Contributed by: Healthians Team
Good quality of sleep is vital for your overall health. It is as important as maintaining a balanced diet and exercise regimen. As per studies, poor sleep can affect your brain function, hormones, and exercise performance. Poor quality of sleep leads to weight gain in both children and adults. On the other hand, a good night’s sleep helps you consume less food, do better exercise, and be healthier and fit. In the last few decades, both the quality and quantity of sleep have been greatly reduced leading to poor health.
Many people have become habitual poor sleepers, but are unaware that this reduces their quality of life. Therefore, if you want to improve the quality of your life and health and manage weight, getting a good quality of sleep can be the most essential thing you should take care of. In this article, we will explore the 5 ways to train your mind for better sleep.
Develop a healthy routine
Set a fixed time for sleeping and getting up, and follow it regularly. Before going to bed, take a warm bath, read a book or listen to your favorite music. You can also try meditation or deep breathing techniques. Stick firmly to it because following a healthy routine can help your brain to remain relaxed and calmed.
Your bedroom setup or environment should be clean, comfortable, and away from traffic noise, mobile devices, and external lights. Try going to bed at night and get up in the morning at the same time every day, including on your weekends. Keep your electronic devices out of your bedroom making it an enjoyable and relaxing place.
Avoid caffeine later part in your day
Avoid consuming caffeinated drinks at least six hours before your bedtime. As per some studies, you should avoid it after 3 pm every day. Chocolate, coffee, tea, and soda should also be avoided because they contain an excess of caffeine affecting your sleep quality. Caffeine offers numerous benefits such as it enhances your focus, energy, and sports performance, however, when you consume it in the latter part of the day, it can harm the quality of your sleep.
Avoid taking long time naps during the day
Short naps can be beneficial for you when you perform daily hectic tasks but you should avoid long and irregular naps because it affects the quality of sleep you need at night. When you sleep long in the daytime, you might struggle to sleep at night. It can also enhance your brain function but longer naps can harm your health and sleep quality.
If you take regular short naps in the daytime and get a good quality of sleep at night then you don’t need to worry. However, if you feel trouble getting a good quality of sleep at night after taking short naps in the day, it is advisable to avoid short naps during the day.
Avoid heavy or spicy foods
If you consume heavy and spicy food, you might get digestive issues during the night affecting your sleep. Restrict high consumption of sugar because it can lead to a night of restless and disturbed sleep, and it also affects the hormones that manage your cravings. You should take light food before going to bed such as a handful of nuts, cherries, bananas or ginger, peppermint, and chamomile tea. Also, avoid eating late in the evening because it can negatively affect both your sleep quality and the natural release of HGH and melatonin.
Avoid consuming alcohol
Alcohol is known as a factor that increases the symptoms of snoring, disrupted sleeping patterns, and sleep apnea. Therefore, it’d best to avoid drinking before bedtime. It also changes night-time melatonin production, which performs a key role in your body’s circadian rhythm. In a study, it was found that consuming alcohol at night reduced the natural night-time elevations in human growth hormone (HGH), which plays a role in your circadian rhythm and has many other key functions.
Final thoughts
These steps can help you to get the adequate and best quality of sleep. Along with the above-mentioned ones, there are other key factors that can contribute to your good sleep. These include:
- Reduced exposure to blue light (e.g mobile devices, TV, etc.)
- Optimizing a good bed environment
- A consistent exercise regimen
- Checking and if found, then being treated for an existing sleep disorder
- Comfortable bed, mattress, and pillows
