If you were to imagine good health as a building, it would have three main pillars; the first would be a healthy diet, the second regular exercise, and the third healthy sleep. Though many people focus on the first two, they fail to appreciate how important healthy sleep is to a person’s wellbeing.
Therefore, if you are having trouble sleeping, you should try some of the following ways to improve your sleep routine, so keep reading to learn more.
Increase bright light exposure during the day:
Our bodies have an internal clock, which helps in the regulation of your brain and sleeps hormones. This clock is known as the circadian rhythm, and it is greatly affected by the amount of natural light you get.
If you get a healthy amount of natural light or bright light during the day, it can improve your energy levels and your sleep quality and duration at night as well. In fact, according to a recent study, increased bright light during the daytime significantly improved the sleep quality in insomnia patients. It reduced the time it took them to sleep by 83%.
Reduce exposure to blue light exposure in the evening:
In the same way that bright light during the day is good for your circadian rhythm, at night, it has the opposite effect. Exposure to blue light can trick your brain and make it think that it is still daytime. This disturbs the melatonin levels in your body, which is a hormone that helps you sleep and relax.
You should limit your exposure to blue light at least a couple of hours before it is time to sleep. Blue light is emitted from smartphones, computers, and other screens, and it has a very negative effect on your ability to sleep.
Therefore, if you have to use screens before sleeping, use a pair of anti-blue light glasses, and also apply a dark theme on your phone or laptop.
Try massage therapy:
Massage therapy has a lot of benefits, and one of them is that it can significantly improve your sleep routine.
Massage therapy relaxes your mind and body, it helps you combat stress, and it can even trigger the production of serotonin and melatonin in your body.
However, you probably can’t hire a massage therapist to help you sleep every night. Therefore, you should consider investing in a massage chair, which is an excellent option. Therefore, check out some inexpensive massage chairs online.
Don’t consume caffeine in the afternoon:
Most people will understand when I say that they can’t function properly if they don’t have their coffee in the morning. Caffeine is consumed by almost 90% of Americans, and even a single dose can significantly increase your focus and energy levels.
However, when caffeine is consumed later in the day, it can disturb your sleep routine and stop your body from relaxing at night. In a recent study, it was shown that consuming caffeine, even 6 hours before bedtime, can have negative impacts on your sleep.
Don’t drink alcohol:
Drinking has a lot of negative impacts on your overall health, and apart from damaging your liver and causing a plethora of other problems, alcohol can even negatively impact your sleep hormones.
Many people have the habit of having a drink at night, but it can increase the symptoms of sleep apnea and disrupt your sleeping patterns.
According to a study, drinking at night changes your melatonin production, and it can also decrease the natural elevations in your growth hormones that occur at night.
Improve your sleep environment:
Your sleep environment is also extremely impactful on the quality and duration of sleep you get. Ideally, you should invest in a quality mattress and create a sleep-inducing ambiance in your room.
A quality mattress can make a massive difference; in fact, a study showed that using a new mattress for 28 days lead to a 57% decrease in back pain while improving sleep quality by 60%