HOW TO OPTIMIZE YOUR SLEEP? CRACK THE INSOMNIA CODE.
If you might have trouble falling asleep this article is a must read.
Ever went to bed early thinking finally i will sleep early tonight or just went to bed at your usual hour only to end up staring at the ceiling for hours or tossing and turning in bed for you just can’t fall asleep??
The question “how lucky are the people who can fall asleep on command or within mins of hitting the hay!!” might pop up in head too.
And the more you try to fall asleep the more you can’t fall asleep.
Where are my fellow insomniacs at?
I can relate with you (actually my past self can)
Keep reading for the tips given in this article might be all you need to optimize your sleep.
First let me share few benefits of why you need to optimize your sleep.
Sleep is essential for:
Recovery
Focus
Good skin and hair
productivity
Balancing the hormones
Healthy Microbiome
Optimize your sleep 101:
1. Fix your circadian rhythm
Circadian rhythm is your body’s biological clock, your sleep-wake cycle, if it’s messed up. Your entire system goes haywire. Read this article to learn how to fix your circadian rhythm.
2. Have a specific and consistent Sleep routine/schedule
Prepare yourself for sleep, get ready to do it -Have a specific schedule for eg. Brushing your teeth, skin care if are fancy, getting into comfy night clothes, making the bed, saying your prayers, going to bed at same time every night.
All of this sounds blehh but trust me, once you get used to it, it gets the job done.
3. Meal timings
Have dinner atleast 3 hours before going to bed. It gives time for your body to digest the food so it won’t disrupt your sleep.
Caffeine can disrupt your sleep up to 6 hours after consuming it, so calculate the timing according to your usual hour of bed and have it at least 6-7 hours before that.
4. Bluelight exposure
Your mom was right. The phone is the problem to it all. Scrolling for hours on end before bed might be the root cause to your Insomnia. This bluelight exposure keeps you in “wake mode*
Switch off your screen exposure for at least an hour before bedtime.
Have your phone/ laptop in eye protection mode after sun down
Wear bluelight protection glasses for nighttime screentime
Switch from scrolling to some light reading from the actual physical book (ps- not the kind of book that keeps you hooked for “1 more” chapter)
5. Natural light exposure
Sunlight exposure especially during the day helps produce melatonin at night. It plays a huge role maintaining the circadian rhythm.
6. Shower
This doesn’t work for everyone. Some might find that showering wakes them up even more. But many do claim that shower makes them feel relaxed and that in turn helps induce a good night sleep. You need to try it out and see what works for you.
7. Breathing exercise
Try 4-7-8 breathing pattern for sleep-
Keeping the mouth closed, inhale through the nose while counting to 4. Hold your breath for a count of 7. Exhale slowly through your mouth for a count of 8. Repeat this cycle around 6 times before returning to normal breathing.
In addition to this try slow and long Belly breathing or diaphragmatic breathing.
What these breathing exercises do is bring your body into a parasympathetic mode that is your rest and digest mode. It relaxes your body, calms down the nerves and helps induce sleep.
8. Gratitude attitude
Lastly, counting your blessings, being grateful for things you have and the day you had, helps prevent anxiety and stress that most people experience during bedtime and its that anxiety and stress that keeps them awake.
So gratitude attitude relaxes your mind, pushes the negative thoughts aside and makes you focus on the positive ones. Practicing this alone is such a good start to achieving your beauty sleep.
Hope this was helpful, now go get that beauty sleep <3