Latest News
Getting a Good Night’s Sleep
1. Desist from Snoozing Your Alarm
While the first tip might come across as an obvious take, it is hard to imagine there are those who never hit the snooze button in the morning. Regardless of the hours you have for a good rest, snoozing can be detrimental. This is because sleeping for an additional five or ten minutes can ruin your sleep cycle and body routine.
For most people, a short nap has provided enough rest on at least one occasion. However, this doesn’t happen often. Actually, you end up feeling more exhausted because as you are just about to drift off again, the alarm jolts you again. Whatever time you’re used to waking up, adhere to your routine. Lastly, waking up isn’t enough; you need to get out of bed. If you continue to lie in your bed, that is a message to your body that you’re still resting. That leads us to the next point.
2. Allow the sunshine into your room
Recently, scientists have found out that some cells in the eyes have little or nothing to do with vision. Rather, they soak in the light to help the body activate the circadian rhythm. It follows that light plays an important role in sleep.
Letting the sunshine into your room in the morning stimulates your body and mind. Apart from boosting your energy, this also makes it easier to wake up and also helps you stay alert. Right after getting out of bed, be sure to open the blinds and curtains, and turn on your lights if need be. By doing this, you’re signaling to your brain that you need to rise and get going.
3. Do Some Workout
It is true that we aren’t telling you anything that’s new, but it is important that we remind you of some things that just work. The first thing is getting out of your bed, and the second one is getting down to some physical exercise. Preferably, you should fit cardio exercises into your morning routine. This could include taking a short walk or jogging around the neighborhood. Such exercises are good for your body as they promote blood circulation, helping you stay alert and attentive. If you doubt that, try sleeping while running.
Doing physical exercise in the morning not only helps you wake up but also makes you feel better as serotonin is released. This way, you remain in a good mood all day long. It also increased the probability of you having quality sleep and rest at night. Just as you can adopt harmful patterns, you can ditch them.
4. Leave Electronics out of your bed
In this era of technology, it is not uncommon for us to spend many hours in front of an electronic screen. This could be your smartphone, computer, or TV. Whichever the device, the effects will be pretty much the same, especially in regards to sleep.
It has almost become the norm, that our preferred way of relaxing after a long day is watching TV, or taking your laptop or smartphone to bed. However, we should reconsider this new normal. The blue light emitted by these electronic devices affects the levels of melatonin in the body. This hormone is produced by the body automatically when the sun sets to induce sleep. If you’re using your smartphone before sleeping then you can guess what happens.
For an optimal night’s rest, desists from carrying those devices to bed. Rather, allow yourself some time to wind down to create a favorable environment for you to sleep. Be sure to turn off your TV before going to sleep and leaving your smartphone in night mode or turning it off before going to sleep. You could also try something like this for as long as it lasts.
5. Sleep on a quality mattress
Finally, we’ve got to the last solution of the riddle – or the first – depending on how you perceive it. Falling into a deep sleep or tossing through the night may be hugely down to what you’re sleeping on, meaning that the quality of your mattress is essential. Read our favourite UK mattress reviews.
Our bodies are all made up of a complex network of capillaries that carries blood throughout the body. Despite your preferred sleeping position, there will always be a body part that gets compressed. A mattress that is too rigid can easily lead to reduced blood and induce discomfort. If you’re barely comfortable, you’ll keep tossing through the night. Even though this promotes blood flow, it interrupts your sleep or negatively affects the quality of your sleep. Conversely, an overly soft mattress poses several issues. If you sink too deep into the mattress, you might wake up having back, neck, or shoulder pain.
Harper Harrison is a reporter for The Hear UP. Harper got an internship at the NPR and worked as a reporter and producer. harper has also worked as a reporter for the Medium. Harper covers health and science for The Hear UP.
