3 Quick Ways to Improve Your Sleep Habits
Scientists aren't entirely sure why some organisms sleep. This not only means that human sleep is a relative mystery, but also the sleep of many other organisms. Dogs sleep about 70% of their lives, versus only around 30% for humans. Some species of fish don't ever sleep and spend their entire lives awake. The best scientists can figure is that the body needs time to regenerate. Your brain and body burn so much fuel and so many minerals and electrolytes just to power the conscious mind that merely being awake long enough will make you sleep. This even happens if you don't do anything but sit down all day. Though while the exact purpose of sleep has yet to be pinpointed, all health experts know that getting enough sleep is one of the keys to wellness.
If you want to improve the overall wellness of your mind and body, it's important to get enough sleep. Some argue the human body needs 8 hours every 24, while others will debate that the actual number is 7 or 6. The fact here is that being "well rested" is relative to individuals. Maybe your body needs a full 8 hours to operate properly, or maybe it does just fine on 6. Whatever your actual number may be, it's important to get that amount of sleep every night and to get on a sleep schedule. The better rested your body is, the better you will feel overall. Sleep is essential to wellness.
With that in mind, here are three different things you can do to improve your overall sleeping habits.
1: Turn Off Those Electronics
Some experts recommend that up to 90 minutes before you try to sleep, you should "unplug" from the digital world. Stop checking your phone. Do not watch your TV. Get off of the computer. Give your brain time to wind down. There are millions of neurons that are firing and active when you're busy looking at media, and even more when you're interacting with something like social media. This is going to keep your brain busy, in so many words, and this usually means that it's going to take you longer before you can fall asleep. Your body might be tired, but your brain cannot shut itself off to slip into that state of REM sleep.
So, before you go to bed every night, turn off all of those electronics and just read a book and sit outside, or do something that isn't keeping your mind busy. This is going to help you drift off to sleep in no time.
2: Stop Napping
One of the biggest reasons that people cannot fall asleep and stay asleep is that their brains aren't really tired, but their bodies are. Their bodies are worn down from the intermittent sleep schedule and work and exertion, while their brains are actually quite recharged. This happens when you take naps. Naps for small children are one thing. But when you're a full grown adult, your body treats a small nap like actual sleep. You won't nap light, like a child. Your brain slips right into REM and recharges itself. This means you'll be up longer and longer every time you nap, which is throwing your sleep schedule off and making it a lot harder for you to sleep through the night.
Just get rid of those naps. If you're tired in the afternoon, ride it out until it's actually bedtime. Your body will thank you.
3: Exercise Daily
Ensuring that both your body and brain do enough work to get tired every day is going to guarantee that you will be able to get the right amount of sleep at night. Therefore, it's recommended that you exercise daily. This doesn't necessarily mean hitting the gym and going through some grueling workout. This could be as much as a brisk walk around your neighborhood in the evenings, or perhaps some sort of light exercise at home. The idea here is to do something that burns energy in your brain and body so that they're both ready to recharge through sleep.
If you want to improve your overall wellness, sleep is something on which you should be focusing. Use these tips to help you get a good night's sleep and to develop a healthy sleep schedule.