You might know that sleeping is super important. That’s when your body is resting, healing, and repairing. You might be able to function with 5-6 hours of sleep, but we all need about 7-8 hours of sleep or more. Sleep deficiency can be linked to several diseases such as diabetes, obesity, and high cholesterol. If are struggling to lose weight and improve your health then you might want to take actions to improve your sleep.
Sleeping more can be easier said than done especially when you are having trouble falling and staying asleep. I have a few tips that could help you get started and things that I have been doing myself that helped me.
#1 Set up a bed time on your phone
Setting up a bedtime can be a good reminder when you aren’t paying attention to the time. It can be easy to get caught up in things or in a movie and staying up late. You can either set an alarm on your phone 30 minutes before going to bed. You can use the bedtime option on your iPhone that sends you a notification when it is close to bedtime and it puts your phone on “do not disturb.” You can also see how many hours of sleep you will get and it has a sleep analysis. Pretty neat!
#2 Turn off screens an hour or so before bedtime
Screens emit blue light which has been shown to keep you awake because it suppresses the secretion of melatonin. Melatonin is an hormone that helps you go to sleep and it is supposed to increase at night and decrease in the morning. Anything that suppresses your melatonin or lowers it will make it harder for you to fall asleep. This is why some people take melatonin to help them fall asleep. To prevent that, you can either wear some blue light blocking glasses and/or turn off all screens an hour before going to bed. That’s when the reminder on your phone becomes handy as we tend to get caught up in a movie or show without paying attention to the time.
#3 Keep your room cool and dark
It is much harder to fall asleep when you are hot because it is uncomfortable. When we are hot, we tend to stay in lighter stages of sleep and we might not feel as refreshed in the morning. By sleeping in a cool bedroom, you will get the most deep sleep. The temperature will depend on you as you don’t want to be cold which will be uncomfortable and will have the same effect as being hot. I find that I get good sleep when my bedroom is at 69F, but for some people it might be too cold and for others, it might be too hot. The best is for you to find a good temperature that will allow you to get a good night of sleep without waking up because you are too hot or too cold.
#4 Take some magnesium before bed
Before taking any supplements, remember to talk to your primary care physician. Magnesium can help you sleep at night because it helps you be calmed and relaxed. It also regulates the hormone melatonin, which plays a role in your sleep-wake cycles. It has also been shown to help you achieve deep and restful sleep. You can take some before going to bed or apply a magnesium lotion. Another way to get some magnesium is to take a bath with epsom salt and rinse yourself off without washing it off.
#5 Diffuse some oil in your bedroom
Diffusing some oil in your room can help you fall asleep faster as it will help you relax. Obviously, not all essential oils will do that, so here is a few oils that will do the job.
- Lavender – well-known for sleep and relaxation. It can also help with anxiety if that is one thing that stops your from falling asleep.
- Vanilla – good for sleep and stress relief.
- Rose – reduce stress and anxiety.
- Jasmine – improves sleep quality.
- Bergamot – improves sleep quality and relieve anxiety (I have been using it every night this week).
- Sandalwood – great for relaxation and anxiety relief.
There is a few oils to choose from depending on the benefits you are looking for. You also want to choose one that you enjoy the scent of.
Those are a few tips that you can start following to get a better night of sleep. The best is to start with one at a time especially when it comes to going to bed earlier or changing your night routine. It is not something that will happen overnight (pun unintended), so you can set some goals to help you do that. If you are going to bed around 11 PM, and you want to go to bed at 9 PM, don’t expect to fall asleep easily as you are going to bed 2 hours earlier than you used to. You will also be more likely to fall back on old habits if you do not take it one step at a time.
I want to hear from you, is sleep something you are struggling with? Let me know if comments and share your struggles or tips.
