Wanting a better sleep? From falling asleep to staying asleep, these easy home remedies are sure to help you doze off in no time!
Did you know that doctors recommend seven to nine hours of snoozing to ensure you have a good night’s sleep? But, for the most of us, this doesn’t happen all the time.
Undoubtedly, the likely cause for poor sleep is stress and anxiety, but sometimes this is not the case and you should consult your local GP about it. But, most of the time, there are small things we do or routines we follow that create annoyances for our sleep pattern.
So, to help you sleep better at night, we’re sharing with you some health tips: weird things to do that make you sleep better. Happy snoozing!
1. Stay Awake
We know it’s not exactly what you really want to do, but this seriously works, especially if you’re having trouble getting to sleep. Staying awake and telling your mind to remain awake creates a paradox in the brain. It’s reverse psychology, where the body will then respond with “actually, no, you really should sleep.”
2. Make Your Room Cooler
According to Sleep Advisor, sleeping in a cold room is ideal for a good night’s sleep. First, it helps your body adjust to sleep, since our body temperature naturally drops when nighttime approaches. And second, it helps improve the quality of your sleep by increasing melatonin, the natural product of sleeping. The ideal temperature is between 15 and 20 degrees celsius.
3. Remove All Clocks
Woman waking up to alarm clock. Photographed by ESB Professional. Image via Shutterstock.
If you have a natural inclination to check the clock every time you wake up in the night, then we recommend removing it. Or, at least, covering up the displayed time. When we are so worried about the timing of our sleep or how long it’s going to be until we have to wake up, it sends our body into stress. And the symptoms of stress do not play kind to our sleep. So remove that clock!
4. Turn Off Your Phone
There are two reasons why we say to turn off your phone: the first reason is that your eyes are sensitive to the blue light that emits from most smartphone screens, and this can have an impact on your sleep wake cycle. The other reason is that checking your phone can be a bad habit especially if you immediately check your phone once you’ve woken up. Even in sleep, your mind will subconsciously think about this and can bring you to being awake.
5. Open the Window
The carbon dioxide that we expel from our lungs will inevitably build up in the room if there is no ventilation. And carbon dioxide is not a nice thing to be breathing in when you’re asleep. Inhaling carbon dioxide can induce headaches which can bring you back from the slumbers. Even if you open the window an inch or two, it improves the circulation of air and can improve your sleeping. Of course, this can be counterproductive if you’re trying to regulate the temperature during the summer.
6. Eat Breakfast Before Bed
Avocado toast. Photographed by Chertamchu. Image via Shutterstock.
Bring out the avocado and singe the toast, as this will help get you in the sleeping mood. Why do you think the Spanish have siestas after lunch? Because they stuff themselves silly and get tired. Indeed, eating a big meal before bed might not be a good idea if you suffer from indigestion, but filling that stomach just enough can improve your quality of sleep as you’re not waking up hungry.
7. Listen to Ambient Sounds
If you’re having trouble getting into a deep sleep, or even falling asleep, you may want to consider listening to some soft, ambient sounds in bed. Some scientists will recommend the generic white noise, which is helpful, but a lot of people prefer the ambient sounds of a particular environment to draw them into a deep sleep. A great phone app is Better Sleep: Relax and Sleep, where you can customise the noise to suit your needs. Find it at the Apple Store or on Google Play.
8. Don’t Worry About Sleeping
We know it sounds difficult, but forgetting about your poor sleep will help you get better sleep. Have you been having a crappy couple of weeks with broken sleep and restlessness? Feeling irritable and depressed about it? Accept that it isn’t great, but don’t dwell on the problem. Dwelling only leads to more stress, which leads to more bad sleep patterns. Find new things to care about, keep your mind active in the meaningful stuff, and know that you will get better sleep soon.
If symptoms persist or worsen, consult your doctor.
Needing a well-deserved break? Unwind at Australia’s 5 Best Wellness Retreats of 2023. Or, Balance Your Everyday Health and Wellbeing with this New Tea Range.
