To put it bluntly, we are exhausted. There are not enough hours in the day and we are constantly thinking about how to sleep better. And whether social media has a hypnotic hold on your attention before you go to bed, or you’re just struggling to fall asleep amid the enormous stress of an endless to-do list and the problems of the world at this moment, moment, it is sleep that is inevitable. takes a hit.
Poor sleep, whether self-inflicted or caused by a chronic condition, can have drastic short- and long-term side effects on your emotional well-being and physical health. In fact, irregular sleep patterns have been linked to everything from poor work performance to relationship problems (it’s a reality). libido killer), to serious health problems such as heart disease and weight gain.
So how do you actually ensure they get a good night’s sleep? That’s where the experts come into the picture. Below, they discuss how to get better sleep, from finding the right balance between quantity and quality to tips for relaxing and de-stressing before getting a good night’s sleep.
Make sleep a priority
The first tip for better sleep? Get enough of it. To ensure that your brain can go through all the necessary stages of sleep, seven or eight hours is ideal for most people. “The brain needs active REM sleep for memory consolidation and mood regulation,” explains Dr. Shelby Harris, a specialist in behavioral sleep medicine. “It also needs non-REM sleep, where the deepest stages help repair muscle damage and regrow cells. If you don’t get enough sleep regularly, you’re depriving yourself of the variety and quantity of sleep stages your brain craves.”
Keep a consistent sleep schedule
Consistency is also key to good sleep habits: it will help your body fall and stay asleep better. Angela Holliday BellMD, board-certified pediatrician and certified sleep specialist, explains that keeping a consistent sleep schedule trains your circadian rhythm, which makes it easier to fall asleep and wake up. “Keeping your routine consistent effectively trains your brain to start releasing and alerting factors at the same time every morning. [It also alerts] sleep cues such as melatonin at the same time every night. This makes the process of falling asleep easier and more efficient for you, leading to overall better sleep,” says Holliday-Bell.
So a good bedtime routine requires you to stick to a strict schedule seven days a week (in the sense that you can’t repay your weekday sleep debt by sleeping in on the weekend). “In many cases, Sunday night insomnia is due to shifting your sleep schedule on Friday and Saturday,” Harris adds. “You simply haven’t been awake enough hours that day to be sleepy enough to go to bed in the evening.”
Relax properly
In other words, not by bingeing Netflix. a recent research found that watching a streaming service before bed often results in a lack of sleep and an increased difficulty falling asleep due to their addictive nature. But it’s not alone Bridgerton that’s the fault. One to two hours before bedtime, you should start doing analog work by avoiding any screen (smartphones, laptops, iPads, etc.) that emits blue light, which our brains “read” like sun. As for alternative relaxation techniques, Harris recommends taking half an hour to an hour to relax or encouraging mindfulness with activities like reading (away from your bed, which is just for “sleep and sex,” she says), meditating, going to listen to music. or light stretching. In fact, Holliday-Bell recommends following a “4-7-8 breathing technique,” which consists of taking a deep breath for four seconds, holding it for seven seconds, and releasing it for eight seconds. By doing this, she says, you can induce a relaxation response that reduces anxiety, reduces stress and lowers blood pressure.
And to further stimulate the senses, use lavender, which has been shown to lower blood pressure and heart rate, to aromatically induce sleep. Try taking a warm bath Lovewild’s Muscle Soothing Lavender Bath Salts or nebulize This works Deep Sleep Pillow Spray on your pillowcase.
Stay comfortable and cool
Anyone who has sunk into an all-white, cloud-like hotel bed knows that there is no greater indulgence than cozy, luxurious bedding. Besides just feeling luxurious, having a cozy sleep environment helps improve your sleep routine immensely. “Buy the best quality mattress and highest thread count sheets you can afford and make sure your pillows are comfortable,” says Harris.
