Sleep is essential for your health and overall wellness. Studies have shown that people who sleep better have stronger immune systems, perform better at work, and are more emotionally stable. Getting adequate rest is essential to living well, so if you struggle to get the recommended seven to eight hours of sleep every night it is time to work on your sleep habits. The following five ideas are easy ways that you can start sleeping better this week.
- Introduce Light Therapy
You may have heard about light therapy and wonder how does red light therapy work and can it actually help you sleep. Red light therapy is as simple as it sounds. You obtain a special light that emits red and near-infrared light onto your skin. All you have to do is sit under the light for as little as ten minutes a day to gain the benefits.
Red light therapy gives you all the positive aspects of being in the sunlight without the heat or harmful UV rays. If you are someone who spends most of your days indoors or surrounded by screens that emit blue light, red light therapy can reduce the negative effects of your indoor routine. Too much blue light can disrupt your sleep patterns, so red light therapy is an awesome option for people with careers centered around computers.
- Build a Bedtime Routine
Having a set time that you go to bed and wake up every day is a great start to a schedule, but even putting a few more rituals in place can take your routine to the next level. Evening wind-down procedures help signal to your mind and body that it is time to rest and prepare you better for sleep. Doing even one or two things at the same time every night will help you to fall asleep faster.
Try taking a hot bath or shower an hour or two before bed every night. The hot water will raise your body temperature and help relax you. Make a point to read every night in bed rather than watching television. Reading calms the mind and even makes your eyes tired and heavy. If you wake up easily in the night you might want to get a soothing sound machine to help lull you back to sleep. You can research online for even more bedtime routine suggestions.
- Try Mindfulness and Meditation
There are so many apps and free resources available at the touch of a button to start implementing mindfulness and meditation. If you often find yourself with anxious thoughts or a racing mind before bed, this is a tactic to try during the day to increase your calmness. Even if you don’t implement these right before bed, working on mindfulness during your day will still be beneficial. It will likely reduce your overall daily anxiety levels which will be helpful for you both day and night.
- Increase Your Exercise
People who exercise regularly get better overall sleep. The extra energy your body exerts during physical activity helps it rest more deeply at night. If you aren’t currently exercising you can start by adding an evening walk. If you do exercise often, then you can try increasing the intensity or frequency of your workouts and see how it helps.
- Cut Back on Caffeine
You may think that your morning cup of joe helps jump-start your day, but it may be ruining your nights. If you are struggling in the sleep department, it is time to let go of any caffeine you are consuming during the day. If the thought of going caffeine-free is daunting to you, try cutting yourself off from having any after noon each day to see how it helps. You will probably feel the benefits right away, and with better sleep, you won’t be craving caffeine anymore.
Your sleep is worth investing in. Take the time to work on it and you will likely see great improvements. These five suggestions are great options to try to start sleeping better tonight.
