Getting a good night’s rest is always important. Getting a good night’s rest allows us to tackle the day and feel energized. When we don’t sleep well it affects our day as we feel tired, and it’s also harder to focus. Lack of sleep can also be a symptom of anxiety. A racing mind can keep you up at night which is no fun and there are things that we do on a daily basis that can interfere with our sleep. If you want to improve your sleep here are some tips you can try.
Adhere to the sleep schedule
Consistency is key and this also applies to sleep. It’s easier to get the sleep you need on a regular basis if you actively cultivate a good sleep regimen. The norm becomes falling asleep quickly and remaining asleep all night by establishing sleep-promoting habits and cues. The routine is reinforced with repeated repetition, resulting in increasingly consistent sleep habits over time.
Resetting your sleep schedule is an important first step. Choose a bedtime and wake-up time that you can keep to and that allows you to get the rest you require. This program should be followed every day, even on weekends. It’s common to find it difficult to adjust to your new sleep routine at first. A new habit will not feel normal right away; it will take time to adjust. You can modify your sleep schedule in 15- or 30-minute increments over several days to gradually adapt to a new sleep schedule.
Red Light Therapy
Sleep (or lack thereof!) has a significant impact on mental health, much like stress. In fact, persistent insomnia has been connected to a higher chance of developing anxiety disorders, and sleep deprivation (6 hours or less each night) has been linked to a 25–38 percent increased risk of developing depressive symptoms. The good news is that low-level laser therapy can help you sleep better and protect your brain from sleep deprivation. Only a bit of research on low-level laser therapy and sleep has been conducted, but the ones that have been done are encouraging. In one study of female basketball players, 30 minutes of red-light treatment every night for two weeks (at a wavelength of 658 nm) dramatically enhanced sleep quality and melatonin levels in the blood (a hormone that regulates the sleep-wake cycle).
Improve exercise routine
Exercise is a great way to improve sleep as exercise lowers stress levels and calms the mind. There are plenty of different exercises you can do, and it doesn’t have to be vigorous. A lovely walk outside could be the perfect remedy to your sleep deprivation. Walking at any speed is a soothing method to unwind after a long day. The benefits of exercise and exposure to the outdoors combine to promote restfulness. Jumping rope as a sleep-inducing workout may have never occurred to you. Jumping rope, with its repetitive nature, might help calm tense, racing thoughts before bedtime. The trick is to keep track of your reps. You can count your jumps as quickly or as slowly as you choose, but either way, it gives your mind something to focus on other than the stresses of the day. It’s similar to counting sheep, except you get all of the fitness benefits at the same time. At the end of the day, any type of exercise is beneficial for sleep so get into the habit of doing some type of exercise every day.
Reduce the use of electronic devices
A good way to promote a good night’s rest is to ditch electronic devices 30 minutes before bed. For many of us, it’s the bedtime routine: change into pajamas, turn off the lights, slide into bed, and then…reach for the phone. It’s something we’re all guilty of. But, since you’re already here, you might as well take up all of this important information before retiring to your bed! We feed our brains information all day, so we should do the same with our phones when it’s time to turn them off. If you didn’t already know, using your phone before the night is hazardous to your general health. Why? well, the blue light radiated by your cell phone screen inhibits the development of melatonin, the hormone that regulates your sleep-wake cycle.
Avoid consuming caffeine
Caffeine is an energizer and the opposite of a sedative; thus, it should be avoided four to six hours before going to bed. Caffeine can be found in coffee, soda, iced tea, chocolate, and a variety of OTC drugs. Remember that caffeine builds up during the day, so two cups of coffee at supper plus a scoop of chocolate ice cream can add up to over 500 mg of caffeine, which is a significant amount. Caffeine can also linger in the system for up to 12 hours, which is a little-known fact. So, avoid caffeine after lunch and stick to decaffeinated coffee after dinner. One word of advice: if you are a heavy caffeine user and stop drinking coffee, you will get headaches, which will keep you up at night.
The 4-7-8 breathing method: the fast sleep technique
The way you breathe can have an impact on how well you sleep. Breathing exercises might help you fall asleep quickly in this situation. Dr. Andrew Weil is the creator of the 4-7-8 approach. This is an easy trick to help you fall asleep. This is how the breathing method works:
- Close your eyes when lying down.
- Make a connection between your tongue and your palate.
- Keep it like this for the rest of the breathing technique.
- Inhale deeply for four seconds through your nose by taking a deep breath.
- Close your mouth and hold your breath for seven seconds.
- For eight seconds, exhale through your mouth.
- Replicate this technique four times more until you’ve become used to it or you’ve fallen asleep.
Contact us
Come visit us today in Concord, at Mederm Esthetics & Laser Clinic. We want to help you with getting a peaceful and proper night’s rest. We can’t emphasize how great red-light therapy is, and we believe it can help you with getting a good night’s rest. By following all the tips, we have provided we know you’ll be falling fast asleep once you hit your pillow. Come for your consultation and we will answer all your questions.
