Did you know that we spend nearly one third of our life sleeping? That is about 25 years. Sleep is a vital human function which helps the body restore its energy and replenish itself. Not only is it important to sleep adequate number of hours but it is equally important to have good quality sleep.
We often hear people complain about not sleeping well or not being able to focus the next day because they didn’t have a goodnight’s sleep. Sometimes you might repeatedly wake up at night whereas some other times you don’t feel as refreshed. Knowingly or unknowingly we do things that may hamper our sound sleep. This article is a general guide to sleeping better.
Good sleep habits are also called sleep ‘hygiene’. Here are a few do’s and don’ts of sleeping well, that you must know.
Have a sleep schedule. This means try and wake up and go to bed at the same time every day. Be consistent in your sleep routine.
An average person needs between 7-9 hours of sleep to function normally. Schedule you sleep times accordingly.
Your bedroom should be a calm, relaxing and quite place. Use comfortable bed linen and good quality mattress and pillows.
Use your bed only to sleep. Avoid working on your bed and the use of electronic devices such as laptops, television and smart phones in your bed at least 1 hour before sleeping.
Go to bed when you are tired. If you feel like you are unable to sleep for 15-20 minutes, walk around, engage in some other light activity in low light and then try going back to sleep.
Exercise for at least 30 minutes every day. When you are physically active it is easier to fall asleep at night. But avoid vigorous exercise 2-3 hours before sleep.
Avoid having large fatty meals and drinking too much liquid close to bed time. This will prevent you from waking up frequently at night.
Avoid nicotine and alcohol before bed-time.
Avoid napping at least 6 hours before your sleep time.
Avoid caffeine intake late in the afternoons and evenings. Caffeine can stay in your blood for up to 8 hours after intake. Caffeine is a stimulant and delays the onset of sleep.
It is possible that some times you may not sleep well even after following everything mentioned above. In those cases, it is best to consult a qualified sleep doctor who will be able to find out why you have trouble sleeping and chart out a plan for you. It could be secondary to significant life changes or possible sleep related disorders. Sleep is as important for the body as is good nutrition.
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