Getting a good night’s sleep can boost your brainpower, build muscle, burn excess fat, and prepping you up for the day to come. It’s one of the most important variables of living, yet only a few can actually get the recommended at least seven to nine hours every night. Knowing what is sleep deprivation and how it can affect you can be a great way to start overcoming it.
After all, fixing poor sleeping practices is not simple, especially when we’re living in a highly hectic life in the modern day’s instant consumerism. Though, studies show that in just 48 hours of insufficient sleep, an individual may experience its adverse effects.
The problem isn’t how you feel right now, but the long-term impacts: countless studies have discovered that sleep plays a critical role in our immunity, metabolism, memory, learning, and other vital functions. Your productivity is suffering at the very least; your health is suffering at the very worst.
Sleep deprivation raises the danger that severe medical circumstances such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and mood disorders may develop. Now the good news: Today you can begin to develop better sleeping habits. Here are essential tips on how to overcome sleep deprivation:
1. Sleep Apps
There are some super sleep apps on the market today that can help both your body and mind relax.
According to https://mysleepambition.com/:
“Each sleep app has its advantages, so you just have to find the one that offers the sounds you prefer when trying to get to sleep. There is certainly a wide range of sounds to choose from, so when you research the various apps you can quickly get an idea of which one is right for you. ”
2. Have a pre-sleep routine
Having a pre-sleep game plan is like a warm-up routine for a work-out. During this time, do some activities that will soothe your nerves. This may include meditation, reading a book in your modern sofa, and dimming the lights.
You can also try deep breathing exercises. Take long deep inhale, and exhale it slowly. While laying down, apply the 4-7-8 technique to help you fall asleep faster. You can practice this method until it becomes a pre-bedtime habit so you’ll have a better and peaceful sleep every night. Moreover, avoid eating within two hours before, exposing yourself to bright lights, and play mobile games. These activities can stimulate and wake your brain up.
3. Put away those gadgets away
Using your phone in your bed is not just about blue light, it’s about stress. To unwind and rest, use the two hours before bed to take your worries away. Checking your email and finding out that you’ve got a problem from work won’t help you settled and sleepy at night.
According to research, using backlit screens such as mobile phones, laptops, and TVs at night can lead to sleep disturbances. So, before heading to your natural sleep mattress, it’s much better to read a book, listen to soothing music, or just talk to your loved ones.
4. Do the most challenging tasks first
After getting sufficient sleep, you’re your freshest, more energized, and higher concentration when you wake up. In your best state, you’ll less likely to delay your task at hand. Therefore, it makes the most sense to tackle irritating, mundane, and straightforward hard work in the morning. When the afternoon comes, you have already completed the daunting tasks and be ready to take on the easier once.
Before going to bed at night, create a to-do list and recall what you need to finish the next day.
So, when you go wake up in the morning, you’ll already know the things that you’re going to do. Thus, this will make you sleep better at night.
5. Exercise is important, but well before bedtime
Indeed, it’s much easier to fall asleep at night if you’re exhausted from a workout routine. However, a pre-sleep workout will leave you wide awake at night. Studies have shown that working out any time of the day can help you sleep soundly at night.
However, there is an exception. If you plan to work out close to your bedtime, you may find it difficult to drift off. You can blame the increase in your adrenaline level due to physical activities. If you want to work out at night but doesn’t want a sleepless night, schedule it for at least 3 hours before your usual sleep schedule.
6. Get a comfortable sleep environment
The bedroom should be sleeping and relaxing and recovery sanctuary, it should not be used as an accessory or a workstation. Blackout shades, a white-noise machine, and a quality mattress are the recommended sleep products that you should have in your bedroom right now. The greatest investment you’ll ever make is to sleep on a high-quality mattress, especially a memory foam mattress. So get out there and look for great deals on mattress sale.
Also, make sure you are comfortable with your pillow. Since you spend almost 1/3 of your life in bed, so do it in comfort and style. don’t forget to keep your sheets fresh and clean. As you get ready for bed, pamper yourself by wearing cozy pajamas or sheets made of natural materials.
To enhance your sleep quality, invest in lighting with an adjustment knob for brightness. Also, your bedroom’s color scheme can also lead to a more relaxing sleep. It is necessary to choose soothing colors for your walls, outdoor rugs, sheets, pillows, and décor. Moreover, make your bed the moment you wake up to make sure that your bed is ready to sleep in when you get home.
7. Go to sleep earlier
If your goal is to sleep by 12 AM, it doesn’t mean that you’ll stay up late at that time. You can start your bedtime routine around 10 PM – in this way you’ll feel more relaxed and sleep when midnight comes.
Going to bed a few hours ahead than usual has been recognized for its health benefits. Mainly, you’ll experience less stress, tend to be in a good mood, and have glowing and radiant skin, which makes you look better.
8. Cut out caffeine, alcohol, and cigarettes before sleep
Consuming any, or all, of these, can interfere with getting sufficient sleep and can make feel “wired” the whole evening. According to research released in the Journal of Caffeine Research, it has shown that having one or all of these three can adversely impact the quality of your sleep.
9. Make your bedroom for sleeping only
The first thing that you should do is to remove all the modern distractions in your bedroom. Keep away your TV, laptop, and gaming console in your bedroom. Optimize it for a place to get a good rest at night. Turn it into a sleep sanctuary instead of having gadgets and electronic devices inside your bedroom.
10. Try aromatherapy
Consider using essential oils for sleep to help you get a more peaceful and restorative rest. Since the diffusing the scent that encourages your body to relax, it enables your mind to get ready to doze off. Although there are lots of fragrances available, lavender and jasmine are the most popular oils associating deep relaxation and getting a good night’s sleep.
11. Track sleep with an app
After having your complete eight hours, do you still feel tired when you wake up? Maybe, you may not be able to sleep last night. If you want to know more about your sleeping habits, consider using a sleep tracking app. In this way, you can find ways to solve your sleep issues.
Final Words
If you still can’t sleep after following these tips, you should consult your doctor. You may be susceptible to sleep disorders like sleep apnea or insomnia. Only your doctor can help you find a way to fight it.
If you only have two minutes all day long to feel better and wake up, drink a glass of water or milk, walk outside, and expose yourself to daylight. Taking a deep breath and clearing your head can help you alleviate stress.
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Interesting related article: “Why social media is preventing you from deep sleep.”