Although many people just view sleep as “downtime” to decompress and rest, it actually has far more benefits.
Dr. Maiken Nedergaard of the University of Rochester has undertaken research on the benefits of a healthy sleep cycle for both improving cognitive performance and supporting other biological functions.
Sadly, the ability to get a decent night’s sleep has been stolen away from humanity by the fast-paced modern lifestyle. However, scientists have discovered a number of tried-and-true strategies to raise the caliber of sleep.
Adopt the following lifestyle modifications if you have trouble keeping a healthy sleep pattern.
Create a sleep-friendly atmosphere
Reduce the temperature in the room, turn off the lights, and put your phone on quiet if you want to sleep without interruptions.
Reduce the amount of time you spend on screens at night.
Limit your usage of cellphones, tablets, and desktop computers later in the day as they might promote sleep loss.
Avoid eating or drinking anything right before bed.
Large meals or alcohol consumption immediately before bedtime promotes non-restorative sleep, which results in fatigue upon waking up.
Avoid consuming coffee or nicotine right before bed.
Strong stimulants like caffeine and nicotine can easily keep you up for six to eight hours at a time.
Engage in regular exercise
Maintaining a regular exercise regimen reduces stress in the body and mind, which enhances the quality of sleep in general. But it makes no sense to work out right before bed.
Establish a regular sleep regimen.
Regularly going to bed and waking up at the same time enhances both mood and quality of sleep.
Maintain a pre-sleep schedule.
De-stressing before bed increases the likelihood of getting a good night’s sleep. Reading a book, writing, visualizing, listening to music for sleep, and meditation are a few popular techniques.
Obtain sunlight throughout the day.
Sun exposure for a short period of time improves the quality of sleep and helps alleviate insomnia.
