According to statistics around 60% of the population suffer from a lack of sleep. In general most of us need around 7 hours a night in order to function and a lack of sleep is not only bad for physical and mental health it leaves us feeling fatigued and irritable throughout the next day.
So if your New Year’s Resolution is to start the year refreshed and more productive let’s check out how you can improve your sleep patterns and banish insomnia forever!
Tip 1: Keep to regular hours
You may have your alarm clock set for the morning but what about bedtime? Try setting a bedtime reminder on your phone or just watch the clock and go to bed at the same time each night as much as possible. That way your body will get into the habit of falling asleep at a certain time each night.
Tip 2: Don’t look at electronic devices before you sleep
Whether it is scrolling through social media, watching YouTube clips or responding to messages; the blue light from screens will always keep you awake. Try setting your phone to a regular sleep mode or flight mode before you go to bed in order to remove temptation and to prevent alerts from waking you up.
Tip 3: Avoid stimulants too close to bed time
Caffeine too close to bedtime will keep you awake. Alcohol is also a stimulant and although it will cause you to fall asleep initially it will wake you up a few hours later feeling dehydrated. If you do drink alcohol in the evening make sure you have a glass of water in hand so that you can have a drink and then go back to sleep.
Tip 4: Make sure your bedroom is not too warm
The human body is evolutionary programmed to drop a couple of degrees before we can sleep. So ensuring your bedroom is cool at bedtime will help you drop off to sleep.
Tip 5: Make sure your bedroom is dark
Thousands of years of evolution have caused humans to sleep at night when it is dark. So if you leave a light on or have light pollution such as street lights shining into your bedroom, it will be hard to get to sleep. Try blocking out external light as much as possible or wear eye shades if this is not possible.
Tip 6: Use white noise
Using white noise to block out external sounds will not only help you get to sleep it will keep you there. White noise is derived from a range of comforting natural sounds such as the seashore, rainfall or the comforting sound of household appliances humming in the distance. Listening to white noise is a very calming experience that instantly soothes and relaxes your brain and body. And because white noise works across all sound frequencies it will minimise external noises so you are less likely to wake up. Consider adding a white noise skill to your Amazon Echo device and ask Alexa to play the perfect sleep sound for you.
Tip 7: Try some relaxation exercises
Try some mindfulness exercises such as focusing on your breathing, imagining a beautiful calm space or tensing and then relaxing all your muscles. Using these simple techniques will help your mind and your body relax.
In conclusion…
Ensuring you get a good night’s sleep is an important New Year’s resolution that will have numerous physical and mental health benefits.
Using all of these easy methods will guarantee great results in even the most hardened insomnia cases. Even better you will be able to get to sleep without resorting to sleeping pills or pharmaceuticals. Happy New Year!
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