Sleep is an integral part of our lives, and not having enough of it can negatively affect the body’s functions. The recommended sleep by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine for adults is seven or more hours of sleep, and for young adults, at least nine or more hours. Hence, a regular sleep schedule is necessary for promoting overall health. Have trouble sleeping even with comfortable bamboo sheets queen bed? Here are a few things you must follow to get a peaceful sleep.
Things to Promote Good Night Sleep
1. Set Your Sleep Schedule
Make sure to set a sleep schedule and stick to it. Aim for eight hours of sleep exactly to set your natural clock. A healthy sleeping time for adults is 7 hours. Set the same sleeping and waking up time every day because consistency reinforces the sleep-wake cycle.
2. Use White Noise Machines
What is white noise? White noise is a way to help you block out surrounding noises and distractions to help your sleep better. White noise machines can block the noises of the surroundings, including door closing noises, car hoking, animal sounds, children crying, and usual city sounds, etc., by giving out an ambient sound. This helps you sleep better by reducing surrounding distractions and noises.
3. Keep an Eye on What You Drink and Eat
Eating habits highly influence your sleeping pattern. If you go to bed too stuffed or hungry, the discomfort can disturb your sleep. Try to avoid having large or heavy meals a few hours before sleeping, and don’t go to bed with an empty stomach. Caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol can also disturb your sleep. Even though alcohol can initially make you sleepy and relax, it may later disrupt your sleep.
4. Do Regular Physical Activity
Regular physical exercise can be very useful in promoting better, relaxed sleep. Exercise stimulates the release of sleep hormones like melatonin to help you sleep better at night. Nevertheless, make sure to see when you’re exercising. Morning workouts will always be better since they offer bright daylight and promote the body’s natural circadian rhythm. Try not to do physical activity near bedtime.
5. Limit Your Naps in the Daytime
Taking long naps in the daytime can affect your nighttime sleep. Even if you want to sleep in the daytime, make sure not to sleep longer than 30 minutes, and try not to sleep too late. Limiting your daytime naps will naturally signal your body to sleep in the night, hence you can get a restful night’s sleep.
Verdict
In most cases, sleepless nights are not rare. Almost everyone has had a sleepless night if not more in their lives. The methods covered above are more than enough to promote a good night’s sleep in most cases. Nevertheless, if you think your sleep issues are not getting better or are becoming too frequent, you should consult your doctor to diagnose the cause and help you get the restful sleep your body needs.
