Picture this.It’s 2 AM.
You’ve been trying to fall asleep for the past two hours.
You drift in and out of light sleep, not really able to reach that deep, restorative sleep you need to prep you up for the day that is to come.
After tossing and turning for a while, you check the time, only to find out that it’s already time to get up. The whole night went by and you didn’t get an ounce of sleep.
Definitely not a good way to start your day.
Sound familiar?
If it does, then make sure to check out the best 7 tips that will help you boost the quality of your sleep, overnight.
1. Have a Sleep Journal
Any good old notebook will do the trick. Inside you’ll log the time you went to sleep, the time you woke up and the total sleep time.
Keep that notebook close to your bed since this is the last thing you want to do before you fall asleep and the first thing you want to do when you wake up. With a sleep journal you’ll be able to do two things:
- You’ll get a clear cut view of what’s your average bedtime, wake up time and your sleep length.
- With the help of the intel in your sleep journal it’ll be much easier to develop a healthy sleeping schedule.
They say you can’t manage what you don’t measure. The same holds true for sleep.
2. Go to Sleep Early
This is one of those obvious tips that no-one seems to follow.
Our bodies are geared to hit the hay as soon as the sun sets. A good rule of thumb is to go to sleep before midnight, where 10pm is seen as a sweet spot for most.
And I bet you've heard this before … one hour of sleep before midnight is worth more than two hours after midnight.
3. Eliminate Distractions
There are 3 types of distractions you need to get rid of to get a good night’s sleep. They are:
- Distractions for the Mind - internet, TV, Xbox, smartphone, etc. Shut that stuff down at least 1 hour before bedtime so that your mind can zone out.
- Distractions for the Eyes - kill all sources of bright light. This includes modems, routers, smartphones and yes, even the moon. Switch off the tech stuff and roll out the blinds to block the moon rays. Wear a sleep mask if you have to.
- Distractions for the Ears - kill the noise with some soft foam ear plugs.
4. Be Physically Active
Any kind of physical deed that will get your heart rate up will do a great deal of good when it comes to upping the quality of your sleep.
Do what you love the most - it could be parkour, soccer, weight lifting or even a light afternoon stroll in the park.
But make sure you’re not doing hard-core physical stuff right before bedtime.
5. Have Clean Bed Linen
If your bed feels, smells and looks like an Alien nest, then it’s time for you to bust out some clean bed linen.
This is one of the best things you can do to boost the quality of your sleep.
Change bed linen once a week and if you can, change the pillowcase daily.
6. Avoid Coffee and Other Stimulants
Try not to drink coffee, red bull, green tea and stuff like that at least six hours before bedtime.
Even if you can fall asleep with no trouble after drinking two cups of coffee right before you head out to bed, don’t do it.
Caffeine and other stimulants, right before bedtime, will mess with your melatonin production and your deep sleep.
7. Deep Breathing
While in bed trying to fall asleep, focus on taking deep, long breaths.
Inhale slowly, exhale slowly. Deep breathing will keep your mind in the now and away from future worries and past regrets. I know this may sound like some new-age fluff, but deep breathing really works.
These 7 Tips Are Just For Starters
In the end, if you want to sleep like a log every night, you’ll have to take good care of your health.
The 7 tips I talk about here are just the beginning. A sound diet and a smart workout plan will go a long way to make your sleep bulletproof.
That's what I've discovered.
| Written on 12/24/2012 by Dejan Antic. For more awesome fitness and health tips like these, check out No Brainer Muscle, where you can get Dejan’s Free Muscle Building Course designed for people that are having a hard time growing more muscles. | Photo Credit: Xlibber |
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