Tips to help you sleep better
Do you belong to the category of people who find it difficult to sleep? How much does insomnia affect your life and what can you do to deal with it? Here are some tips to help you sleep better.
We will all be faced with insomnia at some point in our lives. 30-40% of people suffer from insomnia, while 10-15% experience chronic insomnia.
The stress and anxiety of everyday life are factors that can hinder your sleep. Problems at work, a disagreement with a member of your family or some bad news can cause you anxiety and keep you awake at night.
Whatever the cause, you may find it difficult to fall asleep as a result of feeling tired, unable to concentrate and performing and feeling numb or irritated.
It’s up to you to sleep well. So let’s learn how.
What hinders your sleep
Apart from the problems, stress and worries that are inevitable, there are some things that you can control. And these are the things that affect your sleep even if you don’t realize it:
Caffeine
Caffeine is a stimulant that interferes with your sleep. Just because you don’t realize it doesn’t mean that it doesn’t affect you. If you want to drink coffee, you have to do it at a certain time. It’s better to drink coffee early in the morning and ideally until 14.00. Caffeine stays in your body for about 8 hours, making it one of the factors that affect your sleep.
Nicotine
You smoke to calm your nerves. However, nicotine is also a stimulant. So the best thing to do is to limit it and avoid smoking before going to bed.
Electronic devices
The phone, the TV or the laptop, due to the blue light they emit, keep your brain awake, as a result of which it’s difficult for you to fall asleep.
So it’s better to keep the electronic devices away from your bedroom, so that there is complete calmness in your room and you can fall asleep more easily.
What improves sleep
In addition to avoiding anything that interferes with your sleep, there are some activities that can prepare you for bed:
Exercise
Regular exercise doesn’t only keep you in shape, but also helps to eliminate stress and anxiety – the main causes of insomnia.
But be careful. It’s good to exercise in the morning and avoid exercise in the evening, because your body needs at least 5 hours to relax after exercise.
Read a book
Reading is a great way to relax before going to bed while learning new things and avoiding the use of electronic devices. So dedicate a little time before bed to a good book.
Adopt relaxation techniques
Try to relax before going to bed. For example, close your eyes and take some deep breaths. This kind of technique helps you clear your mind and relax your body.
Go to bed when you are drowsy
If you can’t sleep, get out of bed and do something that relaxes you. Read a book or listen to relaxing music and only come back when you start to feel tired.
Put problems aside
Try to drive away stress and problems. Write down on a piece of paper what concerns you and what you need to do and tell yourself that you will be busy this morning.
Hide the watch
By watching the time pass, all you do is increase your anxiety and hinder your sleep even more.
Put your alarm clock in a part of the room where you have no eye contact, relax and try to sleep without looking at the clock.
Tips to sleep better by Melissa Chu, Wellness specialist
How exercise changes our bodies
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