To get the most from each day, getting restful sleep at night is key. Sleep affects the mood, health and energy. Adults are supposed to get around eight hours per night. But, there are millions of people who don’t sleep well enough. Several ways exist to get a better sleep that provides more vigor and a better level of health.
The first thing to do is to reset nature’s internal alarm clock for sleep and waking times. To begin a better cycle, go to bed and wake up at the same hour every night and day. When you sleep in on weekends, the weekday schedule will be put off by that amount. This will result in fatigue during the day as the clock is not set to an ideal schedule. To get to a better cycle, it’s best to get enough sunlight. Being in the sunlight will reset the clock for activity during daylight and rest at night.
Sleeping well many times is dependent on what you do during the day. Getting enough exercise will make sleep more restful at night. But, exercising too late in the day can make it more difficult to sleep. Getting an energy boost from exercise at night will make it more difficult to sleep. An earlier exercise time means that the energy will be there during the day but will have dissipated by bedtime. The later afternoon is one of the best times to exercise. This means that flagging energy will occur when it’s time to sleep.
What time you sleep often has to do with your habits. Getting into the habit of going to bed late will make it ingrained and difficult to change. Staying awake in bed is also a habit. After a set bedtime is a habit, a routine for bedtime should be established. Including several bedtime rituals into a routine will become a habit. When this routine begins, you will soon see the connection that occurs between the actions and going to sleep. Once it’s ingrained, just beginning the routine will make you sleepy.
Watching your food and drink at night will also affect your sleep. Most people already know not to have caffeine before bedtime. However, other foods may have a similar effect. Foods with tyrosine will cause wakefulness. Pepperoni, avocados, bologna and cheddar cheese contain tyrosine. This effect is also caused by red wine. Have warm milk and a slice of bread if you get hungry at night. When both of these are consumed together, the effect of the milk’s tryptophan is enhanced and sleepiness ensues. If a large meal is eaten right at bedtime, it can keep you awake. Dinner should be eaten a few hours before it’s time for bed, and milk and bread can be a snack if needed.
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