Sleep is one of the most important things we can do for our health. Unfortunately, falling sleep isn’t easy for a lot of people.
Somewhere between 50 to 70 million people in the United States suffer from insomnia, according to the American Sleep Association. For something that affects your ability to be alert, risk for heart disease, and even your weight, that’s a staggering number.
Here are four steps you can take to get better sleep.
Get Off Your Devices
Taking our phones to bed with us has become a bad habit. Exposure to blue light seriously impacts your sleep.
Why? The blue light that comes from our devices suppresses melatonin and makes our brains think that it’s still daytime. This makes it harder for us to wind down when we decide to go to bed.
There are some simple things you can do to help reduce your blue light exposure.
- Purchase glasses that block blue light
- Use an app that reduces the blue light on your screen and set it on a night timer
- Turn off all screens at least two hours before bed
These three steps can help your brain remember it’s time to go to bed.
Practice Meditation or Relaxation Techniques
One of the leading causes of insomnia is anxiety. When your mind is racing, it can be hard to calm down when it’s time to sleep.
That’s why Harvard Health suggests making relaxation part of your evening routine. Something as simple as doing breathing exercises before bed can help you sleep.
If you have other activities that relax you, such as gentle stretching or reading, those work as well.
Don’t Hangout in Bed
Your mind and body should associate your bed with sleep. It’s essential to make a distinction between where you do your daily activities at home and where you rest your mind.
So, rather than doing work on your laptop in bed, move to the couch.
Additionally, if you find yourself unable to fall asleep in bed, it’s time to move to another room. The longer you stay awake in bed, the more your brain will associate the bedroom with a place to be awake.
Instead, head to the living room or kitchen until you feel like you’re tired enough to sleep.
Stick to a Schedule
Our body has a natural schedule that it follows, called your circadian rhythm. If you alternate what time you go to bed and wake up, it can mess with that schedule, making it harder for you to fall asleep.
Chances are you know what your internal clock wants. Try to stick to that schedule. If that doesn’t work for your responsibilities, make sure you’re going to bed and waking up at the same time every day.
A schedule can feel restricting and annoying, but it’s one of the easiest things you can do on the road to better sleep.
These four steps can help you fall asleep faster and get on the road to better rest.
