3 Ways to Alter Your Sleep Schedule for Good
By Genevieve Cunningham
As an adult, sleep can be hard to come by. We change our habits so much from the time we're small children to the time that we're functioning adults. Long gone are bedtimes and bedtime stories. Instead, we worry late into the night, veg out to some TV, and then sleep restlessly for too few hours. The bad news is that these habits are bringing harm to our overall health. The good news is that we can change these habits! If you would like to improve your sleep, take a look at these three ways to alter your sleep schedule and make it stick for good.
Get in Touch With Natural Light
Before the invention of artificial light, people woke up and went to bed with the rising and setting of the sun. It was the natural rhythm of our bodies and nature at work. In today's world, the laws of nature are still present, but we've altered our bodies by using multiple sources of artificial light -- light bulbs, electronics, etc. If you want better sleep, try to get plenty of natural light throughout the day. Doing so can help reset your body's rhythm, which leads to better sleep over time.
Slow and Steady Works Best
Don't expect to change your habits all at once. If you take this approach, you'll get frustrated and fail. Instead, make slow changes and stick with them. Wake up five minutes earlier. Then 10 minutes earlier. Finally, push it back to 30 minutes or an hour. And do the same with your bedtime. Remember that you want better sleep to be a lifestyle change, not a quick fix. Stick with the plan, and the sleep should eventually come.
Get Control of Your Stress
Stress not only makes it difficult to fall asleep, but it also makes it difficult to stay asleep. Excessive stress may wake you up at night, preventing any quality sleep from happening. Use coping techniques to manage the stress in your life, and better sleep should be a great benefit. If you need help, ask a therapist for some management tips surrounding both stress and time. As you get your stress under control, your body will begin to relax into deeper states of sleep.
It might take work. It might take patience and consistency. But changing your sleep habits and schedule is possible and will definitely work! Use these tips to get you moving in the right direction and you may have better sleep and better health in no time at all.
To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Fort Collins, Colo.