Do you count yourself among the over 50 million people in America who struggle with sleep issues? It’s nice to know you’re not alone in your struggle, but what can you do in order to be well-rested?
Not getting enough shut eye can affect your driving, your memory, your weight and more. The less sleep you get, the more your health suffers.
One way to get the recommended amount of sleep is to get to bed early. If you’ve ever laid in bed, tossing and turning, we’ve got the guide for you.
We’re going to give you the tools to know how to go to bed early and stay asleep through the night. Read on and discover how easy it is to wake up well-rested!
No More Naps
When you get tired during the day, what’s the harm in taking a little nap? A lot, actually.
Having a quick nap in the afternoon disrupts your sleep schedule. You’ll stay up later, wake up more tired, need another nap, and the whole cycle starts up again.
Resist the urge to nap. Instead, get to bed earlier if you’re feeling tired at the end of the day.
Stay on Schedule
Speaking of your sleep schedule, make sure that you stick to one bed time and wake up around the same time every day. Yes, even on weekends.
Your body craves routine. Having a designated sleep and wake hour will train your body to sleep better and sleep longer.
Failing to do so can cause disruption to your circadian rhythm, the natural time-keeping clock of your body. Therefore, make sure that you get in the habit of sleeping and waking up at the same time every day.
In addition, about eight hours of sleep a day is recommended for individuals as it benefits both physical and mental health.
Cut out Caffeine
Coffee and caffeinated teas give you a nice jolt of energy. Drinking them later in the day can cut into your sleep time and keep you up later at night.
According to a study, consuming caffeine 6 hours before going to bed can significantly worsen your sleep quality as it stimulates your nervous system and prevents your body from relaxing at night.
Since caffeine stays elevated in your blood for six to eight hours, stopping yourself from consuming large amounts of caffeine after 3 to 4 p.m. is the key to having a good night’s sleep.
Try to cut back on your caffeine intake in order to maintain a natural sleep pattern. You should feel more tired at night, so instead of fighting it with a cup of coffee, go to bed earlier.
Lastly, coffee isn’t the only source of caffeine, thus, stay away from chocolate, soda, energy drink, and tea as well.
Create a Cozy Routine
Your bedroom should be a peaceful place where you can get the rest you need. Make sure you create a cozy routine at night and make your bed as comfortable as possible in order to get more sleep.
Take a moment to get what you need to make sure your bedroom is primed for quality sleep sessions. Put up a pair of blackout curtains, invest in a soft silk duvet, and buy pillows that support your head and neck exactly the way you prefer.
Also, if you want a pillow that is highly sweat-absorbent, antibacterial, durable, flexible, and good for all sleeping positions, you should consider investing in a Japanese Buckwheat Hulls Pillow.
Here are some additional tips to create a sleep-inducing environment for a better and longer sleep:
- Invest in a comfortable mattress
- Use earplugs or a white noise appliance
- Avoid using a light-emitting screen before bedtime
- Minimise artificial lights from devices
- Keep the room well ventilated
- Keep work materials and electronics out of the room
Exercise for Sleep
Exercising during the day can help you get enough sleep at night. As you would guess, being active wears you out so that you’re ready for bed earlier, but it goes beyond that.
Staying active during the day and winding down at night helps your body develop a pattern for when it’s time to be awake and when it’s time to rest. Remember, you don’t have to do a solid hour right before bed; break up your exercise into small, manageable chunks over the day.
There is some exercise you can do to make yourself feel tired earlier. Some forms of yoga or light stretching help you wind down before bed and manage any nighttime anxiety you might feel that can affect your sleep.
Use a Memory Foam pillow
Don’t Lie Awake
Have you ever gotten to bed early and then just can’t sleep? Or maybe you were deep in your REM cycle but you’re jolted awake and can’t get back to sleep?
That’s definitely a frustrating situation. There is, however, a solution.
Although it seems counter-intuitive, instead of trying to force yourself to sleep, wake up. Don’t fight your sleeplessness but don’t make it worse.
Do something relaxing, like reading or listening to calming music, and try again. You’ll feel drowsy in no time and will be able to get the quality sleep you need.
Manage Anxiety with Meditation
Have you ever had anxiety or racing thoughts that kept you up late? Maybe you can’t stop going over your long to-do list while lying in bed?
Avoid stressful activities and discussing emotional issues when you’re in the bed. Activities like these cause the body to secrete cortisol, a stress hormone associated with increasing alertness. Therefore, before going to bed, you might want to avoid this.
Try meditating before going to sleep or even writing down all of the things you worry about in order to get them out of your head. That way your mind will be clear and you’ll be ready for bed.
Listening to relaxing music, taking a warm bath, reading a book, watching television, visualisation, and deep breathing can also help in calming your mind.
Block Blue Light
Natural blue light from the sun tells your body to wake up and blocks the release of the sleep hormone melatonin. Unfortunately, many modern electronic devices emit blue light as well and disrupts your sleep cycle.
Our TVs, cell phones, laptops and more could be the culprit when it comes to your restless, sleepless nights. There are a few things you can do to take care of the issue.
The easiest is to simply limit your use of these devices at night. If you can’t, try installing software that cuts down on blue light or purchase blue light blocking glasses.
Stay Away from Sleeping Pills
Taking a few sleeping pills when you’re struggling to get some shut eye seems like an easy fix. It can actually backfire in a big way and create even greater problems.
The first problem is that you might not actually feel rested after taking them. Besides coming with a host of side effects, they don’t always give you the deep, quality sleep that you’re striving for.
The second problem is that it can create a dependency. The cycle starts like many others, where you have a need for them so you use them, but you have the same need the next night.
You end up using the pills to get to sleep every night and your body never learns how to get to sleep on its own. Once or twice might be OK in an emergency, but try out our other methods before reaching for the bottle.
Get Medical Advice
It’s best to consult a doctor about any persistent sleep problems. Seeking medical help will put a name to this trouble of falling asleep and get you the appropriate treatment to finally sleep better.
Sleep apnea, for example, is treated with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy. The machine delivers pressurised air to the patient through the mask that covers the mouth or nose, to prevent breathing pauses while sleeping.
Choose among the CPAP masks that allow you to comfortably breathe through your nose or mouth and fit your lifestyle. Your choice of mask will help you adhere to the therapy and achieve the desired outcome.
How to go to Bed Early and Stay Asleep
Getting the right amount of sleep is important for our health in so many ways. Our guide on how to go to bed early gives you the tools you need to get the deep, restorative sleep you need to be your best self.
We’ve got more tips and tricks to help you take great care of your health. Check out our other health and lifestyle articles for more inspiration.
