Sleeping well has a direct effect on your physical and mental health. If you don’t get enough, it can take a massive toll on your emotional balance, daytime energy, productivity, and even how much you weigh. Still, many of us spend our nights tossing and turning, struggling to find a way to get the good sleep we need. Here’s a quick look at a few ways you can improve your sleep.
CBD
CBD comes from hemp and won’t get you high like THC from the marijuana plant. While research on the effects of CBD for sleep is still ongoing, some of the people who use it for chronic pain have said it helps them sleep better. While it isn’t a sleep disorder in itself, anxiety can have a negative effect on your downtime. CBD helps with anxiety, and this alone can help you sleep better if anxiety is the cause of you not getting enough sleep. Also, it’s a natural remedy.
Exercise
People who get regular exercise say they sleep better and don’t feel as lethargic during the day. That seems to be part of the American dream for a lot of people all over the country. Regular exercise can also improve symptoms of both apnea and insomnia while increasing the amount of time spent in those deep, restorative parts of sleep. If you’re going to try this, make sure you finish your moderate or vigorous workouts at least 3 hours before going to bed. If you still have issues, do it a bit earlier. Minimal impact, relaxing exercises like yoga, done during the evening can also help with sleep.
Sleep-Wake Cycle
There’s another especially important strategy for sleeping better. It has to do with the natural sleep-wake cycle of your body – or its circadian rhythm. If you stick to a regular schedule for being asleep and awake, you’ll feel quite a bit more energized and refreshed than if you don’t. Even if you only miss your schedule by an hour or two. Try to make a habit of going to bed and getting up at set times. Avoid sleeping late – even when your schedule allows for it. Also, be smart about taking naps.
Light Exposure
Melatonin is a hormone that occurs naturally in your body. It’s controlled by exposure to light, and it assists with the regulation of your sleep cycle. Your brain secretes more of this hormone when it’s dark, and it makes you sleepy. It secretes less of it when you’re in the light, and this makes you more alert. That said, many of the aspects of life in these times can alter how much melatonin is produced by your body and this can alter your circadian rhythm. It can help if you’re exposed to bright sunlight in the mornings. It can also help to spend a bit of time outdoors when it’s sunny. Additionally, you can try to let a lot of natural light into your workspace or home. If you aren’t able to do these things, it might be worth it to invest in a light therapy box.
Finally, learn ways to help get back to sleep when you wake during the night. One way to do this is to stay out of your head. Try to empty your mind. Make relaxing your goal instead of sleeping. It can take the pressure off. Also, try not to brainstorm or worry during the night. Remember that there’s more to sleeping well than just falling asleep, but also includes staying asleep and getting back to sleep when you wake up.
