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10 Quick Tips for a Restful Sleep
It’s no secret that if you’re not getting a good night’s sleep, there can be negative consequences on your health. Over a long time poor sleep habits can result in memory issues, higher risk for diabetes, weakened immune system, weight gain and high blood pressure just to name a few. Now more than ever it’s important to take control over the habits that can easily affect your health.
In honour of World Sleep Day, we thought we’d share 10 quick tips for a restful sleep.
1. Increase bright light exposure during the day
Your body has a natural time-keeping clock known as your circadian rhythm. It affects your brain, body, and hormones, helping you stay awake and telling your body when it’s time to sleep. Natural sunlight or bright light during the day helps keep your circadian rhythm healthy. This improves daytime energy, as well as nighttime sleep quality and duration. Try getting daily sunlight exposure by going for a walk or even just sitting outside. Sometimes this isn’t easy or practical depending on where you live. If it’s not practical, invest in an artificial bright light device.
2. Create a bedtime routine
Remember when you were a child and you had a bedtime routine? Maybe you are a parent and creating and maintaining that bedtime routine for your child is really important so that they get their sleep. Adults are not much different. If you have a few things you do each night it tells your body it’s time to wind down and get ready for sleep. These could include, a hot shower or bath, reading a book, drinking a cup of tea, a skincare routine, plan out your day, lay out your clothes for the next day.
3. Optimize sleep environment
There’s a reason why people have a hard time sleeping in a bright loud room. It’s not the right sleep environment. Creating the right sleep environment in your bedroom can make a huge difference in getting good sleep. Ensure your bedroom is completely dark. If you need to, get black-out curtains. Set the temperature of the room that’s right for your sleep environment. Some people sleep better with a noise machine. If you’re having trouble sleeping and haven’t tried it, you can download an app and try a few different sounds. It helps to block our any background noise.
4. Meditate
As part of your bedtime routine to wind down, you can meditate. There are many meditation apps or guided meditations specifically for sleep on Youtube. If you’re someone who has a hard time turning your brain off for the night, meditation is a great way to learn to release thoughts that are causing you stress or keeping you awake and move into a more relaxed state.
5. Drink tea
Drinking a hot cup of tea before bed can be a great way to prepare your body and mind for sleep. There are many teas that are known to be calming that are best before bed. Chamomile, lavender, and valerian root tea are all relaxing and calming teas to drink before bed.
6. Reduce blue light exposure before bed
Nighttime light exposure is not good for us. This is due to its effect on your circadian rhythm, tricking your brain into thinking it’s still daytime. This reduces hormones like melatonin, which help you relax and get deep sleep. Our smartphones, tablets, and computers are the worst for emitting blue light in large amounts. Try not to be on a device an hour before bed. If you have to, wear blue light blocking glasses or download an app that blocks blue light on your phone.
7. Diffuse essential oils
Essential oils have become very popular over the last few years, even though they’ve been around for a very long time. Essential oils are natural aromatic compounds that come from the earth and have therapeutic benefits. Put a diffuser next to your bed and turn it on 30 minutes before you plan to go to sleep. Add calming oils such as lavender. As we breathe in essential oils, they impact the limbic system of the brain, which helps to be calm and relaxed.
8. No caffeine late into the day
If you’re someone who enjoys their cup of coffee a few times a day to keep them going, it’s a good idea to hold back on that extra cup late into the day. When consumed late in the day, caffeine stimulates your nervous system and may stop your body from naturally relaxing at night. Pay attention to the time that you have that last cup and if it affects your sleep. Some people have a cut off time that they can’t have any coffee past that particular time. Find something to replace that cup of coffee with that doesn’t have caffeine. Maybe go for a walk and get some fresh air.
9. Take an evening bath or shower
A hot shower or bath can be very calming. If you’re taking a bath, add a cup of Epsom salts and a few drops of essential oils to help the body calm down. Create a relaxing environment by lighting a candle or playing some music if you choose. If baths aren’t your thing, no problem. You can always simply dip your feet in hot water and this will also help you relax.
10. Get a comfortable mattress and pillow
While this tip might be the most expensive one on the list, it’s definitely worth the investment. Ever wondered why you sleep so much better in a hotel? Apart from the environment, there’s a good chance the mattress and pillows at a hotel are much more comfortable than the ones you have at home. One study looked at the benefits of a new mattress for 28 days, revealing that it reduced back pain by 57%, shoulder pain by 60%, and back stiffness by 59%. It also improved sleep quality by 60%. To learn more about relieving back pain, be sure to check out this blog post.
Getting sleep is very important to live a happy and healthy life. If you’ve tried many of these tips and still are having trouble getting a good night’s sleep then it might be worth ruling out a sleep disorder by speaking with a specialist. Speak to your doctor to get a referral.
Still need help with sleep? Speak to your doctor or visit a walk-in clinic.
About the author
Shereen Mohammed
Shereen is a passionate marketing professional with over 7 years of experience in executing traditional and digital marketing strategies across diverse industries. With a background in both agency and client-side roles, Shereen has successfully implemented effective marketing campaigns that have yielded a positive return on investment. As an energetic individual, Shereen possesses strong organizational and communication skills, ensuring seamless team coordination and collaboration. She thrives in process-driven environments, paying meticulous attention to detail while remaining focused on achieving results. With a proven ability to manage multiple projects in competitive and fast-paced settings, she is dedicated to driving success through strategic marketing initiatives.