Sleep is the most natural part of our daily cycle, with our bodies developing in such a way that sleep is crucial to survival.
Considering it’s so important to get a good night’s rest, it’s concerning that 40% of adults report struggling with insomnia on a frequent basis and 30% of adults get less than 6 hours of sleep a night. Getting good rest is essential to our mental and physical health.
Routine
The biggest influencing factor to our sleep is our sleeping schedule. Keeping a solid sleep schedule is vital to getting a good night’s rest. It may be tempting to sleep in on a weekend or stay up late with your friends, but this can be detrimental to your internal clock going forward.
There is on average a one to two hours window for deviation from a sleep schedule without confusing your internal clock, try not deviate out of the one-to-two-hour safe zone.
Dark
Light prevents the manufacture of melatonin in the brain, a hormone which is required to sleep. Try and sleep in as dark an environment as possible to ensure a good night’s rest. The melatonin production is not instant either, try to avoid bright lights like a mobile phone or a TV for at least half an hour before going to bed. Try and limit all light in the room and use thick curtains to limit any light from outside.
Beds Are For Sleep
The body tends to be conditioned to certain activities in certain areas. Watching movies or playing games on a phone will generally cause brain stimulation in bed.
Stimulating your brain in bed repeatedly will cause a set pattern and expectation of stimulation whenever you climb into bed to go to sleep. Keep movies to the couch and keep as little screen time as possible while in bed. External stimulation is the enemy when trying to get a good night’s sleep.
Diet
Caffeine, sugar and alcohol are detrimental to a good night’s sleep, the best practice is to avoid all of these for at least 3 hours before going to bed, preferably more. It’s not just what you eat, though, it’s also how you eat. Avoid heavy meals right before bedtime as they can keep you awake. Favour lighter meals before going to bed.
Temperature
Keeping a stable but cool temperature in your room while you sleep will greatly aid in the quality of your sleep. Studies have shown 60 to 65 degrees Fahrenheit to be the perfect temperature range for sleep. When keeping your room at the ideal sleeping temperature, try to limit the amount of noise from a fan or air-conditioner, opt for a slower fan speed on your air conditioner to avoid additional noise.
Sleep Alone
Children and animals naturally have a much more erratic sleep schedule than adults, this erratic sleep schedule will lead to sleepless nights if they still sleep in your bed. Don’t let children or pets sleep in your bed as they will cause restless sleep and leave you feeling tired the next day.