We’ve all heard about the importance of sleeping well and enough, yet most of the time life gets in the way, making us sleep less than what our bodies need, or making us have trouble falling deeply asleep. If you’ve ever wondered how to sleep properly, then we’ve got the answer!
Read on, and discover our tips for getting a good night sleep!
Getting a good night sleep: what are the benefits?
The importance of sleeping has been often overlooked until recent years. Like eating or exercising, sleeping is absolutely essential for our bodies to work correctly, and it even has impressing properties for helping our brain or shielding us against diseases and aging processes.
Some of the benefits of getting a good night sleep are:
- A sharper memory: while you sleep, your brain stores the skills you’ve learned throughout the day, helping you with learning processes.
- Protects your heart: sleeping more than six hours can help lower your risk of having heart attacks, as well as improving your blood pressure, cholesterol and protecting you against diabetes.
- Improve your performance: whether in sports, a test, or your daily chores, getting enough sleep gives you the stamina you need for your activities, as well as spurring your creativity and alertness.
- Controlling your weight: the hormones which make you feel tired after sleeping poorly are the same which make you feel hungry, making you eat more. Sleeping enough and well will make you eat only what your body needs.
- Improves your mood: sleeping poorly produces serotonin deficiency, which makes you prone to depression or irritability, while getting a good night sleep can help shield you against mood swings.
Tips for getting a good night sleep
As seen before, sleeping properly is vital for keeping our bodies functioning. But the stress of the day, working late, and conditions such as insomnia, can make it almost impossible for some of us to get the sleep we need. Here are some tips for getting a good night sleep which can help you out:
- Avoid caffeine after 2 p.m.: beverages such as tea, sodas and coffee contain high amounts of caffeine which is used for giving your body an energy boost. This makes it harder for your body to give in to sleep, so try to avoid them after lunch.
- Avoid eating right before sleeping: processing food can make your body focus on digestion instead of giving you the rest you need, and it’s also prejudicial for your weight. Try to eat at least 3 hours before going to bed, and choose foods with tryptophan, which turns into a sleep-promoting amino acid in your body.
- Make your bedroom comfortable: a comfy bed and a noiseless, dark and relaxing environment are essential for concealing sleep. Make the necessary tweaks to make sure your room is as comfortable as possible.
- Turn off the lights: our body links dimness to sleep, so if you’re interested in getting a good night sleep then make sure you turn off any device which produces light: lamps, cellphones, TVs, tablets, etc.
- Set up a schedule: try to determine a routine for your body by defining an hour for going to bed, and a time for waking up.
You might also like:
- Eating at night: when and what to eat
- Makeup Tips: Concealing dark circles
- 6 stress relieving activities to try
Sources:
About Health. Top 10 health benefits of a good night’s sleep. http://longevity.about.com/od/lifelongenergy/tp/healthy_sleep.htm
Health. 7 tips for the best sleep ever. http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20407230,00.html / 11 surprising health benefits of sleep. http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20459221,00.html
Helpguide.org. How to sleep better. http://www.helpguide.org/articles/sleep/how-to-sleep-better.htm
