Often times we may wake up to only countdown to the end of the day. We can’t wait finally climb into bed again and rest but, sleep feel like a difficult task. To prevent you from tossing and turning all night, here are things to avoid before your snooze:
Don’t Take The Wrong Medication. When we are sick, we’ll do almost anything to feel better. Beware that often times OTC decongestants contain pseudoephedrine, which may cause insomnia.
-Instead aim for decongestants made specifically for nighttime use that contain antihistamines, it’s been known to make people drowsy.
Don’t Reply To Your Emails. Blue light exposure from computers, tablets and smart phones suppresses melatonin levels, throwing off your body’s natural clock.
-Shut down your electronics at least an hour before bed and set an alarm for an hour earlier if you need to catch up on work. Also, dimming your screen as much as possible or downloading a program such as F.lux, which adjusts your computer’s display to be a warmer color at night, can be beneficial.
Don’t Take A Hot Bath. Warm baths can help you fall asleep, but not immediately. Your body temperature dips at night, starting at around two hours before sleep. A hot bath causes your temperature to rise and then cool down afterward, which will help you relax. It’s this drop in body temperature that knocks you out, and the steeper the drop, the deeper you’ll sleep.
-Remember to watching the timing of your bath. Make sure you’ve taken your hot bath at least a hour before bedtime.
Don’t Overeat. Research has found that going to bed with an uncomfortably full stomach can stimulate brain waves, resulting in nightmares. The unhealthier the food you ate, the more disturbing the dreams can be.
-Take small bites and chew your food to help with digestion.
Don’t Decide To Get Something Off Your Chest. Now isn’t the best time to get riled up in an argument. Stress and over-stimulation before bed are said to be the main causes of delayed sleepiness.
-Your last hour before bed should be your peaceful hour. Avoid anything that will rattle you.
Little adjustments can go a long way when it comes to getting better sleep. Keeping a sleep diary is a great place to start in improving your sleep as you track factors that disturb sleep.
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