Valerian, tryptophan, and melatonin are three supplements used to promote sleep, but their effectiveness varies. Foods high in magnesium include:Īlso eat foods like these, which are rich in B vitamins: Magnesium and B vitamins are two nutrients that may help enhance your sleep. This helps reinforce the message to do the opposite when it’s dark. Sunlight tells those ancient receptors inside your body that it’s time to get going with the hunting and foraging and all things not sleep. Increasing your exposure to natural light during the day promotes a healthy balance of that sleep hormone, melatonin. A good power nap can improve your creativity and memory, too! But avoid snoozing any longer than 20 minutes, which could steal time from your nighttime slumber cycles. Just 10 to 20 minutes of napping during the day can help you feel more rested. Ĭan’t quit cold turkey? Try limiting caffeine to earlier in the day so it’s out of your system by bedtime. Research has shown that people who consume more caffeine spend less time sleeping and don’t sleep as well as those who avoid overdoing caffeine. It’s tempting to reach for coffee when you’re tired after a poor night’s sleep, but drinking caffeine can make it harder for you to fall asleep at night, creating a vicious cycle. For best results, exercise at least three hours before bed so your body has enough time to wind down before you hit the sack. Moderate aerobic activity can improve both sleep quality and quantity. How smoking affects sleep: A polysomnographical analysis. Need another reason to quit? Smokers commonly exhibit symptoms of insomnia - possibly because their bodies go into nicotine withdrawal during the night. Take good care of yourself overall with a balanced diet, exercise, and good stress relief, and you’ll have fewer worries come bedtime. Bringing work into the bedroom is a surefire way to discourage quality sleep.Ī healthy body equates to healthier sleep. Ban work from the bedroomīeds should be used only for sleep and sex - nothing else. Charge your phone and laptop outside the bedroom - even the tiny bit of light from a charging device can disrupt sleep. Use heavy curtains, blackout shades, or an eye mask to block lights. Experiment to find out what temperature works best for you. Program the thermostat so that your bedroom’s temperature is between 60 and 75☏. Keep it (dark and) coolĪ dark, cool bedroom environment helps to promote restful sleep. Cover them up with the sound of a bedside fan, a white noise machine, or other sounds that help with sleep. Some outside noises - like a busy street or a neighbor’s barking dog - are beyond your control. If you can’t get away from blue lights before bedtime, consider making a small investment in blue-light-blocking glasses.Ĭan’t sleep but don’t want to give up late-night TV? At least dim the screen’s brightness, either manually or with the help of automated programs. Reduce your exposure by turning off TVs, phones, and computers at least an hour before bedtime. The artificial (or “blue”) light emitted by screens can disrupt your body’s preparations for sleep by stimulating daytime hormones. These soft/warm varieties can reduce the light’s effects on your nervous system. Light suppresses the secretion of melatonin, the hormone that influences your circadian rhythms and tells your body it’s night-night time.Īssuming you don’t want to sit in the dark for hours, find the happy medium by dimming the lights as bedtime draws near.Īlso consider changing your light bulbs to ones with a “color temperature” of less than 3,000 kelvins. Dim the lights before you go to bedĮxposure to bright lights just before bed might negatively affect your chance of getting quality - and quantity - sleep. Check out the National Sleep Foundation’s tips on choosing the right pillow. A comfortable mattress increases your chances of a satisfying snooze. Uncomfortable bedding can lead to poorer sleep quality. It’s probably well worth the effort to make some changes now to improve your sleep. It can reduce your life expectancy and increase your risk of heart problems, compromised immunity, obesity, diabetes, seizures, and asthma. Try some of the tips below to rule out lifestyle factors that may be behind your sleeplessness. So a little detective work is your first step. The causes of insomnia range from a variety of underlying medical or psychiatric conditions to medication side effects to simple lifestyle factors. Overview of common sleep disorders and intersection with dermatologic conditions. Insomnia can be acute (lasting one to several nights) or chronic (occurring three times a week for at least three months). Insomnia is the inability to fall asleep, stay asleep, or get the amount of sleep you need to wake up feeling rested.
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