5 Successful Habits For A Better Sleep
Do you dream of a better nights sleep (pun intended)?
When was the last time you actively tried to make sure you went to bed early so that you jumped out of bed the following morning feeling rested and recharged? I believe, our days are dependant on our sleep. A restless nights sleep leads to a long day of possibly being tired, grumpy and/ or unproductive. A restful nights sleep leads to a productive day with good choices, a clear head and the drive to achieve your goals.
Sleep
What is sleep? Sleep is when our bodies are in a state where our consciousness is practically suspended. Our eyes are closed, our muscles are relaxed, and our nervous system is inactive. Sleep is a time when our bodies recharge from all the stress, bullying and pressure that we put on them during the day.
Why is sleep important? The health benefits of sleep are never-ending with both emotional and physical benefits. Getting a proper nights sleep aids in positive brain function like retaining information or recalling information easier. Emotional well being is heightened by being able to make decisions easier, being more creative and can process our own emotions better. A main benefit of sleep is the ability to better focus on what you are dealing with in your day to day life. Your physical health will also benefit from proper sleep. Rest heals and repairs our blood vessels, aids in balancing our hormones and can help to reduce high blood sugar levels.
We all know our bodies, and we all know how much sleep we should be getting each night. We know we can work off from less, but when it comes to getting a proper nights rest, a lot of us are in dreamland, again pun intended. A proper nights sleep would include nought quality sleep where you wake up ready to take on the day. When was the last time you enjoyed a proper nights sleep? Below are 5 simple and proven habits to implement to help you on your way to a better nights sleep.
5 Successful Habits For A Better Sleep
1. The Right Mattress And Pillow
On average we spend more a third of our life sleeping. We mine as well be as comfortable as possible. Finding a good quality mattress and pillow are a great start for making sure you get a good quality nights sleep.
This can be one of your significant investments in your home. There is no exact time frame for when you should buy a new mattress or pillow as it depends on the way you sleep, if you rotate them and the quality of the mattress or pillow you have to begin with.
Did you know you are supposed to rotate your mattress? Yes, it can help with the longevity of the mattress. Some mattresses can be flipped head to toe or even top to bottom.
Your pillow is just as important as your mattress. It supports your head. There is nothing worse than waking up from a restfulness nights sleep with a stiff neck. Make sure your pillow is supporting your head and your neck is in alignment with your spine.
When was the last time you purchased a new mattress or pillow? How often do you clean your mattress and pillow? Did you know pillow protectors are just as common as a mattress protector, and are a very good investment to help the longevity of your pillow and mattress?
2. Technology Free Room
We have all heard it time and time again in our disruptive state of being - don't bring your technology to bed. My thoughts are that the bedroom is for three things: relaxation, sleep and sex. Why bring in distractions?
A technology free bedroom means no TV, no phone, no charger... no plugins. Think of your bedroom as your escape from the disruptive world we live in where a phone call or a text message is sometimes seen as more important that the people who are in front of us. Your bedroom is a place where you are present.
A technology free room allows us to shut down entirely and let our body rest and recharge with no distractions or disruptions. Even the light on your phone can be a distraction. The artificial light is said to make it harder to switch off and fall asleep.
I know, I know, but what about my alarm clock? If you use the excuse of your phone being your alarm clock, I believe stores like Kmart and IKEA have "old school" battery-powered alarm clocks. I challenge you to buy and try.
3. A Positive Mindset
Since you go to bed in a room with no technology now, what do you do? You can talk to your partner, read or write; three lovely ways to end the night with a positive mindset.
A positive mindset allows us to have a more restful nights sleep because you are switching off your stressful thoughts. This does not happen in one night necessarily, but with practice, of you will get there. In order to switch off from the stresses of your day try to talk with your partner about the wins you had from the day, read a book that inspires you or write in a journal. Journaling can be as easy as writing down three to five things you are grateful for that day or set your intentions for the next day by writing down what you want to accomplish and how it will make you feel when you achieve those things.
It is always a great way to end the day on a positive note. If you end the day on a positive note, you are more likely to wake up with a positive mindset and shift into a productive and focused mode for the day ahead.
Also, have a pen and paper next to the bed so if you wake up in the middle of the night stressing over a thought or something you need to do, write it down so you won't forget or dwell on it and try and fall back to sleep.
4. A Go To Bed Routine
You have heard of a morning routine: get up, workout, eat breakfast, get ready and go to work. Well, why not put in place a 'go to bed routine' so you can switch off from the day and get a better nights rest?
If you are someone that likes to shower before bed, you can start there. Lock up the house, turn the lights off, shower, brush teeth, get into bed, talk, read or write to wind down and then you are ready for bed.
If you have a routine for your kids, why not implement one for yourself? Do you need to sit on the couch and scroll once the kids have gone to bed? Is that really a productive use of your time?
It's time to change it up and make a go to bed routine. This is critical so that sleep is just as important for you as it is for the others you love and take care off. It is time; get up, shut technology off and have some technology free time.
5. Implement A Go To Bed Alarm
How do you start your morning routine? With an alarm? Well, then why wouldn't you start your go to bed routine with an alarm? Yes, set your alarm at night and soon after you will not need your morning alarm.
My go to bed alarm goes off around 7:30pm these days. When it goes off, I try to be in bed by 8/8:30 and sleeping 8:30/9pm. Yes, this is early, but I love waking up and being able to watch the sun come up and then get things done. Mornings are also my productive time, so I like to take full advantage of them.
It is even possible to have an alarm for the kids to get ready and go to bed. Then an alarm for the adults to go off a short time later. Kids will understand how important something is if they see how important it is to their parents. Sleep is so important, things like TV and YouTube shouldn’t be reasons why we, as adults, are not getting enough.
Getting a proper nights sleep is achievable if you are willing to make some small changes to your nightly routine. I have given you simple and proven habits to adapt to achieve optimal sleep for you. Now that we have some tried and tested methods that are shown to help you get a better quality of sleep, what will you try out and implement first?
I hope this has been helpful for you to achieve your health and wellness goals. Sleep is something overlooked because it is so simple, but small changes to simple habits make big differences in the end. If you are interested in more useful habits to help you reach your weight loss goals, then download my 10 Happier, Healthier Habits Checklist now. It is comprised of simple, proven and effective habits to focus on for lasting results. Click the link below to get started today!
