It's in the habits!
You might be surprised to know that what you eat has a significant impact on how well you sleep. Some foods are thought to be natural sleep aids, while others may keep you up for hours.
It is no secret that the quality of your rest really does affect your mood, overall health and even your productivity at work (a bad night’s sleep can make it harder to concentrate or focus). So next time you find yourself tossing and turning into the early hours of the morning, it might be worth looking at what else is going on in your life before blaming it all on stress or depression.
Among the most common non-prescription sleep aids are alcohol, caffeine and nicotine. But there are plenty of other factors that can make sleep a challenging task. Some of the more common culprits include iced drinks, having your bed too hot, anxiety and even exercise...
When it comes to typical sleep patterns, millions of people try to go to bed at the same time each night. While this may be seen as a recipe for success, such a schedule can often leave you feeling frazzled in the morning if you have a big night out or too much caffeine the night before. But if you have trouble falling asleep, then your troubles are probably not related to your bedtime habits.
Sleeping troubles can often be difficult to diagnose and you should not automatically take medication if you have taken part in some self-treatment. Some people like sleeping tablets and others prefer other non-prescription remedies that are easy on your pocket and usually leave no unwanted side effects.
Here are 10 natural techniques that may help you fall asleep naturally.
1. Avoid eating a heavy meal just before bedtime. Sleep experts recommend avoiding heavy meals four hours before bedtime. When you eat, try to have a light snack at least an hour before going to bed – this can stabilize your body’s metabolism and make it easier for you to sleep through the night. Watch out for foods like cheese which can stimulate your brain, leaving you feeling more awake than ever!
2. Try warm milk and honey or a camomile tea for relaxation. Milk and vitamin B-rich food are good for relaxing your body. A cup of warm milk can help you get a good night’s sleep. Drinking honey before bedtime can also help you sleep better, as it contains melatonin, a hormone that regulates the sleep cycle.
3. A hot bath before bedtime can be a great way to relax and unwind. Just make sure that the water is not too hot or ice cold – this will just leave your body feeling tense and uncomfortable, which probably isn’t going to help you with falling asleep!
4. Try aromatherapy before bedtime with lavender or chamomile essential oils. Essential oils are natural and can help you relax and fall asleep fast. Lavender is one of the best essential oils for sleep, as it helps to induce sleep by lowering your heart rate and blood pressure.
5. Limit your intake of alcohol, especially just before bedtime. Alcohol is a diuretic, which means it dehydrates the body and causes you to wake up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom. It also acts as a depressant – or something that slows your brain down – so if you fall asleep at all, you are likely to wake up shortly afterwards.
6. If you exercise regularly then do not exercise right before bedtime. Just before going to bed, you should stop exercising and allow your body to relax. If you exercise after a long workout session and then try to sleep immediately afterwards, it is likely that you will have restless leg syndrome, which can make it difficult for you to fall asleep.
7. Try lowering the warmth of your bed. If you find that your bed feels too hot or if you are waking up with a sore neck because the mattress is too hard for comfort, then lower the temperature of the mattress by raising one side of the bed or placing an extra blanket on top of your pillow. This should help to reduce any hot spots in your sleep environment.
8. If you have a snoring partner, consider purchasing an anti-snore pillow for yourself. Snoring can be loud and annoying for both you and your partner. If the problem is severe then discuss consulting with a medical specialist rather than just using a pillow to try to muffle the sound. Your doctor may be able to recommend something more appropriate.
9. Avoid keeping your bedclothes too warm or too cold – this is another contributing factor to restless leg syndrome and can make falling asleep an uphill battle if you do not get comfortable enough while trying to sleep.
10. Try sleeping in another room if you cannot fall asleep. If you cannot fall asleep in your bed and cannot sleep anywhere else, then it is probably that your bed is not for you. Try moving your mattress to a different, quieter place and try sleeping there first before making a decision.
Even if you don’t feel tired at night, set an alarm for the same time each day and try to stick to it. If you don’t sleep, try exercising more during the day and make sure that you choose activities that will help improve your energy levels without making it hard for you to fall asleep at night.