Print this pageAuthor: Joan Sharp
A good night of sleep keeps your heart healthier, reduces stress, reduces inflammation, and bolsters your memory. So you should treat your sleep habits with greater attention and importance. Exercise, diet and electronics abstinence can greatly improve the quality of your sleep. Use these three tips to enjoy the benefits of a better night's sleep starting tonight.
Exercise Yourself to Sleep
The first key to a deep and satisfying sleep is to get some rigorous exercise during the first half of the day. For years, research has indicated that people who exercise each day sleep better at night. But now we even know when to exercise to obtain the maximum benefit to your quality of sleep. A recent study indicates that the mid to early afternoon is the best time to exercise if you specifically want to improve your ability to fall asleep. This follows previous research which suggested that menopausal women who worked out in the morning fell asleep more easily at night than less active women.
So get your butt moving earlier in the day to help you fall asleep. 30 minutes of sweat-inducing activity should do the trick. But be careful about exercising too late in the day. Plenty of research suggests that exercising near bedtime only makes it more difficult to fall asleep.
Feed Yourself to Sleep
In addition to the common treatments of warm milk and chamomile tea, there are several other foods that help you achieve a sleepier state before you head to bed. I recommend consuming only a moderate amount of any of these foods and consume them at least 30 minutes before you head to bed. Bananas, fresh milled flaxseeds, almonds, potatoes and oatmeal all show strong signs of increasing your relaxed and sleepy state. Peanut butter also contains tryptophan, much like turkey.
The real key here is to test how your own body responds to each of these foods, and try not to consume too much in general. Filling your belly right before you hit the sack will only make your metabolism generate energy and possibly contribute to night sweats.
Shut Off Those Electronic Screens
A growing sleep problem today derives from the flickering, backlit screens in our lives, from our televisions, to our computers, to even our smartphones now. Recent research strongly suggests that those who stare at any form of electronic media in the hour before bed obtain much less restful sleep than those who sleep the same number of hours but don't look at any backlit screen for an hour or more before bed.
The backlight of these devices fools your brain into thinking it is earlier in the day and inhibits your natural ability to get sleepy when it is late and dark out. So if you feel like your sleep hasn't been as restful as it needs to be, try turning off the television, computer and yes, even your smartphone for at least an hour before bed.
So if you are having a difficult time journeying to slumber-land each night, remember to integrate exercise into the first half of your day, eat some sleep-inducing foods about an hour before you head to bed, and abstain from any electronic screens for at least an hour before bedtime. If you can discipline yourself to utilize these three tips simultaneously, you will be amazed how much easier it will be for you to fall into a deep and satisfying slumber.
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