothing aquatic tones for duvet covers, curtains, and pillowcases. A bedside light with a dimmer will help you to easily adjust light for the right effect as you prepare to catch some “z”s.

A gadget-free bedroom will become an escape from the digital world, and it will act as a barrier between you and the outside world. Baby yourself by creating a lovely bedroom that you really enjoy.

Exercise in the Morning – Getting up to exercise may seem deeply unappealing, especially if you’re dealing with “bad sleeps” on a regular basis. However, evening exercise raises your heart rate and stimulates your entire body, which is counterproductive when it comes to falling asleep.

If you’re used to hitting the gym in the evening, try to adjust your schedule. A relaxing walk around the neighbourhood will be fine after dinner; however, intense cardio on an elliptical machine may leave you feeling wired when it’s time to hit the sheets.

Get Help from a Sleep Expert

Most people will respond to changes in diet and exercise, along with quieter, more peaceful bedrooms that soothe their senses. However, there is a significant portion of the population who won’t find relief from sleep woes through these adjustments.

For example, people who suffer from sleep apnea will not be able to regulate their breathing and stop their snoring and gasping by giving up coffee or changing their decor.

For people like this, CPAP machines sold by sleep experts are the answer. These clever machines help to support better health and deep, restful sleep; they stop the pattern of stop-start breathing that is characteristic of sleep apnea.

If you wake up tired every morning, despite getting your eight hours of sleep, you may be suffering from undiagnosed sleep apnea. This means that your brain and body aren’t getting enough oxygen to heal and to re-energize each night.

With the right CPAP machines, nasal pillows, and replacement parts, you’ll have the tools you need to enjoy the sort of sleep you’ve always wanted.

Talk to a sleep specialist today to find out more…