Sleep is crucial to our mental and physical health. Numerous studies show how sleeplessness affects your brain’s performance. People who often have difficulty in sleeping are most likely to suffer from one or more mental illnesses in addition to fatigue, poor circulation, hormone imbalance, and weight issues. The most prominent mental problems caused by sleeplessness include anxiety, depression, and panic disorders.
Unlike most physical health disorders, mental illnesses can go undetected for a long time. If you feel like your mental health is affecting your lifestyle, seek immediate help from a licensed therapist. Medications can be quite helpful in treating psychological issues like chronic anxiety, panic attacks, and seizures. You can visit getdiazepam to get a hold of authentic medicines to improve your sleep. It must be noted that psychiatric prescriptions should only be taken with an expert’s approval.
You need your sleep just as much as you need food, water, and air. You can survive longer than a week without food, but not being able to sleep for a whole week will lead you to death.
Therefore, it’s vital to have a minimum of 5 hours of sleep daily. The ideal sleeping duration is 7 to 8 hours every day.
If you’re someone who has a problem sleeping at night, here are the top 7 tips that can help you improve your sleep hygiene and boost your overall physical and mental health.
- Relax your body by taking a bath or shower
To sleep better, taking a hot shower is considered to be one of the most effective ways. Studies show that a hot bath before going to bed makes you sleep faster and longer. This practice is highly recommended for older people who find it difficult to sleep properly at night. (1) Showering with warm water relaxes your muscles and relieves tension. It also increases blood flow and opens your skin pores to properly remove dead cells, excess oil, dust and debris.
Alternatively, if you don’t want to shower at night, just dipping your feet in warm water for a few minutes also works. Dip your feet for about 10 to 15 minutes before going to bed. Then lightly massage your feet for about 3-5 minutes with a natural lubricant (olive oil, mustard seed oil, or coconut oil) for maximum effect.
- Don’t take long naps during the day
Your body has its own biological clock that is in sync with the day and night. While taking quick, short naps during the day is healthy, sleeping for long hours during the daytime messes up your natural sleep cycle. (2) As a result, you won’t be able to sleep at night. In fact, the longer you sleep during the day, the more exhausted and cranky you feel. On the other hand, sleeping less than 30 minutes during the daytime boosts your memory and focus. It also improves your mood and refreshes your mind.
Therefore, avoid sleeping more than 30 minutes at a time during the day. This will reset your biological clock, and nighttime sleep won’t be an issue anymore.
- Avoid caffeine and alcohol in the evening
Caffeine is a brain stimulant. Consuming it enhances your focus and gives you a boost of energy. However, drinking a caffeinated drink like coffee late in the evening can rob you of your sleep at night. Numerous studies back this fact. One similar study found that the effects of caffeine remain in your system for 6 to 8 hours. Therefore, it’s better that people should not drink large amounts of caffeine after 3-4 p.m., especially those who have insomnia or other sleeping issues. (3) However, if you feel that you need coffee in the evening, then go for decaffeinated coffee.
Similarly, consuming alcohol close to nighttime is also a bad idea. Drinking alcohol worsens your sleeping patterns, snoring, and sleep apnea symptoms. (4) It also affects your circadian rhythm and affects the synthesis of nighttime melatonin (a hormone that regulates your sleep). Hence, avoid alcohol as much as possible during the late hours of the day.
- Take help from supplements
Melatonin is the key hormone that is responsible for your sleep. Your body naturally produces it at nighttime so you can sleep.
When you’re suffering from sleeping problems, your body’s ability to produce melatonin naturally is disrupted. In such cases, you can use melatonin supplements to reset your circadian cycle and improve melatonin synthesis. (4)
Melatonin supplements are very popular around the world. They are the most used medication for sleeping issues. You can start by taking 2mg of melatonin half an hour before going to bed. There are no side effects of consuming melatonin sleep-aid.
- Make your bedroom quiet and comfortable
Another effective way to improve your sleep is to make your sleeping area quiet and comfortable. For this purpose, use soft pillows and a softer mattress. Use curtains that cancel out outside light effectively. Make your bedroom as quiet as possible if you’re a light sleeper. Also, don’t use too many external lights in your room. Turn off all the extra lights from your devices, lamps, and other electronic equipment. This will help you to sleep faster and better. (5)
Another prominent feature to make your room suitable for sleeping is to set a proper temperature range. Some people prefer warmer temperatures to sleep while others like to make their room a bit cold. Set your room temperature on the cooler side, and make sure that your bedroom is properly ventilated. Listening to soothing music while lying on the bed can also make a positive difference in your sleeping routine.
Conclusion
Your health is highly dependent on your sleep hygiene. Sleeplessness has proven to be a trigger for a variety of serious health disorders, including obesity, diabetes, hypertension, metabolic syndrome, depression, and even cancer.
You can improve your sleep by making simple changes in your lifestyle, such as avoiding caffeine and alcohol in the evening, not taking long naps during the day, optimising your bedroom, and vice versa.
