It’s Sleep Awareness week!
Lack of sleep is such a universal problem that the National
Sleep Foundation has proclaimed the week of March 10th as Sleep Awareness Week.
Studies show that sleep quality is directly related to sleep
hygiene, meaning your nighttime habits might be causing you to lose out on the
benefits of quality beauty sleep.
When you don’t get enough sleep it affects your health,
daily functions and brain.
The National Sleep Foundation defines sleep hygiene as “a
variety of different practices and habits that are necessary to have good
nighttime sleep quality and full daytime alertness.”
Here are some sleep hygiene behaviors and tips on how to
have a good night sleep!
Know How Much Sleep
YOU need
Throughout our lives, our sleep needs change, but as a
general rule, adults in good health typically require 7 to 7.5 hours of sleep.
Infants, children, and adolescents need more to differing extents.
You may need less or more than the recommended amount.
As a start, set aside enough time for you to get at least 7
hours of sleep.
If you do this for a few days and still wake up feeling
unrested, gradually increase the number.
If you wake up each morning after only 6 hours and feel
great, don’t worry about it, your body is getting the sleep amount it needs.
What’s important is that you feel well-rested when you wake
up and not groggy or continuously tired.
Watch What You Eat
Some people sleep better if they have a small snack before
bed but you want to avoid large meals late at night.
Large meals can make us sleepy but often result in disrupted
sleep a few hours later and sleeping after a large meal can make acid reflux
worse in people who suffer that condition.
If you want to sleep better, eat better.
When deciding on a bedtime snack, it’s important to
incorporate foods that are known to promote sleep, while avoiding ones that do
the opposite.
The best foods for sleep include yogurt, oats, nuts, milk,
rice, cherries, and bananas.
The foods you should avoid are anything sugary, fatty or
rich.
Limit Coffee and Alcohol
While alcohol may make you drowsy, it disrupts your sleep by
preventing you from getting into a deep sleep.
Caffeine is a stimulant, it hypes up your nervous system, so
your brain thinks it’s time to wake up instead of wind down.
Other substances, like marijuana and nicotine, can also
interfere with sleep.
If you’re a fan of any of these substances, limit your
intake to avoid them interfering with your sleep.
Try to stop using them 4 to 6 hours before you plan on
falling asleep.
Late night Workouts
Working out can help de-stress the body and reduce anxiety
but if done too close to your bedtime your body might still feel the adrenaline
making it difficult to fall into a more relaxed state.
Strenuous exercise should be done 3 hours before bed to let
the brain slowly adjust and relax.
Dedicate your Bedroom to Sleep and Sex
Having a dedicated place for sleep is important.
If you need to invest in a new mattress, it will be worth
it!
It is important to subconsciously connect being in bed with
sleeping.
Remove any distraction items that might keep you awake like
a t.v or computer.
Don’t read in bed or watch videos on the phone (unless they’re
my videos haha!).
Sleep experts say your bed should be used for sleeping and sharing
intimate moments with your partner because the brain has a hard time adjusting
to sleep mode if it gets used to eating, watching tv, studying or just hanging
out in the bedroom.
Treat your bedroom as a haven for sleep.
Limit Screen Time before Bed
Some people have televisions in their bedrooms but watching
TV right before going to sleep is not a good idea if you are having sleep
issues.
Looking at computer screens, phones and tablets shortly
before bed is actually harmful to sleep, the light from the screens tricks
your brain into thinking it is daytime and time to wake up.
Playing games, checking social media or checking emails are ways
to either stress or excite you, again waking the brain up instead of relaxing
it.
Try to stop using all electronics 1 full hour before bed
including your television, computers, phones, e-readers, and tablets.
If you absolutely
can’t tear yourself away from any of these items, turn on the night mode so the
blue light is off.
Dark Cool Room
Keeping the temperature in your bedroom low is not only good
for sleep but it is also good for your metabolism and blood flow.
Keeping your bedroom dark also keeps it cool, by blocking
out any heat from outside and the darkness convinces your brain that it’s night
time.
If you live in a very
light-polluted area, get an eye mask and/ or a blackout curtains to help block
out the light.
Limit Naps
Sometimes naps are essential for that extra boost during a
long day, but frequent naps or longer naps can interfere with nighttime sleep.
If you do nap, limit it to a short power nap of 30 minutes
or less.
If you nap longer than that, you risk entering deep sleep, will
wake up even groggier and likely have a tougher time falling asleep later that
night.
Thanks for supporting my blog 💕
~Jennifer
