NIGHT TIME ROUTINE
How To Get Maximum Sleep At Night
I know for sure that at least once in your life, you have contemplated staying awake longer at night to catch up with work as opposed to going to bed, as that definitely sounded like a bad idea at the time. As tempting as that always is, scientists have found that after a long day of thinking, memories become messy and tired, which consequently slows down the rate at which we get work done. This is where sleep comes in to help tidy up our thoughts and memories and to put everything in the right place again. Sleep makes remembering things easier and faster. It is good for the skin just as much as it is good for the body, mind, heart and brain. During sleep, hormone and insulin levels are being regulated and blood pressure is being kept under control. Damaged tissues are being repaired during sleep and memories strengthened which enable better performance. The body puts together the activities of the day and better prepares itself for the day ahead. You can click here for more on the benefits of sleep. Many people out there are aware of the benefits and importance of sleep and would like to have a decent amount of sleep but have a hard time sleeping, so I figured I would write this post to help them out. Look no more, you've found what you are looking for. I actually carried out a little research on myself with the tips here so you'd be getting first-hand information ***hurray***. Some turned out just right and some as expected went down the drain. But all of the tips here are a good fit for maximising sleep time for greater benefits. The snooze button on any alarm system has automatically gained a lot of best friends. It's so tempting to hit snooze when the alarm goes off and you know you still want to sleep some more. Well, here is the thing: if you go to bed early you wouldn't even need an alarm to wake you, hence no snooze button either. The body realizes by itself when it has had enough sleep, without it being disturbed it automatically wakes. Then the decision to stay awake or get some more sleep becomes a conscious one to make. This way you won't wake up tired with swollen eyes from constantly waking up at intervals at night, neither will your sleep be cut short by an alarm clock. I would say I love and drink coffee because of its taste and smell and definitely not because it keeps me awake or anything of that sort. On the contrary, it makes me sleepy! Yeah you read that right. One would think that since I'm already sleepy falling asleep shouldn't be a hassle; I wish that was the case. So when I don't try to sleep in situations like that I'm usually fine but when I eventually carried out the experiment and tried to sleep, I found out that, my heart rate increased, I became nauseated while in bed and had to jump out of bed to pee a lot more than usual thus getting dehydrated and thickening my blood therefore causing it to move slowly through my veins. That just meant my body was using oxygen at a slower rate which was making it sluggish while in bed. With all this work going on in the body of course it will be difficult to fall asleep so the best thing is to avoid caffeine (caffeinated) drinks at least 2 hours before bedtime in order to fall asleep quickly and sleep well. It is always best to go bed in free and breathable clothing preferably cotton. It allows for easy movement at night and allows air to pass through to your skin, that way sweat doesn't get trapped on your skin or on the clothes because there would be a free flow of air. Same with underwear. The absence of trapped sweat helps the body relax fully, allowing its owner to sleep comfortably. Unwinding in comfortable PJs is blissful, it will leave you anticipating a beautiful night sleep even before you settle in. So the next time you go PJs shopping, have comfort, flexibility and breathable fabric in mind and you won't regret a thing. Every night before I go to bed I make sure I already know what time I need to be up to do whatever it is I have to do. I already know I have to sleep 8hrs/night if bad, 7 minimum so what do I do? I count down from my wake up time and sleep at an appropriate hour to enable me get the amount of sleep I'll need to perform at my best during the day. In this case, you have to discipline and time yourself every night until it becomes a good habit and then a way of life. There are numerous things you can do to set the right atmosphere for a good night sleep but they vary according to personalities and preferences. For some it could be scented bed sheets, some a warm bath with a relaxing fragrance whereas for some it could be music. I fall into the category of those who enjoy a little jazz or relaxation music at bedtime. Not only do I fall asleep faster, I also sleep better. Many studies out there have shown the benefits of music for improving sleep. Music has indeed proven to be an effective technique for relaxation that helps to improve sleep quality. A study found that an average of 45 minutes of music at bedtime for a prolonged number of weeks resulted in longer sleep duration, shorter time to fall asleep, higher perceived sleep quality, and less daytime dysfunction. Music has anti-anxiety effects which helps relax the central nervous system and also lowers the heart rate and slows down breathing for better sleep. Last but definitely not least, reflect on the beautiful things that happened during the day. That's a great way to evoke a grateful heart and a thankful spirit which leads directly to prayer and meditation. Communication with God is the ultimate relaxation pill, you should try it out some time. XXDitch the snooze button by going to bed early.
Avoid caffeine before bedtime
Wear the right night garments
Have a regular sleep schedule
Set a great sleeping atmosphere
Pray, meditate and sleep