Proven Tips to sleep better at night
Proven Tips to Sleep Better at Night
Research shows that poor sleep has a negative impact on hormones, exercise performance, and brain function.
A good night’s sleep is just as important as getting regular exercise and eating a healthy diet. If you want to optimize your health or lose weight, getting a good night’s sleep is one of the things you should do.
Here are proven tips to to sleep better at night:
1. Don’t eat late at night
Eating late at night can negatively affect both sleep quality and the release of the hormones GH and melatonin.
A recent study found that a meal high in carbs and eaten 4 hours before bedtime helped people fall asleep faster. Another study found that a low-carb diet also improved sleep.
Caffeine has a lot of benefits and is consumed by 90% of the US population. It has the effect of enhancing focus, energy and athletic performance. However, when consumed later in the day, caffeine stimulates the nervous system and can prevent the body from naturally relaxing at night.
In a recent study, consuming caffeine up to 6 hours before bedtime can significantly reduce sleep quality. Because caffeine can be high in the blood in 6-8 hours. Therefore, drinking large amounts of coffee after 3-4 pm is not recommended, especially if you are sensitive to caffeine or have trouble sleeping.
3. Reduce blue light exposure at night
Exposure to light during the day is beneficial, but exposure to light at night has the opposite effect, especially blue light. This is due to the effect of this light on circadian rhythms.
It confuses the brain and thinks it’s still daylight. At the same time, it also reduces hormones like melatonin, which is a hormone that promotes relaxation and deep sleep.
Blue light – emitted by electronic devices like smartphones and computers – is the worst thing that affects sleep.
There are several common methods that can be used to reduce blue light exposure including:
Wearing blue light blocking glasses. Install a blue light blocking app on your smartphone. Stop using the television and turn off the lights two hours before bedtime.
4.Reduce the amount of nap time.
Although, napping has many benefits. However, prolonged naps or irregular naps can negatively affect sleep throughout the day. Sleeping during the day can confuse circadian rhythms and make falling asleep at night more difficult.
In fact, recent research shows that participants end up sleeping more during the day after they take a nap. Another study noted that napping for 30 minutes or less can boost daytime brain function. But long naps can be harmful to health and sleep quality.
However, a study has also proven that people who have a habit of napping often do not experience poor quality sleep or interrupted sleep at night. So, if you nap regularly and sleep well, you shouldn’t worry. The impact of napping depends on the individual.
5. Try to sleep and wake up at a fixed time
The body functions as a circadian rhythm. So getting the right amount of sleep and sleep time can support better sleep quality.
Several studies have noted that people who have irregular sleep patterns and go to bed late on weekends are reported to have poor sleep. Studies have also highlighted that irregular sleep patterns can alter birth rhythms or melatonin levels. This signals to the brain and affects sleep.
In case, struggling with sleep, you should get into the habit of waking up and going to bed at similar times. After a few weeks, you’ll have a good night’s sleep and won’t even need to set an alarm to wake up.
Never sleep on high pillows❗️
A high pillow leads to a forced tilt of the head and compression of the vertebral artery from the opposite side.
In addition, if you sleep on a high pillow, the neck muscles are in constant tension, which inevitably leads to pain in the neck and head.
This is especially evident in the morning: stiffness and pain in the neck is the first alarm signal to think about the sleeping position and pillow.
BUT: there are such cases that a high pillow is simply necessary.
For example, in case of violation of venous outflow from the head, it is recommended to use a high pillow.
This improves venous outflow from the skull well.