Here's What You Should Be Doing for Better Sleep
By Genevieve Cunningham
You toss and turn. You pace the hallway. You get up and down and sip tea. Whatever you do, you still can't seem to get enough sleep. Sound familiar? Unfortunately, a lack of sleep is a serious problem for a large portion of the population, and it's harming our health! So what can we really do to get more sleep? If you need help turning your sleeping habits around, take a look at these tips to help.
Ignoring Electronics
Technology and electronics are incredibly helpful in our lives, but they can also bring some negatives. We use them to save time -- and also to waste it. We use them to entertain us -- often late into the night instead of resting. We use them to read and gather information -- and often suffer eye strain as a result. For sleep, electronics keep our brains stimulated and eyes stressed. If you want to improve your sleep, it's much more effective to turn off the electronics at least an hour before bed, and don't use them again until morning.
Going to Bed Early
Early to bed, early to rise. Some people can't go to bed early. Some have schedules that don't allow it or obligations that force them to push their bedtime to later. But the real key is to go to bed at the same time every night. Our bodies like routine, and if we give them a routine at night, we'll fall asleep faster. If you can manage to set that routine a bit earlier, you'll be on track to improve both quality and quantity of sleep moving forward.
Turning Down the Temperature
Your body has a much harder time resting in the heat. If you can turn down the temperature in your bedroom at night, you may find that falling asleep gets immediately easier. And if you can't turn down the air conditioner low enough, you can also turn your fan on high. But don't continue to try to sleep while you're sweating and uncomfortable. It won't work! Get the atmosphere the right temp, and you'll be good to go.
Getting Comfortable
If your surroundings aren't comfortable, you're not going to get good rest. Buy new pillows and blankets if you have to. Rearrange your room to adjust to the light or the fan or the air conditioner vent. Get a dim lamp to set the mood. The more comfortable your body, the easier it is to relax and ease into sleep.
Sleep is one of the most important things in your health -- and in your life! Don't treat it like something you can do without. You can't! Use these tips to improve your chances of quality sleep and you may see your mind, body, and spirit improve like never before.
To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Henderson, Nev.