Everyone agrees that getting a good night’s sleep can have a huge impact on our mental faculties and energy levels the following day but if we are going to look at the number of hours that we get to sleep, most of us will find that we tend to sleep around 5 to 6 hours per day. The number can go lower too if you are suffering from insomnia which can wreak havoc not just to your health but to your mental abilities as well.
There are many factors that can contribute to insomnia such as busy schedule, too much stress, and even financial woes. However, regardless of what keeps you up until the early hours of the morning, you will need to start taking steps to ensure that your insomnia won’t get out of hand. Fortunately, there are natural remedies that can help ease this problem and these are:
- Sleep continuously. Fragmented sleep can take a toll on your body even when you sleep for eight hours. Health experts agree that sleeping for 6 hours straight is considerably better as opposed to waking up every now and then.
- Stop drinking coffee after 2pm. Keep in mind that caffeine can stay in your system for hours which means that it can affect your sleep cycle especially when you’re sensitive to it. This can trigger a vicious cycle where you will drink plenty of coffee or caffeinated drinks to sustain you the following day. It is best that you skip caffeine after 2 in the afternoon to give your body enough time to get rid of the stimulant in your system.
- Take time to work out. If your idea of working out is close to bed time, you might want to rethink your schedule. Exercising close to your sleeping time can prevent you from getting a good night’s sleep since your body is still too pumped up from the workout that you just did. Experts recommend that you exercise between 5 in the afternoon to 7 in the evening to give your body enough time to cool down so you can sleep better.
- Get rid of any gadgets. For those who often have their gadgets with them in bed, you are actually causing disruption in your sleep. These are considered as distractions and can actually trigger stress which you don’t really need when you’re already in bed. Take a look at your bedroom and see if there are any electronic gadgets present and remove them or power them down before your bedtime.
- Always wind down. With our busy schedule, winding down is considered a luxury by many. Pamper yourself before bedtime by drawing a hot bath, or doing some light yoga to ease the numerous tensions that you felt that day. If you find yourself tossing and turning in bed, get up and do some light reading or any activity that doesn’t require too much mental effort. You’ll find yourself drifting off to sleep in no time.
- Lower the temperature in your bedroom. Another trick to stop insomnia in its tracks is to lower the temperature in your bedroom. A cooler temperature allows your body to cool down and get ready for some much needed sleep as opposed to a warm bedroom which can make you feel uncomfortable.
These remedies are easy to follow and may ease you into a proper sleeping state rather than keep you awake for hours. Dealing with insomnia as early as possible can ensure that you stop it in its tracks otherwise you’ll be suffering the consequences of lack of sleep.
