Getting Adequate and Quality Sleep

Sleeping is one of the most important things you can do for your health. It can help you reset your body, and a good night’s rest is just what you need to power through the coming day. However, a lot of us struggle to get enough sleep consistently. And this lack of sleep can only worsen stress and anxiety. Despite that, there are several tips and tricks you can use to improve your sleep duration and quality.

If you struggle with insomnia or falling asleep, changing your habits prior to bedtime can make a positive difference. Staying away from electronics in the time before I go to bed has really helped me to fall asleep faster. I like to read a book or do something relaxing like meditate before I go to bed. These activities help me tone down and help my eyes adjust to getting ready to sleep. Although I don’t do it very often, taking a warm shower can help me feel more relaxed right before heading to bed. Drinking a glass of warm milk is also a helpful trick to try out if you’re struggling to fall asleep. Sleeping in a cool and dark environment can be helpful to get into a deep sleep.

It’s also important to set a bedtime to maintain consistency. I used to have a bad habit of staying up late on some nights while sleeping earlier on others to make up for the lost sleep. It really wouldn’t work well and just resulted in me feeling even more tired the following day. So, as difficult as it may be for some, it’s important to go to bed around the same time every night. It will help out your circadian rhythm.

Some people often wake up several times in their sleep, which can affect sleep quality. From my own personal experience, one thing that has helped me with this is not eating dinner too close to bedtime, especially a large meal. Keeping it light at night can potentially help avoid waking up to digestive upset.

We often take sleeping for granted, but it can be a powerful tool for reducing stress and feeling better. Check out this article for a better understanding of the benefits of sleep: https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/04/health/sleep-benefits-wellness/index.html

You can also watch this interesting video about what would happen if you didn’t sleep:

--BitterSweet Coaching Guest Writer