Are you wondering how to get a better night’s sleep? Well, here’s how to do it effortlessly.
How Much Sleep Do You Need?
An average adult should get at least 7 hours of sleep if you want to wake up feeling well rested. The National Sleep Foundation estimates that you need 7 to 9 hours of sleep for proper rest every day. Of course, there are a few things that will affect how much sleep you can get every day. These include age, pregnancy and underlying health conditions.
If you are wondering how to determine the right amount of sleep you need, here are a few questions to help.
Do You Rely On An Alarm To Wake Up?
Some people don’t need an alarm to wake up in the morning. If you wake up early naturally without having a sleep disorder or because of a few drinks, it’s your brain signaling your body that you have had a good rest.
However, if you are struggling to get out of bed every morning even after the alarm has gone off, there is a huge chance that you didn’t sleep well and need more sleep. Even better, you should adjust your sleep schedule accordingly.
How Do You Feel?
You need to maintain a sleep diary to help you notice and identify patterns in your sleep routine. Also, you should download a sleep app to monitor your sleeping patterns. With this data, you should be able to identify the best sleep routine for proper health. You need to be attentive to your body to identify when you feel fatigued or anxious during the day. These are signs that you are not getting enough sleep.
Do You Take A Long Time To Fall Asleep?
An average person takes about 20 minutes to fall asleep. Some people might fall asleep immediately when their head hits the pillow. However, if you are struggling to fall asleep and toss and turn for at least half an hour before bed, your lifestyle could be the culprit.
Do You Take Caffeine Or Alcohol Before Bed?
Yes, alcohol might put you to sleep faster but you will have to wake up in the middle of the night a few times to go to the bathroom. Alcohol affects REM sleep so it’s advisable to avoid drinking before going to bed.
Caffeine is a stimulant that disrupts REM sleep. Taking a cup of coffee before sleep causes lightheadedness making it harder for you to fall into deep sleep. It’s advisable to avoid caffeine intake up to 6 hours before sleep.
Any slight disruptions into your REM sleep will affect your overall sleep quality. Such disruptions make it tough for you to concentrate at work during the day. Reducing your alcohol and caffeine intake will avoid any effects on your sleep quality.
Do You Use Your Phone While In Bed?
Avoid charging your phone while in bed. Don’t bring your phone or any other devices into bed with you. That’s because you are going to scroll through social media when you should be asleep. Smartphones also produce blue light that affects the circadian circle. It also affects melatonin production, a hormone responsible for bringing sleep. Electronic devices usually mimic daylight and will mess up with your internal clock.
Do You Take Long Naps During The Day?
Power naps rejuvenate your soul, mind and muscles. However, taking long naps will affect your sleep at night. Research reveals that long naps affect your internal clocks making it hard to sleep at night. Sleep experts have recommended a maximum of 90-minute naps during the day.
If sleeping during the day even for a few minutes will still mess up with your internal clock, you should avoid napping. Look for something else to do to avoid napping so you can improve your sleep at night.
Do You Have A Comfortable Pillow And Mattress?
A good pillow and mattress will make it easy for you sleep well. An uncomfortable mattress will make it hard for you to sleep well. Invest in a supportive and comfortable mattress like a Hypnos mattress to reduce lower back pain and stiffness as well as shoulder pain thereby improving sleep quality.
Your mattress can last for very long but sleep experts recommend changing your pillow at least once every year. If your mattress and pillows are too old, they are likely going to be unsupportive. Therefore, you need to spend money on a good and comfortable one.
Remember, your sleep quality determines your productivity. If you don’t get proper sleep, you are likely going to feel groggy and unproductive the whole day. Take your time to prepare your bedroom and make it a quiet place to sleep and relax after a long day. With these tips, your sleep quality will improve immensely.
