Do you find that your energy level flags (starts to fall) right after lunch? Are you trying to subsist on coffee, other caffeinated beverages or sugary foods to keep yourself going till it’s “quitting time”? These might be familiar questions to you, but they should make you pause to think about the quality of your sleep. The reason why you feel lethargic is often due to the poor quality of your sleep. If you have noticed you are waking frequently or tossing and turning, those are signs of poor quality sleep. Writer Amelia Johnson is sharing some great tips on how to improve your sleep quality.
Do You Have Trouble Sleeping? Here Are a Few Tips to Help You Sleep.
Sleeping Habits That Can Help You Live a Healthy Life.
By
Amelia Johnson
According to the National Sleep Foundation, good quality sleep directly affects your physical and mental health. Lack of sufficient sleep can take a severe toll on your emotional balance, weight, and productivity. Yet, most people spend the better parts of their nights tossing and turning in bed, struggling to fall asleep. Fortunately, there is a solution to getting quality sleep. Following healthy sleep habits make all the difference between a restful slumber and restlessness.
#1. Pay Attention to What You Eat and Drink
Any coffee lover knows that caffeine is a stimulant and can keep you up way past your bedtime. Therefore, it is prudent that you avoid any caffeinated drinks including cola, chocolate, tea and some pain relievers at least four hours before your bedtime. The same goes for smokers. If you smoke, try to refrain from smoking too close to your bedtime.
Most people think that alcohol makes them sleep better. In reality, alcohol helps you to fall asleep faster and acts as stimulants a few hours later into the night. Therefore, it is necessary that you avoid drinking alcohol within 3 hours of your bedtime.
#2. Take a Tablespoon of Raw Honey Before Bedtime
Another great fast-acting sleeping solution is raw honey. Studies show that a tablespoon of fresh honey before going to sleep can help improve your sleep quality. Raw honey has an ideal ratio of fructose that can support the liver throughout the night. If you have your dinner at 6:00 pm, by the time you retire to bed at 10:00 pm, your body will have consumed a good amount of its liver supply of glycogen, hence leaving you with less than what is required for 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep.
Eating a tablespoon of raw honey restocks your liver with sufficient glycogen thereby allowing you to get wholesome continuous sleep. The effects of honey on sleep can be seen through Seth Robert’s rigorous self-experimentation on how raw honey has helped him improve sleep. (http://archives.sethroberts.net/blog/2013/11 /05/honey-at-bedtime-improves-sleep/) (https://dailyhealthpost.com/honey-promotes-sleep/).
#3. Drink Fruit Water Before Bedtime
Insomnia, stress, and anxiety are regular issues due to lifestyle. These problems negatively affect healthy sleep. Fortunately, infusions of some fruits can help ease tension and promote sleep. Having a fruit infuser bottle next to your bed to sip on some freshly squeezed warm fruit water can also help to improve restful sleep. Preferably, squeeze in some lemon, cinnamon, and cherry to help promote healthy sleep.
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Cherries are rich in melatonin, which is a sleep hormone, hence helps to promote healthy sleep. Tart cherries are highly recommended as they have a higher amount of melatonin compared to sweet cherries. The cinnamon in your drink is excellent for regulating blood sugar, whereas the lemons add more vitamin C to make it a high oxidant drink.
#4. Establish a Soothing Pre-Sleep Routine
When was the last time you took a few minutes to unwind before retiring to bed? Most people end up watching TV, calculating their finances and doing other chores right up until their bedtime. These activities, whether physical or psychological cause your body to secrete Cortisol, a stress hormone that is associated with increased alertness. Avoid stress-stimulating activities before your bedtime.
Making some time for a pre-sleep routine can go a long way to improving healthy sleep. Ease the transition from being alert to sleep by engaging in relaxing activities an hour into your bedtime. Taking a warm bath before going to bed helps to promote drowsiness. You can also practice meditation and other relaxation exercises.
#5. Stick to a Consistent Sleep-wake Schedule
Adopting healthy sleep habits go a long way to improving your quality of life. Sleeping and waking up consistently aids to set your body’s internal clock. Pick asleep and wake time and stick to them as much as possible. You do not have to make these changes overnight. The most effective way to make these changes is through small gradual adjustments. Therefore, your body will always be ready to sleep at the same time night after night. Try as hard as possible to stick to the same routine on weekends or limit it by at least one hour to reinforce your body’s sleep-wake cycle.
BONUS TIP! #6- Sleep Mantras
Once your mind relaxes, your body will relax. Here’s another batch of tips on how to use “sleep mantras” to help you gain a relaxed state of mind that allows you to drift to sleep. Thanks to SleepAdvisor.org for this set of tips: https://www.sleepadvisor.org/sleep-mantras/
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There are just some of the habits that you should aim to include in your daily and nightly routine to improve your overall quality of sleep. That said, not all sleep disorders can easily be treated through behavioral and habit change. In such a case that you may be suffering from a sleep disorder such as narcolepsy, restless leg syndrome, apnea or other medical sleep conditions, it is advisable that you seek the help of your health professional.
Amelia Johnson
Bio of Amelia Johnson
Amelia is a writer/editor with an endless passion for bringing a lot of useful and trustworthy information to the community. She founded stayhealthyways.com, a blog dedicated to sharing quality articles related to health, nutrition, fitness, and beauty. As a typical introvert, Amelia is a perfectionist at work. In her leisure time, she reads, listens to music, chats with some close friends, and walks with her pet.
Homepage: StayHealthyWays.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/shws_amelia
Google Plus: https://plus.google.com/u/1/113055338355512444586
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stayhealthyways/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/stayhealthyways/
Thanks to Amelia Johnson for a top-notch piece on how to improve the quality of your sleep. I personally don’t sleep well so I read this piece with a lot of interest. I learned many things about what I could do to improve my sleep quality. Hopefully, you will find this article as useful as I did! And if you did, leave us a comment!
If you want to see more information on how to get a good night’s sleep, you might want to check out this link: Sleep Quality Assessment Tool
Stevie Wilson,
LA-Story.com
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