Can’t seem to clock in the required 8 hours of sleep? And you keep waking up feeling irritated and unfocused? Then your lifestyle and routine are to blame for this.
How do I change this? If this is the question you are asking yourself, then worry not you are at the right place! in this article, we have written eight habits that a healthy sleeper should follow! Incorporate these into your routine, and you will be clocking in some healthy sleep!
So let’s look at the methods!
Healthy Sleepers’ Habits
1. They Have a Set Sleeping Routine
A healthy sleeper will have a set routine that they follow, and sleep in their routine will be treated as an essential activity rather than a subsidiary event.
Learn to prioritize sleep and set a fixed time for it according to your schedule, for example, if you set 10 pm as your sleep time, then go to sleep at that time without fail; this will train your brain to treat 10 pm as the time it should start feeling drowsy helping you fall asleep quickly.
To calculate your bedtime, first identify the time you need to wake up every morning and deduct 8 hours from it. The time you arrive at should be your bedtime.
Remember, you should follow this routine even on weekends; sleeping in late on a Sunday will seem harmless but will wreak havoc on your sleep schedule, so stick to your sleep schedule fiercely to become a healthy sleeper.
2. They Don’t Use Gadgets Before Bed
Are you someone who scrolls through Instagram before going to sleep? Then you should be blaming your phone for your erratic sleep schedule.
The blue light emitted from your devices tricks the brain into thinking it’s morning, with this messing with its production of melatonin(the hormone which helps you sleep at night). So to be a healthy sleeper, keep away your gadgets 2-3 hours before your designated sleep time.
Remember leaving your gadgets does not mean you set out to solve a 100 piece puzzle as this will make your brain active, shooing away the sleep. But then what to do in those 2-3 hours? well, let’s look at what a healthy sleeper does-
3. They Read Books
Sleep is the body’s way to relax and recharge, so after a strenuous marathon of some tv serial, you cannot expect the brain to turn off immediately. You need to allow it to relax gradually, and what can be better than a book to do this?
While you imagine yourself in the castle of Hogwarts, your brain will lower down its activities and command your body to relax as you will gently drift off to sleep naturally. Even six minutes of reading can do wonders for your sleep schedule!
4. They Follow a Healthy Diet
A healthy diet will lead to good sleep. Eating a high sugar meal in the afternoon will make you feel drowsy and affect your nighttime sleeping. Hence, following consistency in your diet and setting specific eating times is essential.
Avoid eating foods rich in saturated fat before going to bed; instead, Stock your kitchen with tryptophan-rich foods like cheese, milk, nuts, pineapples, etc.; these are sleep-inducing foods and will help you fall asleep quickly.
Do not have a heavy meal one hour before your bedtime, but this also does not mean you should skip dinner altogether; a light dinner followed by a relaxing cup of chamomile tea will help get your eyes drooping by your bedtime.
5. They Exercise
An hour of exercise every day will go a long way towards keeping you healthy and promoting good sleep. When you exercise also matters; exercising in the morning is the best if not possible, then make sure to finish exercising at least three hours before your sleep time, as this will help you fall asleep peacefully at night.
6. They Go Easy on the Alcohol
Alcohol will have you drooping after consuming it, but this is temporary; soon, you will find yourself wide awake after a few hours. Alcohol leads to small fragmented sleep, which can be harmful to you in the long run.
You do not need to skip off alcohol altogether; just cut off its consumption 4-6 hours before bedtime.
7. Reduce Caffeine
Drank cups over cups of coffee trying to stay awake studying the night before a big exam? So it’s a no-brainer that you should do just the opposite when you want to sleep.
Reduce your intake of foods that contain caffeine(tea, green tea, coffee, carbonated drinks, etc.)during the day and ultimately stop it three hours before your sleep time.
8. They Maintain a Good Sleeping Environment
A good sleeping environment is necessary for a good sleeping routine. For a night of good sleep, your brain should associate the bedroom with sleep. This will not be possible if you do other activities like work in the bedroom as this will make the brain associate it with that activity rather than rest!
Some other thing you should make sure in your bedroom is –
- Keep your bedroom cool, as sleep is most prominent in temperatures around 65 degrees
- Do not install TV in your bedroom as the UV lights will mess with melanin production affecting your sleep
- Reduce the amount of ambient light in the room as this can disturb your sleep
- From your attire to your bed, keep everything comfortable to help you get in the mood for sleep.
FAQs
1. What is the most important sleep?
Deep sleep is the most crucial sleep for your body to help it feel rested. It is the part of sleep when your brain activity is minimal and completely relaxed. An adult requires 1-2 hours of deep sleep to feel refreshed in an 8-hour sleep cycle.
2. What is REM sleep?
REM sleep, also known as dreaming sleep, is when our brain is active, but you are asleep, seeing highly vivid dreams. On average, a person goes through 3-5 cycles of REM sleep. This sleep is essential for your memory.
You May Also Like To Read:
What is the Best Sleeping Position for a Good Night’s Sleep?
Common Myths and Facts about Sleep
Conclusion
A healthy sleeper is someone who clocks in 8 hours of interrupted sleep every night, and with these eight habits mentioned in the article, soon that person will be you!
Remember gaining healthy sleep is a gradual process you will work towards and cannot be achieved magically in one day! healthy routines and following them with discipline will help you get started in no time
Let us know in the comments which habit you found to be the most useful.
