Tired of feeling tired? Everyone deserves to get their beauty sleep, and if you find yourself waking up feeling just as exhausted as you did the night before, then perhaps it’s time for a change. The good news is that you don’t have to drop a lot of cash to turn things around. Here are three keys to achieving better sleep that you and your family should know.
1. Create a Sleep-Friendly Environment
For many, the cause of poor sleep begins in the bedroom. And, for many, the bedroom becomes a small home office, or a TV room. While it’s nice to have your own space in the home, studies show that your bedroom loses its “sleep-ability” when you start using it for other purposes. Your brain associates different spaces with different functions, and if your bedroom is set up to do things other than sleep, then there’s a good chance your brain will be more receptive to staying awake than drifting off into slumber.
The solution then is to reserve your bedroom solely for the purpose of sleep. The best way to create a sleep-friendly environment is by ditching the TV and computer screens, and keeping your room dark, quiet, and clean. Studies have also shown that a room full of clutter can be distressing and distracting to a brain that’s about to go to sleep. Make your bed each morning, so that you always come to a bed that is ready to welcome you to sleep.
If this still isn’t enough, you can design your room to be even more sleep friendly by repainting the walls to a darker, cooler color. Switch to softer lighting to help you transition to bed, and if you’re the kind of person who falls asleep fast to the constant whirr of an A/C unit or ceiling fan, you might try a white-noise machine designed to clear your mind and send you on a one-way ticket to snooze-ville.
2. Get Into a Bedtime Routine
The second key to getting better sleep is by helping your mind and body transition into sleep. Falling asleep is a process that takes time, and you can help that time move faster by setting aside a half-hour to an hour before you get into bed. This time should be spent away from electronic screens, allowing your brain to start powering down for sleep. Use this time to take your evening bath, or set aside your clothes for the next day. These low-intensity activities are a good way to physically and mentally wind down for the evening and help get you ready for sleep.
Routines develop consistency, which can be useful to helping you fall asleep sooner. In addition to winding down before bedtime, you should keep your bedtime the same for each night out of the week, even weekends. This will help train your brain to anticipate bedtime, helping you fall asleep sooner, which leads to getting a longer and deeper night’s sleep.
3. Live an Active Lifestyle
The final key to better sleep is something you do hours before you ever slip into bed. Every day you consume food, which translates to energy to help you get through your daily tasks. If you’re living a sedentary lifestyle, or if you are consuming more energy than you burn, you can go into your evening routine feeling restless. A great way to help you get a better sleep is by living a more active lifestyle. Just make sure to give yourself plenty of time between physical activity and sleep, so that your mind and body still can wind down for the evening.
After following these three keys for about a week, you and your family will start feeling the difference of better sleep. You’ll wake up feeling better rested and ready to take whatever the day has in store. No more groggy mornings fumbling for the coffee pot; just a happier, healthier family.
Article By: Anya Willis
Photo Credit: Pixabay.com