Getting a good night’s sleep should be simple. But sadly, for many people it’s not and they wake up tired the next morning.
Here are some tips to drift off more easily and enjoy extra REM sleep.
Don’t Drink Coffee or Energy Drinks in the Evening
Getting off the caffeine fed to us via daily coffees or energy drinks is difficult to do. The withdrawal symptoms aren’t too nice and can include headaches and irritation. However, you should avoid any intake of caffeinated drinks at least six hours before bedtime and preferably much longer.
There are also ways to lessen the withdrawal symptoms if you’re actively trying to reduce your daily intake over time. Cutting back bit by bit certainly works. Be aware that it’s often an addiction to sugar that’s just as much of a problem as the caffeine.
Calming Activities Before Bedtime
To get off to sleep reliably, it’s useful to have a nighttime routine where you deliberately slow down in the last hour. While you could go outside for a brisk walk before bedtime, it’s likely to make it more difficult to fall asleep. Avoid watching overly dramatic TV that gets your heart racing. Read a book or take up a new hobby from the arts and crafts department.
Avoid the Blue Light from Mobile Apps
The blue light that is emitted by mobile apps is fine in the daytime when it keeps your alert, but at night, looking at your smartphone before bed makes it harder to nod off. It was shown in a 1981 study from Harvard University that the body clock does change in response to stimuli. That’s a bad thing when it comes to sleeping and blue light emissions.
Try using a mobile app that stops the use of blue light in the evening. Many of these are free for iOS or Android and solve the problem
Cloak the Bedroom in Near Darkness
If you have trouble getting off to sleep and staying asleep, then look at the level of illumination in the bedroom. The light from a laptop, a table lamp or light seeping in from the outside hallway could be stopping you from getting off to sleep naturally.
Do you have sleep apnea? Over 50 million Americans do. That’s just as many as those that have Type II Diabetes, which may shock you. Sleep apnea is where your breathing is temporarily interrupted during your sleep pattern and often wakes you up.
If you’re overweight or having sleep apnea, then it will affect your ability to get life insurance and have it pay out should there be a claim. There is the option of taking sleep apnea life insurance which ensures that it’s a known medical condition and doesn’t prevent an acceptable claim being made due to it (most pre-existing conditions are excluded from life policies).
It’s worth paying attention to the quality of your sleep and how much you’re getting. If you find that you get tired more easily and aren’t as productive, it could be the reason why.
Photo by Zohre Nemati
Mia Guerra
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