What keeps you up at night? Poor sleep quality and a lack of sleep can wreak havoc to your health. Everything from brain function to weight gain is affected by irregular sleep patterns.
There are a few different things that can be done to help improve your sleep. Most people know not to drink caffeine late in the day or to get a comfortable bed. Several sleep hacks are less known. Here are five secrets to getting a better night’s sleep.
Exercise Regularly
People who have trouble falling asleep may find solace in exercise. Five different studies (1997, 2005, 2010, 2011, 2012) found that activity fosters better sleep. It decreases the amount of time you’re awake at night while increasing the amount of time you’re sleeping. Furthermore, it has the potential to reduce the time it takes to fall asleep significantly.
There’s one caveat to regular exercise: you should not exercise late in the day, which is because it increases hormones like epinephrine and adrenaline, which keep you awake.
Set Your Bedroom Temperature
You’ve probably noticed that it’s difficult to fall asleep during hot summer nights or when you’re on vacation in a tropical environment. Body temperature plays a significant role in sleep.
If you’re overheated, you’ll probably toss and turn during the night. Interrupted sleep is common because your body is uncomfortable. With the rise in temperature, your sleep quality will suffer.
70°F is typically the comfortable temperature for sleep, though it depends on the individual. Air conditioning, blackout curtains, and fans can all help you reduce your room temperature before you sleep.
Increase Bright Light During the Day
Do you know what your circadian rhythm is? It’s your body’s natural clock, telling you when to sleep and when to wake up. It affects your hormones, which governs your body’s functions. Needless to say, it’s an essential part of your daily life.
By exposing yourself to natural light and bright light during the day, you can keep your circadian rhythm healthy to improve your daytime energy, as well as nighttime sleep quality and duration.
However, exposure to the same type of light during the evening has the opposite effect, which is because your circadian rhythm thinks its daytime and decreases the release of the hormone melatonin, which helps you get to sleep.
Using a mobile device or watching tv produces a lot of blue light. Again, this tricks your circadian rhythm into thinking that it is daytime, which makes it difficult to fall asleep.
Reduce blue light exposure at night. You can do this with special glasses, apps, and simply turning off the tv and electronic devices two hours before going to bed.
Try Therapy
Stressed? Anxious? Many get lost in their thoughts before bed. You can even be worried about the fact that you can’t fall asleep, which can be a recurring problem leading to insomnia. Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) has been proven effective against depression and anxiety. If you’d like to quiet your mind so you can sleep, invest in a few therapy sessions.
There are two parts to CBT. The cognitive part helps you identify and change the thoughts that are keeping you awake. The behavioral component of CBT can improve your sleep habits.
There are numerous techniques associated with CBT:
Stimulus control therapy. Remove conditions that keep you awake like inconsistent bedtimes and wake times, naps, and staying in bed if you can’t fall asleep within 20 minutes.
Sleep environment improvement. As the name suggests, this method may include things like eliminating noise, keeping your tv outside of the bedroom, and keeping clocks out of sight.
Relaxation training. Relax your body and mind with different methods, including meditation.
Paradoxical intention. Often, people can’t fall asleep because they worry about not being able to fall asleep. Let go of this worry by trying to stay awake.
You may need a combination of these methods to get optimal sleep.
Use Balance CBD Natural Formulation
Increasingly more people are turning to CBD to help them sleep. The Balance CBD Natural Tincture in 1000mg is easy to use and is perfect for a restful night.
The Unflavored Relief Tincture is a great way to receive the benefits of CBD, conveniently packed in a small travel-sized bottle! Formulated with organic liquid coconut oil, this tincture can be added to your food and beverages, or straight under your tongue for rapid, fast-acting relief – all night.
Tinctures are easy to use. Before swallowing, allow the Natural CBD Oil to sit under your tongue for 45-60 seconds. In terms of amount, start with one serving (12.5mg). Start with this low amount and increase as needed. Please start small and go slow as you find what amount works best for you.
The Bottom Line
Sleep is vital to your health. Poor sleep can lead to obesity, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes, among other health conditions. Improve your health and wellbeing with these five sleep hacks.
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