Sleep is one of the most important things in our lives. We can’t always get enough of it, and when we do get the chance, it often isn’t good enough.
Positive and healthy sleep not only helps us feel refreshed and ready for the day, but it’s beneficial for a number of factors surrounding our physical and mental health, including boosting our digestion and immune system.
However, with the busy lives we lead surrounded by noise, stress, and technology, it can be challenging to get your head down for a night of peaceful, undisturbed sleep. There are a number of ways in which you can ensure the sleep you have is restful and allows your mind, body, and soul to heal overnight.
If you’re a person who struggles to drift off at night time or finds yourself waking in the dark hours, then take a look at these 5 tips to regaining a proper sleep pattern. Don’t overlook your need for sleep, it really matters!
Exercise More
Exercise is a great way to keep healthy and fit, helping you to live longer and stronger. When it comes to bedtime, an active body and mind throughout the day will make you more than ready to unwind and rest for a full night’s sleep.
Moderate-intensity aerobic workouts every day, including light jogging, walking, or using an elliptical, isn’t impossible to fit into a busy schedule. Take time for yourself, walk the dog after work, or spend an hour with friends at a gym class. You’ll soon find your sleep pattern syncing up with the need to rest.
However, avoid high-intensity workouts when battling sleep issues, as these have been linked to causing further difficulties in sleeping due to increased levels of stimulation and metabolism terrible for a good night’s sleep.
Remove Tech
We all know that turning in for the night with our mobile devices next to our beds is not a healthy habit for sleep. They are distracting and can disturb your sleep if they go off.
This habit that the majority of the nation has become accustomed to has been subject to many studies. It has been found that the blue lights used on mobile devices interrupt the sleep-inducing hormone melatonin and severely disrupt your circadian rhythms.
Turn it off or put your phone in a different room. If you use your device like an alarm, it being further away from you is even more of an incentive to get out of bed on those dreaded Monday mornings!
Create a Routine
A healthy sleep routine doesn’t mean going to bed early and waking up at the crack of dawn every day; we all need a lie-in from time to time. A routine involves planning your sleep to ensure you get enough hours of shut-eye a night.
8 hours are recommended, so if you stay up late with friends, make sure you have enough time in the morning to sleep in, or if you have an early meeting, make sure you go to bed early to fit in those crucial hours before your alarm goes off.
By doing this, you take control of your sleep pattern and won’t feel like your lacking.
Meditation and Music for Sleep
While using technology in the bedroom has been proven to have negative effects on our ability to sleep soundly, using music and guided meditation CDs are a great way to relax and unwind.
A stereo or CD player is not blue light omitting and has no other functions to distract you. Taking time to meditate helps you to reduce stress and drift off calmly without deep or obsessive thoughts running through your busy mind.
Guided meditation is also a great technique to reduce muscle tension and prevent night time anxiety issues like over worrying. If music designed for sleep is more your thing, then there are a variety of different benefits to the instruments and tones you fall asleep to.
You can find Meditation and music for sleep CDs by simply searching online or if you enjoy thrifting, at your local second-hand store.
Cannabis
The use of marijuana is becoming widely known for its medicinal purposes, including its positive effects on those who struggle with sleep disorders such as insomnia.
The effects of THC leave the user feeling relaxed and drowsy in most cannabis strains, perfect for drifting off into a deep sleep.
If you’re lucky enough to live in a country or state where using cannabis is legal. A joint before bedtime should help you in regaining a healthy sleep cycle as well as relieving any other symptoms related to why you can’t sleep.
Edmonton weed stores, Canna Cabana, state that the industry’s core principles are providing relief and relaxation to every person that walks through the doors. Don’t feel uneasy turning to marijuana as a sleep aid; see it as a natural sleeping pill.
The Sanctuary of Sleep
If you’re finding yourself at a loss with your sleep pattern, spending your days yawning but your nights counting sheep, then give one or more of these methods a try. You will thank yourself in the long run, your body will feel rejuvenated, your mind at ease, and your soul much happier.