Disclosure: I've partnered with GhostBed to improve the quality of my sleep! You can read the Ghost Story to learn more about how they created their awesome mattress. I'm excited about sharing these tips with you so you can improve the quality of your sleep too! 🙂
There are few things that are worse than not sleeping well…especially if it's an ongoing problem! For years, I struggled to get a good night of sleep. I even took prescription sleep aids for a few years…until I realized that I couldn't remember discussions I had or things I did after taking my sleeping pill. Definitely not a good situation! Over the last 5 years, I've done lots of research on sleep and I've talked to lots of doctors and natural health professionals and asked for sleeping tips.
For starters, if you have trouble getting a good night's sleep, you're not alone. In the US, it's estimated that between 50-70 million adults aren't getting enough sleep. Some degree of insomnia is reported in as many as 30% of all adults.
Sleep is vital to both your health and happiness. How happy are you when you've had to pull an all-nighter for school, work, or even as part of your social life?
Check out these 8 tips to get the most out of your sleep:
1. Set a sleep schedule and stick to it.
Our bodies adapt very quickly to our sleeping habits. I've never been a morning person, but when I started going to bed consistently between 9 and 9:30 and waking up between 4:30 and 5, my body quickly adapted and I feel great!
- Most people require 7-8 hours of sleep to function optimally.
- Your body is much more efficient at sleeping and preparing for sleep if you can maintain a schedule.
2. Keep your bedroom cool.
Your body temperature drops as you near bedtime and is at its lowest during sleep. If the room is too warm, your body won't be able to cool down. Soaking in a hot tub or relaxing in an infrared sauna before bed can also help as it heats up your body temperature. My husband and I spend 30 minutes in our sauna every night before bed and it's made a HUGE difference in our sleep!
As you cool off and your temperature starts dropping, it signals your body that it's time for sleep!
- Sleep quality is improved in a cool sleeping environment.
- You'll have to play around with the temperature to find what's ideal for you.
3. Avoid alcohol.
Alcohol can help you fall asleep, but sleep quality is compromised. It has been shown that sleep is less restful and you'll wake up more often during the night, even if you don't remember it. For some reason, the negative effects of alcohol are more pronounced in women.
4. Darken the room.
Even the light from your alarm clock can compromise the quality of your sleep.
- Remove as much artificial light from your sleeping environment as possible.
- Turn off the computer screen and minimize any ambient light coming from outside the room.
5. Sleep the most beneficial amount of time.
Studies have shown that sleeping more than 9 hours or less than 6 hours is associated with feelings of anxiety and sadness.
- If you find you need more than 9 hours and can't sleep more than 6, a visit to your physician is advised.
- Even one night of low quality or quantity sleep is associated with insulin resistance, a major cause of type-2 diabetes. Those that sleep less than 6 hours are also far more likely to develop high blood pressure.
6. Ensure you get enough Vitamin B6, Calcium and Magnesium.
Vitamin B6 is needed to synthesize melatonin, which is vital to sleep. Calcium deficiency has been shown to increase the amount of time it takes to fall asleep so make sure you get enough calcium! Magnesium intake is associated with the ability to stay asleep. I take magnesium every night before bed!
7. How's your mattress?
Did you know that even the highest quality mattress loses as much as 75% of its support after 10 years? We bought a top of the line mattress 11 years ago, but over the last few years, it just hasn't been the same! We recently replaced our old mattress set with a new mattress and boxspring from Ghostbed.The GhostBed perfectly conforms to your body, providing optimal support and the perfect night's sleep. I'll be sharing more about it after I've slept on it for a few weeks! I'm excited to see how much our sleep will improve (and we already sleep pretty good)!
- You probably spend more time sleeping than you do on any other single activity. Be certain you have a good mattress.
- Consider how much you spent on your car and how many hours you use it. Purchase the best mattress you can afford.
8. Try not to exercise within 3 hours of your bedtime.
Exercise is great for increasing the quality of sleep and decreasing the amount of time required to fall asleep. However, studies have shown that 3 hours is the cutoff point to prevent exercising from decreasing sleep quality. Consider exercising first thing in the morning. It's a great way to start your day and it won't interfere with your sleep!
Sleep is an important part of maintaining health and enjoying life. If you'd enjoy sleeping more like a baby, keep these tips in mind. Maintain a regular sleeping schedule and ensure that your sleeping environment supports peaceful sleep.
Do you have any sleep tips that I missed? I'd love to hear them! Leave me a comment!
