Twelve Tips For Better and Healthier Sleep!

 

If we all slept enough? Our health care burden will plummet. We would have better mental health and fewer suicide. Our business would be more productive and global economics would be healthier, our roads would be safer and our children would be smarter .... Sleep is the best health insurance policy you could ever wish for - Matthew Walker, PHD

So guys here are twelve tips  for better and healthy sleep from the book "Why We Sleep"

1. Stick to a sleep schedule: Go to bed and wake up at the same time each day. Sleeping later on weekends won't fully make up for a lack of sleep during the week and will make it harder to make wake up on Monday morning. Often we set the alarm for when to wake up but fail to do so for when it's time to go to sleep. If there is only one piece of advice you remember and take from these twelve tips, this should be it.

2. Exercise: Exercise is great, but not too late in the day. Try To exercise for at least thirty minutes on most days but not later than two or three hours before bedtime.

3. Avoid Caffeine and nicotine: Coffee, Colas, certain teas, and chocolate contain the stimulant amount of caffeine and its effect can take as long as eight hours to wear off fully. Nicotine is also a stimulant, often causing smokers to sleep only very lightly. In addition, they wake up too early in the morning because of nicotine withdrawal.

 4.Avoid alcohol: Having a nightcap or alcoholic beverage before sleep may help you relax, but heavy use robs of your REM sleep. Keeping you lighter stages of sleep  You also tend to wake up in the middle of the night when the effect of alcohol have worn off.

5. Avoid large meals: A light snack is okay, but a large meal can cause indigestion which interferes with sleep. Drinking too many fluids at night can cause awakening to urinate.

6. Avoid medicine that delays or disrupt sleep: Some commonly prescribed heart, blood pressure, or asthma medications, as well as some over-the-counter and herbal remedies for coughs, colds, or allergies, can disrupt sleep patterns. Ask your pharmacist to see whether by drugs you're taking might be contribution to your insomnia ask whether they can be taken at other times during the day or early in the evening.

7. Don't take naps after 3 pm: Naps can help make up for lost sleep, but late afternoon naps can make it harder to fall asleep at night.

8. Relax before bed: Don't overschedule your day so that no time is left for unwinding. A relaxing activist such as reading or listening to music should be part of your bedtime ritual.

9.Take a hot bath before bed: The drop in body temperature after getting out of the bath may help you feel sleepy, and the bath can help you to sleep and relax.

10. Dark, Cold, and Gadget-free bedroom: Get rid of anything that might distract you from sleep, such as noises, bright lights, an uncomfortable bed, or warm temperatures. Having a comfortable pillow and mattress can promote good sleep. 

11. Have the right sunlight exposure: Daylight is the key to regulating daily sleep patterns. Try to get outside in natural sunlight for at least 30 minutes each day. If possible, then wake up with the sun or use very bright lights in the morning.

12. Don't lie in bed awake: If you find yourself still awake after staying in bed for more than 20 minutes or if you are starting to feel anxious or worried then do some relaxing activity until you feel sleepy. The anxiety of not being falling asleep can make it harder to fall asleep.