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The Irish believe that a good sleep ranks close to a good laugh in curing ailments. Living in the 21st century, we know better how that proverb simply rings of the truth. A good night’s rest is not just necessary, it is fundamental to us! Doctors would prescribe you medicines, therapy and a good rest.
Many of us often suffer sleep deprivation syndromes throughout our day. There are individuals that think they are always better off spending 6 hours sleeping and replace the rest by sleeping in on weekends. Or worse, some try to waive it by having several cups of coffee.
This is a serious issue; approximately 30 percent of Americans are getting less than 6 hours of sleep a day. From CDC, almost 75% of high school students in America aren't getting the necessary 8-hour sleep and your teenage kids might be among them.
The following hacks are easy to follow for you and teenagers alike. It might even be a good idea to set this as the new family goal: getting the sleep you've always needed by the end of the month.
Daytime activities
What you do during the day will affect your sleep. You may have probably felt the need to crash on any surface when you're so tired at work during the day. Tiredness is a great way to get the body ready to rest.
Working out is also another great way to prepare the body for a good night's rest. It does not have to be a long workout session; just a short 15 minutes workout that allows your heart pump will do. You will feel lighter and the work out will also help clear up the mind of the usual brain chatter you might have.
No coffee after 3
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Research says that coffee can still affect your sleep even though it has been 6 hours since you last had it. The obstruction can be small for you to notice, but it is there. Caffeine is a strong compound that can keep the adrenaline rushing; just the right drink to start your morning. But it is definitely a bad idea to have one in the evening.
Tea has the same effect, depending on the type of tea you are having. Switch to sleeping tea that contains zero caffeine to keep a healthy sleeping time.
Never snooze, seriously
We are often grateful for the snooze button on our smartphones. They seem like just the right thing everyone wants on their alarm clock or at least that is what you think. Seriously, though, is there a harm to snoozing?
What you want is often not what you need. That is how it is with snoozing. You think you want 5 more minutes in your bed, but what happens when it rings again, you will only get irritated. Closing your eyes for such a short period of time will leave you groggier than you already are. Never snooze.
Close the window
According to Health, do not let natural light shine into your bedroom. Our body's hormone for sleeping and waking up is regulated by sunlight. The more we are exposed, the more hormones secreted, getting ourselves ready for the morning.
Don't play in bed
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There is only one kind of play allowed and that would be the thing that you do with your partner. Aside from that, keep out of the sacred resting place!
Our brain processes certain places with activities that we often do in it. It then 'memorizes' and signals our brain to stay awake, be alert or look for food when we are in those places. Playing Mobile Legends on your bed is simply a bad idea if you still wish to have a good sleep afterward.
The hardest part would be to ditch your phone once you are in bed. Many find this hard to do; you reply to texts, emails, chats, games and do so many things and now you are told to not to do that in the best place ever? If you really want a comfortable place, create a separate space for you to do those things and reserve the bed simply for one purpose: sleep.
To nap or not
A good siesta will leave you energized to continue working for the rest of the day. But it can be the evil lurking in your sleep. Having a too long nap can also keep you awake for too long. If you need to, keep the nap no longer than 15 minutes. Many who took an hour nap could easily feel that they are sleepy, not refreshed after the nap.
Hungry? Grab some snacks
Grab some snacks, but definitely, do not do that 15 minutes before bedtime. You will have to set an hour or two before sleep to allow the food to be digested. You cannot sleep if your tummy is working after all.
Avoid midnight snacking. One way to do this is to not stay up late as your body will begin to demand more energy after being awake for more than 6 hours after the last meal. It can easily turn into a habit and you do not want that.
Get warm
The reason that you wake up so many times in the middle of the night could be caused by your freezing feet. Wear socks to keep them warm. Set the temperature a little higher and wrap that blanket around yourself.
Don't do evening buffet
Those big portions of steak looks tempting, but for the sake of a better sleep, ignore it. When you have big meals during the day, you feel drowsy afterward which probably makes you think that it should work at night, too.
Metabolism is kick-started after you have a big meal, which will prevent you from having a good sleep. If you need to, keep a 3 hours gap between your dinner and bedtime. Forcing yourself to sleep at that time will only lead to digestive problems.
Drink... not
Water is essential to our body and remaining well-hydrated is important. Yet, too much drink isn't going to let your body rest well for the night. A good sleep is the one where you are not constantly waking up throughout the night. A trip to the toilet is an obstruction. Drink just enough before sleeping.
Get Latex Mattress and Pillows
If you want that green sleep, with proper ventilation, adequate support and lack of chemicals, then latex pillows and mattresses with their varied benefits are an option you should look into.
Published by Arina Smith
