Today, we have an easy guide for you to follow, which may improve your quality of rest tonight! There are a number of things that can affect how well you sleep at night; everything from the mattress you have, to your diet, to whether or not you’ve got a newborn at home. They can all impact how you’re left feeling the next morning. Try slowly implementing this sleep schedule and see if it works for you!
Morning:
Wake up at the same time everyday. This will keep your circadian rhythm in order, thus creating a “natural,” bed time.
Next, open those blinds and soak in some rays of morning sunshine! When light hits your eyes, it signals your brain to stop producing melatonin, which induces sleep—more on that later!
Afternoon:
Steer clear of caffeine after about 2:00-3:00pm. With its ability to stay in your body for about 8 hours, caffeine can keep your mind racing around the time you’re wishing you could be asleep.
Always try to eat a variety of nutritious foods, as those with better diets report better quality sleep than people who eat less healthily.
Evening:
Exercising works wonders for sleep, as well as your body! If you exercise after work, try to make it no later than 6:00pm. Working out increases your overall body temperature, so it’s key to make sure that it’s decreasing as you’re heading to bed.
Try not to drink too much water during the evening. If you’re guzzling several big glasses of water, you may have to wake up during the night to use the bathroom.
Nighttime:
If you have a nightcap, have it early—around 7:00pm or so. Alcohol has recently been shown to actually decrease quality of sleep, though it may help you get to sleep more quickly.
Remember when we mentioned melatonin earlier? Well, now we want to induce the production of it! So, try to be conscious of when you watch TV, or use smart phones, computers, and tablets. By reducing the amount of light entering your eyes, your body knows it’s time to go to sleep, and starts producing melatonin.
Lastly, go to bed at the same time every night. This falls in line with the first tip—our bodies like to be on a schedule. By going to sleep at the same time each night, you will likely feel more refreshed when you awake the next morning.
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