Have you been struggling to get better sleep? You’re not alone.
Many people find themselves tossing and turning, wondering how to improve their nighttime routine. Sleep is essential for physical and mental well-being, yet bad habits, stress, and poor preparation often get in the way.
This blog will uncover some everyday sleep disruptors, explore the link between sleep and stress, and share practical tips to help you unlock restful nights.
Bad Sleeping Habits to Break
1. Using Electronics Before Bed
The blue light from screens on phones, tablets, and TVs disrupts your body’s natural sleep-wake cycle by interfering with the production of melatonin, the hormone responsible for regulating sleep. This can make it harder for your body to recognize when it’s time to wind down.
Activities like scrolling through social media or binge-watching shows may feel relaxing in the moment, but they can delay your ability to fall asleep and reduce the overall quality of your rest. Over time, this disruption can impact your energy levels, mood, and even your long-term health.
2. Irregular Sleep Schedules
Going to bed and waking up at different times each day can disrupt your body’s internal clock, also known as the circadian rhythm. This inconsistency makes it harder to establish a regular sleep pattern, often leading to difficulties falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking up feeling refreshed. Over time, these irregular habits may impact your overall energy levels, mood, and even your physical health.
3. Eating Heavy Meals Late at Night
Consuming large or spicy meals close to bedtime can lead to indigestion and discomfort, making it harder for your body to relax and settle into sleep. This can disrupt your sleep cycle, causing you to wake up during the night or struggle to fall asleep in the first place. Over time, these habits may result in poor sleep quality and leave you feeling tired and unrested the next day.
4. Relying on Caffeine in the Afternoon
While coffee or energy drinks might give you the boost you need to power through a busy day, consuming caffeine too late can disrupt your sleep cycle and leave you wide awake when you’re ready to wind down. Caffeine stimulates your nervous system, making it harder for your body to relax and prepare for rest. Timing your intake earlier in the day can help you stay energized without sacrificing a good night’s sleep.
5. Napping Mid-Afternoon
Long or late-afternoon naps can disrupt your sleep schedule, making it harder to fall asleep or stay asleep at night. This happens because long naps might push your body out of its natural rhythm, leaving you feeling restless when it’s time for bed. To avoid this, keep naps short—around 20 to 30 minutes—and try to nap earlier in the day. This way, you can recharge without interfering with your nighttime rest, helping you maintain a healthy sleep cycle.
How long does it take to create new sleeping habits?
Developing better sleeping habits doesn’t happen overnight—pun intended. While some say it takes 21 days to form a habit, sleep experts emphasize that consistency and individual factors play a key role.
The Interconnection Between Sleep and Stress
Stress and sleep are deeply intertwined, often creating a vicious cycle. High-stress levels can lead to sleepless nights as your mind races with worry.
On the flip side, lack of sleep amplifies stress, impairing your ability to cope with challenges. Poor sleep can disrupt emotional regulation and leave you feeling more overwhelmed.
Learn more about how stress affects sleep in this video:
Prepare for Better Sleep
Preparing your body and mind for sleep is just as important as sleeping itself. If you’re wondering how to get better sleep, start by creating a calming pre-bedtime routine.
Watch this video for tips on preparing for a restful night:
Tips for Getting Better Sleep
1. Stick to a Sleep Schedule
Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day—even on weekends—to help regulate your body’s internal clock and improve your overall sleep quality. Consistency in your sleep schedule helps your body establish a natural rhythm, making it easier to fall asleep and wake up feeling refreshed and energized.
2. Create a Sleep-Friendly Environment
Keep your bedroom calm, dark, and quiet to create the ideal environment for restful sleep. Consider investing in blackout curtains to block out any outside light that might disrupt your sleep, and use a white noise machine to drown out background sounds if necessary.
Ensuring your bed is comfortable is also key—choose a mattress that suits your preferred level of firmness and a pillow that supports your neck properly. Soft, breathable bedding can further enhance your comfort and help you relax as you drift off to sleep.
3. Consider a Melatonin Supplement
Melatonin, a natural hormone produced by the pineal gland, plays a crucial role in regulating your sleep-wake cycle, also known as the circadian rhythm. As a supplement, it can be particularly useful for resetting your sleep schedule after experiencing jet lag, shift work, or other disruptions to your normal routine.
It may also help with short-term sleep improvement for those struggling to fall or stay asleep. However, melatonin isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution, and it’s important to consult a healthcare professional, such as Dr. Ojile, to determine if it’s the right option for your specific needs and ensure safe usage.
4. Incorporate Relaxation Techniques
Try deep breathing, meditation, or progressive muscle relaxation to calm your mind and body before bed. Deep breathing involves slow, controlled breaths to reduce stress, while meditation helps clear your mind and promote relaxation.
Progressive muscle relaxation focuses on tensing and releasing each muscle group to ease tension and prepare your body for restful sleep. Incorporating these techniques into your nighttime routine can help you unwind and improve the quality of your rest.
5. Rule Out a Sleep Disorder
If you’re consistently struggling to fall asleep, stay asleep, or wake up feeling rested, it might be time to explore whether a sleep disorder is at play.
Conditions like insomnia, sleep apnea, or restless legs syndrome can significantly impact your sleep quality and, in turn, your overall health and well-being. Insomnia can leave you tossing and turning, unable to quiet your mind at night.
Sleep apnea, on the other hand, can cause frequent interruptions in your breathing, leaving you feeling exhausted no matter how many hours you spend in bed.
Restless legs syndrome, with its uncomfortable sensations and urge to move, can make relaxing at night nearly impossible. Understanding and addressing these issues is essential for reclaiming restful, restorative sleep.
Seeking Expert Guidance
Sometimes, breaking bad habits and improving your sleep hygiene is not enough to resolve sleep issues. Consulting experts like Dr. Ojile can provide personalized strategies and professional guidance to help you achieve restful, restorative sleep.
Whether it’s stress management techniques or tailored advice on creating a better sleep routine, these specialists can help you turn sleepless nights into peaceful slumber. Better sleep starts with taking the first step toward expert support.