How many times have you sacrificed a couple of hours sleep this week? Perhaps you had extra work on. Or maybe you were up late entertaining friends. Not many of us realize that this can actually be very detrimental to our health. It can even be quite dangerous when you think about driving tired. Tiredness reduces our focus and concentration. It also increases your reaction time.
But it’s not just our busy lifestyles that can rob us of enough sleep. There are many other factors that can cause disruption to our sleep cycles too. Too much light and noise can interrupt deep sleep. Any parent knows that sleeping lightly is important to be able to hear if the kids get up in the night. Mobility problems can prevent you getting into the best position for sleeping. Being uncomfortable can prevent you from falling asleep at all.
It’s important to make sure your bedroom is a good environment to promote healthy sleep. It needs to be cool, dark and quiet. This will ensure your sleep is not interrupted by overheating, excess light or noise. The bed itself should be right for your body shape. You should also choose a mattress that supports you in your preferred sleeping position. Without this, you can end up with aches, cramps, and a stiff back.
You can buy a special mattress for bad back problems, and you would be wise to do so. Better quality mattresses can help you ease into a comfortable sleep and helps you stay comfortable all night. Waking up because of pain can be detrimental to your health. It’s important you are able to get a full eight hours of quality sleep each night. Some of us only need seven hours, while others need nearly nine. Make sure you are in bed for this amount of time to maximize your sleeping opportunity.
The body does a lot of things while you are sleeping. It digests your food and renews your cells. This helps you feel better inside and can assist weight loss. It also helps you look as young as you can, preventing puffy eyes. But most importantly, it files away all the information you’ve absorbed in the day through your five senses. Without this process, you can become confused, forgetful and unfocused.
Good sleep hygiene is a phrase that relates to your bedtime routine. Some people don’t consider themselves to have a routine. After all, we’ve all been tired enough just to fall into bed and sleep. But sticking to a regular routine can be very helpful to get you to sleep if this is difficult for you.
Try starting your bedtime routine with a glass of water about two hours before you want to be asleep. Use the next hour to wind down and let go of all that happened in the day. Try writing your thoughts in a journal if you have a busy mind. Enjoy a warm bath to help you relax. The sudden drop in temperature when you get out of the tub helps you to fall asleep. Then tuck yourself in and enjoy a good night of sleep. Good night!
