A good night’s sleep is vital for a person’s well-being. Although underrated, enough duration of sleep is required for the body to function properly. Improper sleep can cause dysfunction of the body’s regulatory functions as well as poor performance of the brain. The body tends to heal faster during sleep and any disturbance can affect this process negatively. People suffer from insomnia due to various causes. However, there are a few things that, if taken care of, can help induce sleep.
1. Adjust the room’s temperature and lighting. You need to be as comfortable as possible to have good sleep. The room’s temperature plays a very crucial role. One cannot sleep in extremes of temperature and gets the best sleep at an optimal temperature of around 20 C (varies from person to person). It is advised to adjust the room’s AC or heater at a temperature that is optimal and not uncomfortable. Another important factor is the room’s lighting. Our body secretes a hormone called Melatonin which induces sleep. Darkness stimulates the production and secretion of Melatonin. Using phones and other screens is also one of the reasons for disturbed sleeping habits. This is due to the emission of blue light. Turning down the brightness or not using screens would help.
2. A comfortable bed, mattress, and pillow are necessary for a sound sleep. The mattress should not be too soft to cause back pain or too firm to cause discomfort. Since there is a wide variety of mattresses available nowadays, people have many options to choose from. One can search about the features of each type and do a mattress comparison to select the one that matches their requirements. The pillow shouldn’t be too high or too low. The height should be enough to maintain the proper neck curvature so that it doesn’t cause pain when you wake up.
3. Avoid taking fluids right before sleeping. This is one of the most important things that most people don’t know about. Taking water or any sort of fluids before sleeping would cause you to wake up in the middle of the night once or several times. This disrupts sleep and the person might not be able to sleep again for some time, leading to insufficient sleep. Make sure to empty your bladder before going to bed so that you don’t have to wake up in the middle of the night to pee.
4. Make a regular sleeping and eating schedule. One should set a specific time to sleep and wake up every day. The body gets used to the time you sleep and wake up and follow that. This helps in maintaining a proper duration and quality of sleep. Going to bed at different times disrupts this sleep cycle and causes insomnia. You should avoid eating right before you go to sleep. Research shows that people having a low carb diet tend to sleep faster. A meal should be taken at least 3-4 hours before getting to bed. This also regulates the digestive system.
5. Exercising has been one of the healthy habits that a person can adopt. Exercising is best if done in the morning. It releases energizing hormones and alerts the person. Yoga and mild stretching exercises also relax the body. However, exercising in the evening or at night is not advisable by some researchers. They say that exercising stimulates the body and regulates the blood flow due to the secretion of epinephrine and adrenaline. This activates the body and induces wakefulness.
6. Refrain from taking caffeine in the evening. Some people have a habit of taking tea or coffee in the evening. Caffeine stimulates the brain and keeps the nervous system active, which delays sleep and leads to restlessness. People who have trouble sleeping can also have like lavender, L-Theanine, or Glycine containing supplements combined with other strategies.
7. Taking a relaxing shower/bath aids in sleeping quickly. Bathing relaxes the body and helps reduce muscle tension which helps to regulate sleep. Immersing feet in salty water also relaxes the body and induces sleep. One can also listen to soft music that sounds pleasant and gives a soothing effect.
Following these not-so-difficult suggestions can help with your mild sleeping problems/ insomnia. However, if your problem still persists, then you need to consult a doctor to rule out any other cause.
