Getting good sleep is a crucial requirement for improving our motivation, energy levels, and ensuring that we can maintain quality health. The big problem that many people face is that getting good sleep can be difficult. Some people have difficulty falling asleep quickly, or they are extremely light sleepers.
Getting poor sleep can have a series of negative effects on the body, especially when it comes to our memory, regulating our mood, our immune system as well as our motivation. If you want to fall asleep faster and enjoy a better night’s sleep, here are some strategies you can use:
Clear your head:
If you have a task, you are completing, get it done, leave things that are pending, and write them down. You can enjoy better time management this way and experience better sleep. When you go to sleep, the last things you should be thinking of are all of the things you have to do when you wake up or all of the things you might have missed out on throughout the day. Making a list of things to do the next day can make you have a reference guide so that you won’t forget anything.
Clearing your head means trusting in that list and then using a series of techniques to relax your mind and relax your body. Focus on your breathing and clear your head out of any of the troubles you experienced throughout the day. By Focusing solely on your breathing, your biological processes will take over, and you will likely fall asleep fast.
Stick to a sleep schedule:
Setting a sleep schedule can be one of the easiest ways that you can fall asleep easier. Your body has its regulatory system that’s responsible for establishing a natural internal clock for the time that you should be sleeping. The regulatory system that your body has is called the circadian rhythm, and it will determine the times when you feel the most awake and the times when you may be ready to sleep.
By waking up and going to bed at the same time each day, you can have an internal clock that is simply ready to sleep on your schedule. You will want to set your sleep schedule to ensure you are receiving at least 7 to 9 hours of constant sleep each night. This is considered to be the optimal sleep duration for most adults.
Consider what makes you the most comfortable between these times and then work to schedule an appropriate sleep time so that you can wake up and get ready to work or suit your schedule.
Stay away from technology before sleep:
Technologies like your TV, video games, phone, or tablet can be considered some of the worst hindrances for falling asleep. If you want to fall asleep faster at night, you need to make sure that you are cutting off any of your screen time for at least 30 min to an hour before going to bed.
Many people find better results when they increase this time to a few hours before falling asleep. A great strategy that you can use to fall asleep and enjoy a more peaceful night is by reading a book before you go to bed or journaling.
Stretch before you go to bed:
If you find that stretching before you work out or after you work out provides you with a calming feeling, you are not alone. Stretching before you go to bed can be an excellent way to relax your body and get ready for sleep.
Practicing slow stretching techniques can relax your muscles before you go to sleep. It is essential to take care not to do any faster movements or high impact exercise with the stretching, however.
Cut out napping:
One of the best ways that you can adjust your circadian rhythm is to cut out napping. It can be a very popular choice for people to sleep during the day when they get poor sleep at night.
Short naps can help to improve your well-being and alertness temporarily, but taking a long nap of over two hours can often lead to poor quality of sleep in the evening or even ongoing sleep deprivation.
Limit your caffeine intake before bed:
Caffeine can quickly lead to a rough night of sleep. Limiting your caffeine intake can be one of the best ways to work at preventing sleep issues. Make sure that you are checking in on the drinks that you have been having before bed and avoid items like coffee or tea right before you’re going to turn in for the night.
Prepare your room accordingly:
Some excellent ways to prepare your room accordingly can mean using blackout shades, eliminating sources of noise using white noise like a fan, and making sure that you have prepared your bed accordingly.
Having a proper place to sleep in a room that feels like it is set up for a good night’s sleep can make a world of difference. Even making your bed each day could help you to fall asleep faster.
Consider some of these top tips to maximize your ability to sleep faster and better your sleep quality.