Sleep has been an important phenomenon for us. An adult should have at least 8 to 10 hours of sleep every day. But sometimes there are many distractions in our sleep. There are work commitments, parties, talking to friends over video calls, etc. which makes it difficult for us to follow a routine. However, there are many ways in which we can make a perfect schedule. This column will give you wonderful ways in which you can have a good night’s sleep without any disturbance.
1. Have a hot water bath before sleeping
Hot water showers are a great way to remove our work-related or personal stresses at night. It removes all the negativity from our body and we rest like a baby after that. It calms our minds and helps us to focus on the next day. People also say it helps in burning calories and we know when we burn calories our body produces hormones that make us happy. A hot water bath also helps in muscle relaxation. This would improve our sleep.
2. Avoid eating fried foods and desserts at night
These foods take time to digest and feel uneasy when while laying down. Desserts especially make us wide awake at night so it is better that even if we want to have desserts, we consume them during the day. Even if you eat a heavy meal at night, you should give time to the food to digest itself. You should always sleep after 2 to 3 hours of having your dinner.
3. Working out during the day
Exercising helps us release sweat and we get tired after working out. This helps us to sleep at night as we already are not in any position to do any work. You can exercise at night but avoid doing a stringent workout routine at that time. Keeping ourselves busy the entire day and not sleeping in the afternoon helps us to sleep better at night.
4. Making a sleep schedule and following it
We should make a sleep schedule and follow it whenever we can. Incorporate 8 to 10 hours of sleep into the timetable and try to sleep and wake up at the same time. Use an alarm to make that happen. In this way, we would know what our body requires, and then we can interchange our schedules according to that.
5. Keeping our phones aside at night
I try to keep my phone away especially when I sleep at night. Our mobile screens have blue light that are harmful for our eyes. It also distracts us from sleeping and we tend to stay awake even when we know we have to sleep. It is like an addiction so try to keep your mobile phones away. Avoid using your phones one hour before sleeping.
6. Avoid having midnight snacks
This is the worst thing you can do to your body. I have experienced this myself. Midnight snacking can lead to obesity and this is because we like to binge on junk food at night which makes us less sleepy. Avoid this as much as possible by eating a balanced meal throughout the day. Even if you get hungry at night, eat low-calorie and protein-rich snacks that digest fast.
7. Do not drink water before going to sleep
This is only because drinking water before going to sleep would wake us up in the middle of the night to use the washroom. Though it is important to stay hydrated, do not drink a lot of water at once.
So these are the simple tips and tricks that you can use to make sure you have a good night’s sleep.
You can check out how an ideal morning routine should be like in my other blog as well.
FAQs
(a) How to motivate myself to sleep at night?
Plan something exciting and adventurous for the day and remind yourself you need adequate sleep for it.
(b) What is the best time to sleep at night?
A person needs at least 8 to 10 hours of sleep at night. So the best time to start winding up your work should be around 10:00 pm. The earlier you will sleep, the earlier you will wake up which will give you enough time to complete your work.
(c) Where can you keep your mobile phone while sleeping?
The best place to keep your mobile phone is at your bedside table if you have difficulty listening to the alarm or any other table which is a little far from your bed.
