Do you know that women are more likely to suffer from insomnia, sleep problems, and restless leg syndrome than in comparison to men? According to a study, women have a 40% higher chance of suffering from insomnia than men. The reasons that women suffer more sleep problems are
- Menstruation Cycle
- Pregnancy and after-effects
- Hormonal Changes
- Perimenopause
- Stress & Anxiety
- Mood Disorders
- Overthinking, etc
Suffering from sleeplessness is a sign of an unhealthy lifestyle. You don’t need to go for medical help or a sleeping pill. Sleeping pills are not the best remedy for insomnia as they have adverse side effects, and you might develop a habit of popping in a pill every time you are trying to sleep. The tips mentioned in this article are purely natural ways to improve sleep and are just some routine habits of a healthy lifestyle. You can quickly bring your body back to its natural rhythm with these tips.
Exposure to Light
During the day, give yourself some exposure to the sun. Spend your day in a bright room where there is enough sunlight, or if you don’t have enough sunlight, then switch on bright blue lights. Avoid exposure to such bright lights in the evening. This light tricks the brain into thinking that it is still daytime, and thus the brain tries its best to avoid sleep. Instead, you can switch to warm lights, which are also suitable for mood and will alert the brain that it’s night and soon bedtime.
Exercise Daily
Exercises boost healthy hormones like endorphins in the body, which helps in reducing stress. You’ll be alert and active throughout the day, and at night you’ll be able to sleep peacefully.
Meditate
Meditation reduces cortisol in the brain, a hormone responsible for stress. Meditation also helps control the chattering minds, filter your thoughts, and increase melatonin level, which helps improve sleep.
Cut Down Caffeine
Avoid drinking tea or coffee after 5 pm since caffeine can ruin our sleep cycle. Instead, you can have warm milk after dinner; it’s more healthy and will induce sound sleep.
Closure to Work
When you are done with your work for the day, follow some little closing ritual. Make a plan for the next day of action. Pickup of all your things, clean your desk and workspace. Don’t check your emails. So that mentally you can be free from all work and work-related obligations till the next day.
Alcohol and Smoking
If you are a frequent drinker or a person who smokes, you must know precisely what keeps you awake throughout the night. They are hazardous to health and will mess up your sleep cycle. Some people believe that drinking helps them calm and sleep faster, but they are unaware it is just a short-term illusion for your brain, and things will worsen in the future. Avoid smoking and drinking; consider it one of the best tips for healthy sleep.
Early Dinner
According to Ayurveda, we should have our dinner before the sunset so that our body can digest it well and we can sleep more peacefully. You don’t have to be that strict but have your dinner before 8 pm, and eat slowly, chewing each bite atleast 30 times. Proper chewing makes the food easily digestible, and we get all the nutrition out from them. It is the best remedy for insomnia.
No Scrolling Before Bed
Stop using your phone atleast an hour before going to bed. Scrolling through social media is dangerously a waste of time; there is no end to content on the internet. The screen of your phone exposes bright blue lights for your eyes. You can fix a few blocks of 10-20 minutes in the middle of the day, where you can allow yourself to check social media and see what your friends are posting.
It is a better idea to grab a book rather than your phone right before bed. Read any fictional book at this hour; stories help improve your sleep quality and dreams.
A Dark Room
I hope you are not afraid of darkness. We sleep more peacefully and quickly if the room is absolutely dark. Avoid little sparkling decorations on your ceilings, they might look cute, but they also grab your attention as long as they can. You might not be able to do anything with the streetlight out of your window, but you can turn off each light, pull on the curtains and make your room as much dark as possible.
Stick to a Bed Time Routine
If you think sleeping late and waking up late is not cool, you are making a big mistake. The biological clock in our body suggests we complete our sleep before sunrise. Stick to a bedtime routine, sleep early, get enough 8-10 hours of sleep and wake up early.
Practice these ways to improve sleep and get rid of insomnia. Once you are on track with your sleep cycle, your days will be much more productive and fun. You don’t need to spend any money on medical help, sleeping is a natural thing, and it should come to you naturally when you want. Try these tips for healthy sleep, and tell us about your experience.