How to get sufficient sleep (The essential tips)
Unfortunately, we struggle when we are tired because all the things that can potentially go wrong with a lack of sleep. On the other hand, we can change all of that using these time-tested methods, hacks, and tips:
Establish a (short) nightly routine
Our brain loves routines and habits. But, that’s a good and a bad thing. Our brain doesn’t know the difference between what’s a waste of time and what’s considered productive, so it’s up to you to make the difference between the bad and the good.
The nighttime routine is one excellent habit that effectively tricks the brain into bedtime mode. It will start a process of chemical reactions that signal you’re about to lay down soon. In this routine you can include many options like reading for 15-30 minutes, meditating for a few minutes, sitting down and thinking about how the day went, getting involved in a relaxing hobby, thinking about some things you’re grateful for, writing or journaling etc.
You probably noticed that none of the above habits involve technology. That’s because the studies show that your sleep cycle can be disrupted by the blue light emitted from our screens.
If you use the computer in the evenings, help yourself with installing a program called Flux. This program eliminates the blue light and that way helps you avoid the sleep-blocking blue light.
Don’t go to bed hungry (And do eat carbs)
Many sources will agree that you will have trouble falling asleep when you eat late at night. You will have pressing feeling on your stomach because your body is allocating resources trying to digest a heavy meal.
Almost everywhere you read that you should stay away from food few hours before going to sleep, but studies have shown that eating carbs at night (especially starchy carbs) can actually help you fall asleep faster. Eating carbs naturally boost the two brain chemicals involved in sleep ( Serotonin and Tryptophan).
So, the solution is not to swear off carbs after 3 PM. But, that doesn’t mean you should eat a pepperoni pizza two hours before going to bed. Be reasonable and make sure you don’t go to bed hungry.
Reserve bed for sleeping and making love only
You should only use your bed for sleeping. It’s a disaster for your sleep cycle when you try to read or study in bed. You should learn your brain that it’s sleep time when you put your head on a pillow, not reading, studying or social media time.
Your brain may fail to make the right association if you do other activities in your bed. Using your bed only for sleeping is a habit that will get your brain to believe that sleep is right around the corner once you lay in your bed.
Listen to a podcast or audiobook
If you are not a fan of reading actual books, listening to an audiobook of your choice before bed can potentially close your eyes and relax you.
There are also thousands of podcasts available for free, so you don’t need to pay for the audio version of a book.
Keep your schedule consistent
Just keep consistency, whatever you do. It’s not enough only a week to implement a good routine or habit. You need to focus on your execution when you’re confused why something isn’t working.
If you’ve already tricked your brain into association with a bad habit that you’re trying to undo than you can’t expect a 180 turnaround after a week or two
The ability for the brain cells to form connections based on repetition is called neuroplasticity. If you’ve implemented great habits, neuroplasticity is an amazing thing. But, it’s a bad thing when you’ve implemented bad habits.
But, it’s completely possible to form good connections instead of bad ones, you just need to have a little bit of patience.
Don’t wait to start
It’s time to start making changes today to help you get better sleep. You need to implement some of these great habits into your lifestyle to get enough sleep. Don’t wait to get the sleep you deserve.
