8 Ways to Start Getting the Best Sleep of Your Life
Sleep is essential for proper health. It sharpens the mind, boosts your mood and even keeps your body healthier. But that’s not all a good night’s sleep provides. It also gives you more energy, contributes to your heart’s health, helps control your blood sugar and weight and strengthens your immune system. Now that you know how vital sleep is to your well-being, keep reading to discover a variety of ways to start getting the best sleep of your life.
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Invest in a Cooling Foam Memory Mattress
A cooling memory foam mattress helps control your body’s temperature, relieves pain and prevents night sweats. Essentially, it eliminates a number of discomforts that keep you restless and waking up in the night.
A cooling foam memory mattress is also great if you sleep with a restless partner. These mattresses have motion control, so if someone in bed with you tosses and turns, you remain as immobile as stone.
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Use the Bedroom Mainly for Sleeping
Just because the bedroom is the place you go to sleep doesn’t mean you’re strict about keeping it that way. You may read from a tablet, watch TV or scroll through social media on your phone once you’re in bed. If you make a commitment to get rid of these unnecessary distractions, your bedroom will once again become a sleeping room, which can help you achieve better sleep overall.
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Share Beds with Adults Only
It can be hard to say no to the adorable face of a child who had a nightmare, or a pet seeking companionship. But studies show that people who sleep with pets end up with their sleep disrupted every night.
The same principle can be applied to kids, who aren’t always sound sleepers and tend to sprawl out across a bed’s surface, flailing their arms and legs. So, if you’re sharing your bed, share it with an adult partner or keep it to yourself. You’ll sleep longer and sounder this way.
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Avoid Caffeine
It’s no secret that caffeine can keep you awake. Most people will know it’s better to cut off your caffeine supply early in the evening. But try cutting off your supply around midday and see how you feel. Those extra hours will allow the caffeine longer to get out of your system, increasing the chances of a restful night of sleep for you.
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Avoid Alcohol
Alcohol makes you sweat, reduces REM sleep and can make you feel drowsy the next day, too, especially if you end up with a hangover. It’s also a natural diuretic, so sooner or later, it’ll wake you up and send you to the bathroom.
Alone, each of these things sounds unpleasant. Together, they’re a disaster for a restful night. Avoid drinking before bedtime, and you shouldn’t have these problems, even if alcohol seems help you fall asleep more quickly than not drinking alcohol.
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Don’t Nap or Nap Less
If you sleep a lot during the day, why would your body want to sleep as much at night? If you must nap, nap for 30 minutes at most and in the mid-afternoon. A quick nap can help you become more alert and productive, so they’re not all bad. Some big companies, such as Google, even allow their employees to nap at work to boost productivity. But don’t make a habit of day napping, or your sleep pattern may make a habit of betraying you.
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Eat Less
Try not to eat in excess before bed. When you lie down, all that food may feel heavy in your stomach, and you may not be able to digest it as effectively. You might even get heartburn. Try small snacks if you’re really starving, but stay away from leftover takeout and emptying the cookie jar.
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Optimize Noise
Say no to traffic and say yes to white noise and gentle music. You can’t sleep soundly with cars rushing and honking all night.
If you can use earplugs or noise-canceling headphones, then you should be fine. Earplugs are the more comfortable of the two if you sleep on your side, and they’re cheaper, too. Although, if you go with headphones, you can play some calming music to relax before bed. About 45 minutes of this music can improve your sleep and keep you sleeping longer.
Meanwhile, white noise is soothing and drowns out external noise. And if you’re not into the sound of white noise, listen to pink noise, such as rainfall, ocean waves and peaceful walks in nature as you drift off.