For the past couple of months, we’ve talked about the importance of quality sleep and its effects on LBP (low back pain). Last time, we provided you with 9 ways to improve your sleep quality and this time we’ll conclude this subject with 11 more ways. According to CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), sleep deprivation is an epidemic, which should be alleviated completely. If we want to achieve and maintain good health, we must make sure that we get restorative sleep! Here are more ways to do that (continued from the last article).
1. Avoid Snacks at Bedtime
Snacks, especially grains and sugar, should be avoided at bedtime because they raise blood sugar level and delay sleep. When blood sugar level drops extremely low (something referred to as hypoglycemia) later after consuming sugary snacks, you won’t just get up but also you’ll find it difficult to fall back to sleep. Dairy foods should also be avoided at bedtime because, like sugary snacks, they can interrupt or delay sleep.
2. Before going to Bed, be sure to take a Shower, Hot Bath or Sauna
This helps raise your body temperature, and cooling off promotes quality sleep. When you get out of the bathroom, your body temperature drops, signalizing that it is time to retire to bed.
3. Make sure your Feet are Warm!
Since our feet usually feel cold prior to the rest of our bodies, it’s advisable that you put on socks before going to bed. Blood circulation in our feet is the poorest and that’s why our feet often get cold prior to the rest of the body. Catching sleep becomes very difficult if your feet are cold.
4. Relax your Mind!
Brain work at bedtime is highly discouraged and should be stopped at least 1 hour before retiring to bed. Let your mind rest so you can calm down and fall to sleep smoothly. Forget about tomorrow’s deadlines and schedules.
5. Avoid Television right before Bed
Television can be too stimulating to the brain; thus, can prevent you from catching sleep quickly. Ideally, it interrupts your pineal gland function, and this makes it difficult to fall asleep.
6. Don’t Forget a Sound Machine
Sound machine produces white noise sound or nature sounds like the forest or ocean. These sounds soothe people to sleep by drowning out upsetting background noise.
7. Relaxation Reading
Avoid reading anything stimulating (mystery or suspense novels and stories) before bed because such things make sleeping a challenge.
8. Don’t take PM Caffeine
According to studies, caffeine can stay active in our system long after consumption, thereby, depriving us of sleep.
9. Avoid Alcohol
Drowsiness can occur but many people always wake up after several hours; unable to go back to sleep. This can prohibit deep, quality sleep or the most restoring sleep, which is approximately 4 hours.
10. Consider Regular Exercise
Exercise improves sleep, so try to exercise for at least thirty minutes each day.
11. Increase your Melatonin
Increasing melatonin can be through several ways. And one major way is to do it naturally by exposing yourself to the bright sunlight in the daytime and absolute darkness at night. You can also increase your melatonin by taking supplementation.