1. Exercise during the day
Research has indicated that exercising at any time during the daytime can assist in enabling a good night’s rest, and other studies discovered that engaging in an exercise activity 1.5 hours before going to sleep was affiliated with improved sleep patterns.2 To find the best period for exercising, a sequence of trial-and-error attempts may assist you.
If you’re suffering from back pain or other medical complications that make it challenging to workout, you can find another method, like water therapy, to raise your heart rate. The pool water braces your joints and gives gentle resistance, which enables you to get a decent amount of exercise with little to no pain. You can also attempt brisk or regular walking for 5 to 10 minutes.
Engaging in an exercise activity until your heart rate is elevated has the added perk of giving off more of the feel-good hormones in your body: endorphins.
2. Avoid caffeine late in the day
Caffeine greatly lowers the ability of your body to sleep. Caffeine can remain in the system for up to 10 hours following consumption, with some individuals keeping increased concentrations compared to others. Caffeine reacts with various people differently – while some may receive light or less sleep with even reduced traces of caffeine, others may not feel the impact after taking increased amounts.4
Although you may not be willing to stop taking your coffee during the daytime, you should think about steering clear of beverages that have caffeine at least 5 to 6 hours before going to sleep. This time gap enables your body to accrue sufficient melatonin (sleep hormone) without being hindered by caffeine effects.4
3. Have an early dinner
The best period to eat dinner is 2 to 3 hours before bedtime.5 When you take your dinner late, you run an increased risk of contracting gastroesophageal reflux syndrome, which can result in interrupted sleep.5,6 Having a late meal also hinders the ability of your body to warm up, which is integral in initiating your sleep rhythmic activity. Various metabolic activities, like glucose and insulin metabolism, are also interrupted when you eat late.5
4. Take a warm bath before but not right after going to bed
Warming your internal body temperature through baths or showers before sleeping may assist you in falling asleep quicker and also remaining asleep for long. Our bodily functions in a manner where originally an increased body temperature (particularly in the feet and arms) triggers the sleep cycle, and 2 hours into the sleeping phase, the core temperature of the body falls. This procedure of regulating temperature is integral to remaining asleep – it is at this period that the sleep hormone, melatonin, is present in the body in large amounts.
5. Try a natural sleep enhancer
Some fruit extracts and herbs have biological impacts that may facilitate extended sleep without changing the natural metabolism of the body. Effective alternatives are stipulated below.
Valerian herbal supplement. The Valerian herb comes from a perennial flower’s root. It is grouped as a dietary supplement and can be found OTC. Valerian has been shown to assist a person remain asleep for an extended period, encouraging a deeper and peaceful night’s sleep.8,9
Tart cherry extract. Cherries already have melatonin, which enables your body to govern its sleep pattern and allows you to sleep for a prolonged period. Cherries also have tryptophan, a substance that minimizes the duration required to doze off, enabling you to sleep quicker.10 Cherry extracts can be found in grocery stores; you can ingest them as a juice or in supplement form.
If you like a warm beverage, take chamomile tea. Chamomile is medicinal and taking chamomile tea before going to sleep has been shown to better sleep quality.
6. Invest in your sleep
When was the last time your mattress was replaced? Experts recommend upgrading your mattress every 7-10 years. These customer considerations about King Koil mattresses will help you find the perfect mattress for you.
