Whether you suffer insomnia or not, everyone experiences what it’s like to toss and turn at night. Either way, you’re here because you’re having trouble sleeping and want to know how you might rectify that.
Here are 7 strategies to help you rest better if you have trouble sleeping:
1. Have a consistent sleep schedule
This means waking up at the same time every morning. And yes, that also means the weekends. Sleeping in might sounds great, but as soon as you change your sleep routine, going to bed and waking up at a specific time, your circadian rhythm is thrown off. Once that happens, you’ll have trouble sleeping for some time because it’s very hard to get your sleep cycle consistent again.
That said, fixing your sleep cycle isn’t impossible, but you should fix it before you begin suffering the consequences of sleep deprivation.
2. Limit your naps to 20 minutes or you’ll have trouble sleeping
A nap sounds great when you’re tired, but it actually does more harm than good. When we nap, we don’t feel tired when we should. This makes it harder for us to fall asleep at an appropriate time.
Resting your eyes for 20 minutes isn’t too bad, but anything longer is going to mess up your circadian rhythm.
In fact, it’s better if you try to keep from napping altogether. That way, you’ll be sleepy when bed time comes around, and you will be able to sleep throughout the night.
3. Use your bedroom for only sleep and sex
Using your bedroom for anything besides sleep and sex is going to confuse your brain into staying awake. This means activities such as reading, watching TV, playing video games, exercising, working need to be done in a different room. By doing so, you’ll keep your brain trained to start sending your body sleep signals when you spend time in your bedroom.
4. Get a proper amount of exercise
Keeping up with regular exercise can help you sleep better. When you exert more energy throughout the day, your body enters a recuperative process during sleep. In fact, studies indicate that performing 150 minutes of exercise per week can improve your sleep up to 65%.
Another study showed that exercise helped up to 17 people with insomnia improve their sleep. Plus, they had more energy throughout the day.
5. Got to bed only when you’re sleepy
When you feel sleepy, it’s your body telling you it’s ready to go to bed. Forcing yourself to go to bed before your body is ready isn’t going to help. You can’t force your body to sleep.
By going to bed before you’re ready to sleep, you’ll increase your frustration because all you will be thinking about is why you can’t fall asleep.
6. Reflect about the day before you go to bed so you don’t have trouble sleeping
You don’t want to bring the day’s concerns and worries into the bedroom. Meditate over the day’s events and what tomorrow might bring before you head to bed. This way, you’ll have an easier time calming those racing thoughts.
Plus, if you have trouble with racing thoughts at night, you might want to think about investing in a weighted blanket.
7. Make sure you’re sleeping on the right pillow for your sleep position
Pillows play an important role in how well you sleep. If you aren’t sleeping on the right pillow for your sleep position, your neck, back, shoulders, head, and spine isn’t being supported properly. When this happens, you can wake up feeling sore and unrested.
You want to look for a pillow that will adjust to your unique shape, curves, and sleeping position. This way you will enjoy deep, restorative sleep.