According to the CDC, of all American adults don’t get enough sleep every night.
Some of these people don’t sleep enough simply because they don’t make it a point to get to bed at a reasonable time. But others report not sleeping enough because of everything from back pain to sleep apnea.
If you’re someone who struggles to fall asleep and stay asleep at least a few times every week, you could benefit from learning about the best ways to sleep. They’ll help you get the rest that your body and mind need so desperately.
Here are seven of the best ways to sleep for a truly restful night.
1. Set Your Bedroom Up for Sleeping Success
You can spend a ton of time learning about the top 100 best ways to sleep at night. But if your bedroom isn’t set up in the right way, you’re probably still going to have difficulties sleeping.
First and foremost, you should have a comfortable mattress that’s on the newer side in your bedroom. You should also have a comforter, sheets, and other bedding on top of your bed.
And maybe most importantly, you should have pillows for your head as well as pillows for other parts of your body from companies like within arm’s reach. This will provide you with everything you’ll need to get a restful night of sleep.
2. Create a Sleep Schedule (and Stick to It!)
If you have a job that forces you to work odd hours or if you’re a parent, going to bed at the same time every night and waking up at the same time every morning might be almost impossible for you to do. But it’s important for those who can do it to try and create a sleep schedule for themselves.
You should climb into bed at right around the same time each night so that your body and mind get into the habit of doing it. You should also climb out of bed at right around the same time each morning until you’re able to do it without even setting an alarm clock.
This is hands down the best way to sleep every night. It won’t be long before you fall into a familiar pattern that allows you to sleep better than you have in years. Just make sure you stick to your schedule once you get it going.
3. Avoid Playing on Your Smartphone Right Before Bed
When you climb into bed at the end of a long day, you might not be ready to turn off the lights and go to sleep right away. People usually like to spend at least 15 minutes or so winding down while lying in bed.
During this time, you should try to do things like:
- Read a book
- Meditate
- Talk to your partner
You should not do things like play around on your smartphone or type up a few quick emails on your computer. The so-called blue light from these devices can and make it hard for you to sleep.
4. Steer Clear of Drinking Caffeine and/or Alcohol Too Late in the Day
In addition to staying away from your smartphone and your other devices prior to bedtime, you should also stay away from caffeine and alcohol in the hours leading up to bed.
There is nothing wrong with having one or two cups of coffee throughout the day. There is also nothing wrong with finishing off the day with a beer or a glass of wine. But too much caffeine and/or alcohol can wreak havoc on your system.
You should abstain from caffeine and alcohol late in the day so that they don’t have any impact on your ability to sleep.
5. Make It a Point to Get the Right Amount of Exercise
It’s not exactly a huge secret that the majority of Americans aren’t exercising enough these days. Reports have indicated that of people don’t get the recommended amount of exercise each week.
If you fall into this category, you’re missing out on a golden opportunity to make your body tired at the end of most days. By exercising more, you’ll ensure that you’re tired enough to drift off to sleep every night.
6. Figure Out How to Quiet Down Your Mind
Your body might be tired at night. But your mind can play tricks on you and make you feel like it’s the middle of the day in some cases.
It’s not uncommon at all for people to toss and turn at night as a million and one things go through their heads. It’s so hard to quiet down the mind and get it ready for bed.
You should learn how to meditate and to do different breathing techniques that are designed to quiet the mind down. It could be the difference between you spending hours tossing and turning and you falling right to sleep at night.
7. Talk to Your Doctor About Your Sleep Troubles
People with sleep apnea suffer from episodes in which they stop breathing during sleep. If you have this sleeping disorder, your doctor may prescribe a machine for CPAP therapy CPAP stands for “continuous positive airway pressure.” A CPAP machine is a sleep aid device that helps a sleep apnea sufferer breathe more easily during sleep by providing more air pressure in their throat to prevent the airway from collapsing when they breathe in.
If you try all the other best ways to sleep and still can’t fall asleep with ease, it might be time to bring your doctor into the conversation. There are quite a few sleep disorders that could be to blame for your sleep troubles.
These sleep disorders include:
- Sleep apnea
- Insomnia
- Restless legs syndrome
- Delayed sleep phase disorder
It’s a good idea to check with your doctor to see if one of them could be the reason you’re not sleeping well.
These Are the Best Ways to Sleep Great at Night From Now On
If you don’t wake up feeling relaxed and recharged at the start of every single day, do something about it. Put some of the best ways to sleep to the test to see how well they work for you.
Test out some of the best sleeping positions, too, to find out what works for you. It won’t be long before you’re sleeping better and feeling better as a result of it.
Learn more about the importance of sleep by browsing through the articles on our blog.