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Consistently getting a good night’s sleep is very important for our mental and physical wellbeing. Getting enough shuteye – around eight hours for adults – on almost every night gives your body and mind time to rest and repair, and failing to get enough sleep can have adverse health implications in the short and long run.
In the short term, you will feel drowsy, demotivated, and sometimes highly irritable, all of which can make studying or performing your job competently very difficult. Your relationships with your loved ones may also be impacted in a negative way.
In the longer term, failing to get sufficient rest can have more serious implications on your mental health and may leave you feeling depressed and very anxious, which may adversely affect your ability to work and maintain healthy relationships.
A lack of sleep can also put you at a greater risk of developing certain conditions, such as heart disease, and may impact your physical health in other ways, especially if you are still growing or are a regular gym-goer.
At this point, if you currently have sleeping troubles or simply would like to improve the quality of sleep you get each night, you’re probably wondering what you can do about it. Read on to discover five great ways you can help your body fall asleep more easily and consistently get a better night’s rest…
Drink Plenty of Water
Drinking lots of water has been found to help some people fall asleep and may also lead to you getting better, deeper sleep. You should aim to drink at least two liters of water per day, as this is not only good for helping you sleep well, but it also benefits your body’s general wellbeing in countless ways.
However, you should try to avoid drinking a lot of water an hour or so before you go to bed, as you may need to wake up to go to the bathroom during the night (which will disturb your sleep.)
Try a Sleep Aid
With so many different types of sleeping aids on the market for you to try out, you are sure to find something that works for you! Popular types include prescription sleeping pills like Zaleplon and natural sleeping aids like Cannabinol (CBN) and Valerian flower.
We recommend focusing on finding a natural sleeping aid that works for you. They typically have fewer side effects than prescription sleeping drugs and can prove to be effective long term solutions in many cases, as most aren’t addictive.
Reduce Blue Light Exposure Before Bed
Checking your phone, watching TV, and doing other things that expose you to blue light should be avoided as much as possible before bed.
This is because blue light affects your circadian rhythm and makes your brain think it’s still daytime, so it makes you feel less sleepy and can often lead to you struggling to fall asleep once you get into bed.
Get a Comfortable Mattress
A good, comfortable mattress that supports your body is very important to falling asleep and getting good quality sleep. Comfortable pillows are also very important to getting quality slumber on a consistent basis.
You should look for a mattress that supports your body without being too firm and is designed to minimize heat-trapping within the mattress, so you don’t wake up in the middle of the night because it’s too hot.
While a good mattress is certainly a worthwhile investment for everyone, it can be especially important if you suffer from neck or back pain. Such pain can make falling asleep a challenging endeavor (as an unsuitable mattress can aggravate such problems.)
Cut Out Caffeine
Lastly, we have a sleeping tip, which is probably quite obvious to most of you: you should try to cut caffeine from your diet completely or avoid it in the five to six hours before you plan on sleeping.
This is because caffeine is a stimulant, so taking it makes you feel more energized, which can make falling asleep impossible until the effects wear off.
A Quick Summary
- The importance of consistently getting a good night’s sleep cannot be overstated, as sleep is very important to both your physical and mental wellbeing.
- There are several things you can do to help yourself get a better night’s sleep.
- For example, you should try to drink more water and minimize your caffeine consumption, especially in the several hours before bedtime.
- It would help if you also considered giving sleeping aids a try. These include natural sleeping aids, such as CBN and prescription drugs.
- Generally speaking, natural sleeping aids are preferred, as they usually have fewer side effects and can often be more effective (for example, CBN is a much more powerful sedative than the vast majority of prescription sleeping drugs.)