Better Sleep and Tips to Wind Down
Top 6 tips to help you relax and sleep better at night
It is highly recommended that you give yourself some time to decompress and unwind before going to bed, especially after a long hectic day. While this doesn’t mean that you turn your home into a quiet haven, there are some slight changes you can make to calm your restless mind, relax, and make the transition from daytime to night much easier.
1. Music can help to soothe the mind. Instead of listening to the ever unpleasant evening news, consider putting on a playlist of your favorite music. Classical music has been found to be particularly effective at reducing stress and lowering blood pressure. However, listening to any kind of music that appeals to you will help to calm you down and boost your moods. However, if you are interested in sounds specially designed to help you sleep, you can check out the sleep casts and sleep music available on the Headspace app.
2. Dim the lights at night. Candles, lamps, or a dimmer switch will help to create a more restful environment than using a bright overhead light. Besides being less intense, indirect light has less impact on your natural circadian rhythms.
3. Limit your caffeine and caffeine intake later in the day. What you do during the day can have an influence your ability to have a more restful evening and sleep at night. Engaging in some physical exercises early in the day, not drinking caffeine (soda, tea, and coffee) after lunch, avoiding alcohol late in the day as well as foods that may upset your stomach will all help you to wind down and sleep better.
4. Take in some natural light (preferably outdoors) in the early hours of the day. Getting sufficient natural light in the daytime is important in maintaining a healthy circadian rhythm.
5. Leave work stuff at work. Refrain from reading or sending work emails after dinner. A 2018 study out of Virginia Tech revealed that, just the expectation of checking work emails after work is enough to cause heightened stress and anxiety. Every new message translates to another decision that you need to make. This not only keeps your mind active, but it also steals the time that you’d have otherwise spent with family and friends, or your alone time. According to the study, practicing mindfulness will help to calm you down and help you be in the moment for solo, family, or social activities.
6. Get Comfortable. One of the main culprits for poor quality sleep is a poor quality mattress. It may have started out as a great mattress but over the years they lose their support and can become uncomfortable. It is recommended that you replace your mattress every 8-10 years. This helpful analysis about Novaform mattresses will help you to make an informed decision on your new mattress.
