We all know that sleep is a natural human need to function well and manage stress. As simple as it seems, getting quality sleep can sometimes become a dream for us. With the daily hustles and everyday stress, be it personal or professional, getting a good night’s sleep can become a struggle too. So without further ado, let’s take a look at 10 tips that can help in improving your sleep quality naturally.
But before that, let’s see some of the causes behind poor sleep quality
- Lifestyle choices
- Stress
- Consuming too much caffeine during the day or before bed
- Uncomfortable sleep environment
- Aging
- Any kind of physical pain
- Noise Disturbance
- Sleep disorders like Insomnia, sleep paralysis, etc.
- Any medical condition
- Now that we have an idea about the different causes behind sleep issues, buckle up. We’re about to learn some easy tips that’ll help you sleep like a baby.
Improving Sleep Quality Naturally
We are often told to get at least 7-8 hours of sleep to avoid health issues and feel energized, and I agree with that. But only getting 7 hours of sleep isn’t enough.
What do you think will happen if you sleep for 7-8 hours every night but keep waking up every now and then? Would it make you feel well rested when you wake up in the morning?
Well, the answer is no; it won’t. And this is why it is important that, along with the quantity of sleep, we improve the quality of our sleep as well.
10 Tips for Better Sleep
1. Maintain a Sleep Schedule
Irregular sleep schedules can negatively affect the quality of sleep. In a recent study, it was found that to get quality sleep, it is important to go to bed and wake up at regular times.
Having irregular sleep schedules can hamper our body’s natural circadian rhythms, also known as the sleep-wake cycle.
So, try to maintain a constant sleep schedule as much as possible to enjoy good-quality sleep.
2. Don’t force yourself to sleep
A lot of times, what happens is that we try to sleep even when sleep is far from our eyes. We keep lying on the bed, shutting our eyes for hours, to get some sleep. But nothing happens. This is because, in such a situation, we are not completely relaxed. Our entire focus is on getting sleep as soon as we can, and this is why it backfires.
Instead of putting so much pressure on your mind, try doing a relaxing activity if you’re feeling sleepy at your regular bedtime. Try reading a book, listening to some relaxing music, or listening to podcasts. This will help put the pressure to sleep away from your mind, and you will feel naturally calm.
3. Make your bedroom environment relaxing
Making your bedroom environment as relaxing as you can will help in improving sleep quality naturally. Understand what type of environment helps you get better sleep, and apply that knowledge to your bedroom.
For example, most people get good-quality sleep in a dimly lit setting with little to no noise. If you’re also one of them, try to optimize your bedroom environment accordingly.
Sleep on a soft and comfortable mattress. Make sure your pillow is placed at an optimum height, neither too low nor too high.
4. Avoid using your phone or laptop before bed
As cliche as it might sound, avoiding screen time before bed can drastically improve your sleep quality. You might be aware that smartphones emit blue light, which messes with our circadian rhythms.
You must have noticed that when you’re using your smartphone late at night, your urge to sleep decreases after a certain point, and then no matter how much you try, you’re unable to sleep. This happens because the blue light emitted by electronic devices blocks the production of melatonin, which is our sleep hormone.
So, try to avoid using electronic devices right before bed.
5. Avoid Exercise before bedtime
Yes, exercise is important to maintain a healthy body and mind, and it helps boost your immune system. But exercising right before going to bed can do more harm than good. Exercise stimulates our body and releases hormones such as epinephrine, which activate our body’s fight or flight response. Thus making it difficult to relax and fall asleep.
6. Stress Management
Stress is found to be one of the major causes of a decrease in sleep quality. So, one way to improve your sleep quality is through stress management. Managing everyday stress can help calm our body and mind and, in turn, give us some good-quality sleep.
You can check out our blog to learn some effective stress management tips.
7. Avoid long daytime naps
This is something that I’ve personally struggled with. I always had the habit of taking daytime naps, and it would affect my sleep at night. To get a good amount and quality of sleep, try to limit your naps during the day. This doesn’t mean that you should not rest during the day at all; just try to limit your daytime naps to 20 minutes maximum.
It might be a little difficult in the beginning if you’re used to taking long naps in the afternoon, but after some effort and time, you’ll learn to manage better, just like I did.
8. Limit your caffeine and alcohol intake
Alcohol is proven to be both a depressant and a stimulant, and thus, consuming alcohol on a regular basis can negatively impact your sleep quality. The higher the alcohol intake, the poorer the sleep quality.
The same goes for caffeine; it’s normal to have a cup of coffee during the day to avoid slumbering at work. But increasing the number of these cups can disrupt your nighttime sleep.
9. Write down your worries
Thinking too much about something that is bothering you can make it difficult to fall asleep. Manage your worries by reading a book before bed or writing down whatever is bothering you to help release it from your mind for a while.
This will help calm your mind for a while and help you fall asleep.
10. Talk to a Health Professional
If you feel that even after trying all these tips, your sleep quality is still not improving, then try to consult a doctor and get a checkup for any sleep disorders like insomnia.
If sleep issues persist for a long time and keep getting worse over time, then it is also important to consult a doctor as soon as you can. Remember, your sleep is your priority.
A Spirico Summary
Sleep is an essential component of our physical and mental health. Struggling with quality sleep can affect both our body and mind in a negative manner.
There can be a number of factors responsible for reduced sleep quality, such as: stress, lifestyle habits, aging factors, lifestyle habits, etc.
But when there’s a problem, there’s also a solution. We can improve our sleep quality through little efforts from our side, like maintaining a sleep schedule, avoiding alcohol and caffeine, limiting daytime naps, and more.
Are there any tips you follow for getting quality sleep? Share with us in the comments below.