How to Sleep Better: Tips and Home Remedies

What lifestyle changes you could make today to improve the quality of your sleep?

In the history of mankind, there has never been a time when human beings had to suffer from sleep deprivation at such a high degree. Whether you are a city dweller or stay in a small quiet town, a night of good sleep has become a rarity.

So, what steps can a person take to ensure they get adequate and high-quality sleep? This post is intended to share with you some tips and home remedies for better sleep.

But before you dive into the action steps, you need to take a glance at some facts and statistics about sleep. According to a report by the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, an average adult to live a healthy and wholesome life, they need seven or more hours of sleep per night.

In 2014, the same institution did a survey in the United States to find out the geographic varies in short sleep duration. The results showed that there are more than 20 states where people are meeting less than 70 percent of the recommended sleep requirements. In conclusion, the problem of sleep deprivation is more common than you think.

5 Tips and Home Remedies to Sleep Better at Night

1) Restrict the Use of Technological Devices Before Going to Bed

You will be surprised to learn that “3 in 4 Americans admit to using their phone while on the toilet”. Yes, this is true. BankMyCell surveyed 2,114 people in the U.S to find out about cellphone addiction in various demographics in the country. Needless to say, the results were shocking.

If 3 in 4 people use their phones in the toilet, I don’t think many will shy away from taking their phones to bed. And as we all know, excess cellphone backlight exposure

increases the time it takes for a person to fall asleep. Hence, it is critical to restrict device use before bed.

2) Practice Mindfulness

Mindfulness is defined as “the quality or state of being conscious or aware of something.” So, how does being aware of something–let’s say yourself and your surroundings– can help you sleep better?

Dr. Herbert Benson, director emeritus of the Harvard-affiliated Benson-Henry Institute for Mind-Body Medicine says that practicing mindfulness meditation for 20 minutes during the day can make it easy for you to evoke the relaxation response at night.

3) Use White Noise to Cancel out Distractions

Ideally, there is no alternative to sleeping in a calm and tranquil environment. If you stay in a remote area or your apartment is located on one of the top floors of a high- rise residential building, then you wouldn’t have to be concerned with external distractions like noise.

However, for those who stay near a busy street or have a newborn child in their home, must find a way to cancel out the noise that is capable of waking you up from sleep. Listening to white noise is one of the best ways to do so. You can get a white noise machine or merely use a ceiling/table fan to generate a soothing sound.

4) Listen to ASMR

In case you haven’t already heard, YouTube (since 2010) has a new category of sleep-inducing videos known as Autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR). In these videos, the creator (also known as ASMRist) uses specialized tools to generate several sounds that are described as calming and pleasurable.

However, there is one caveat. Not everyone responds to these soothing vibrations. There are only a select few who get a tingling sensation that runs from the top of their head to the base of their spine. The tingling sensation unwinds them so they can fall asleep quickly. Here is an example of an ASMR video.

5) Consume Sleep-Inducing Spices

Before you go ahead and pop a sleeping pill, think about the long term implications of it. A sleeping pill can indeed help you dodge certain situations. For instance, you have a job interview or a business meeting the next day, but it’s already 2 AM, and there is no sign of sleep. In such a scenario, a sleeping pill can help you get a few hours of decent quality sleep.

However, as a long term home remedy for better sleep, you should try adding all-natural spices like cumin seeds, nutmeg, aniseeds, poppy seeds, holy basil, saffron, etc. to your diet. Adding these to your food won’t make you feel sleepy during the day. Primarily, their function is to reset your sleep/wake cycle.

Conclusion

Instead of thinking of sleep as an independent activity that you perform at night, I want you to shift your perspective a bit. The actions you perform during the day add up and have a significant impact on the way you sleep at night. Hence, to sleep better at night, try to be accountable for your actions during the day.

Sebastian

Sebastian was born and raised in the busy city of Abbottabad. As a journalist, Saad Mushtaq has contributed to many online publications including the PAK Today and the Huffing Post. In regards to academics, Saad Mushtaq earned a degree in business from the Abbottabad UST, Havelian. Saad Mushtaq follows the money and covers all aspects of emerging tech here at The Hear Up.Thanks