Last week I spoke about the importance of getting a good night's sleep. This week I thought I would give you some great tips on how to improve your sleep.
Top 10 tips to get a great night's sleep
- Sleep time routine: get to bed at the same time every night and wake up at the same time every morning.
- Use the bed only for sleeping: try to switch of all entertainment such as laptops, TV's and mobile phones while in bed. Your brain needs to be in the habit of knowing that you are in bed to sleep.
- Avoid Alcohol, caffeine and nicotine: caffeine and nicotine are stimulants that will keep you awake. Alcohol may help you get off to sleep but will disturb your sleep later on in the night.
- Exercise regularly - regular exercise will help you sleep a lot better. Try to finish exercise 3-4 hours prior to bed. Finishing exercise close to bed will provide you with a post workout burst of energy.
- Eat right at night - don't eat foods that are heavy or big meals too late. They can overload your digestive system which will affect how you eat.
- Reduce irregular or long day time naps - power naps have been proven to be very beneficial but sleeping during the day can confuse your body clock making it harder to sleep at night.
- Relax and have a clear mind at night - to be able to have a great night's sleep the mind needs to be clear otherwise the mind will find it hard to get into a state of slumber. Try meditating before sleep to help get into a healthy state of mind for a great night's sleep.
- Go to sleep when you are tired - struggling to fall asleep just leads to frustration. If you are not asleep after 20 minutes then get up and go to another room and do something relaxing like reading or listening to music until you're tired.
- Balance fluid intake - Drink enough fluid at night to keep from waking up thirsty-but not so much and so close to bedtime that you will be awakened by the need for a trip to the bathroom.
- Get the right mattress and pillow for you - If you're tired all the time and are waking up with aches and pains, then your mattress may be the thing that's keeping you from much-needed rest.
*Disclaimer: Individual results vary based on agreed goals. Click here for details.
