How To Fall Asleep Easily At Night And Wake Up Refreshed Every Morning
If you’re searching for some strategies on how to fall asleep easily, then you’ll love this article.
Because you reading this guide, I’m guessing you’re having trouble sleeping – and are searching for a solution. You’re not alone; in fact over 50% of Americans have reported dealing with some kind of sleeping problem.
There are many factors that can contribute to having trouble sleeping, although 90% of the time it’s as a result of a lifestyle issue you’re unaware off or haven’t addressed – not because there’s something medically wrong with you. In this an article I’m going to discuss 12 effective tips to help you sleep better than ever and will help you identify what you need to change. Follow these tips and you’ll be sleeping like the perfect male specimen above in no time. Let’s jump right into it:
How to fall asleep easily
1. Sleep on a comfy bed
Obvious, right? That’s what you ‘d think, though in reality there are thousands of people who sleep on old mattresses with worn out springs that provide inadequate support. Otherwise your back and neck will ache over time which will bother you throughout the day.
If your bed is already comfy, ensure you’re using a nice soft quilt as well. In addition, be sure you have a mattress that’s large and spacious for you. You should have plenty of room to stretch and turn comfortably. Your mattress should be comfy when you lie down, period. If it’s not, buy a new one at a local department store Remember the mantra – try before you buy.
2. Wear comfy clothes
Wear loose fitting, comfy clothes when you’re in bed. Wearing tight clothes such as jeans can restrict blood circulation and won’t help in getting to sleep. So wear something light, set the thermostat a few degrees cooler, and use a fan to keep air circulating.
3. Sleep in the right position.
People sleep in every kind of positions, many of which don’t help the body to relax. Studies have shown that the best position to sleep in is on your right side.
Sleeping on your left side is to be avoided as it puts pressure on your heart.
4. Make your bedroom more sleep friendly.
Now that your bed is taken care off, it’s time to examine the rest of the room. First off, all the time keep noise levels down when you’re about to sleep. Close doors, windows, whatever essential to eliminate noise from dogs, loud neighbors, members of the family etc.
Next, keep your room cool. The temperature of the room has an effect on the quality of your sleep. Most people sleep best in a rather cool room (around 65° F or 18° C) with sufficient ventilation. A bedroom that’s too hot or too cold can interfere with quality sleep.
5. Set a regular bedtime every night.
It is best to go to bed at the same time every night, as much as possible. The human body likes routine and will adjust accordingly after a few days. Deviating from the sleep time will cause restlessness and difficulty in falling asleep. Choose a time when you normally feel tired, so that you don’t toss and turn. If you want to change your bedtime, do so in 15 minute increments to help your body reacclimatize to the new time. Also, wake up at the same time every morning as well for the same reasons mentioned.
6. Cut down the caffeine.
Yes, I know you love your coke/coffee but if you want to sleep better consider eliminating caffeine consumption after lunch. It’s a stimulant and will keep you awake. Also, try to avoid drinking too many liquids late in the evening as this often results in frequent bathroom breaks, disturbing your sleep cycle. Note: avoid alcohol before bed, studies have shown it reduces sleep quality.
7. Drink milk.
Instead of that caffeine laden coffee, drink a cup of warm milk. From personal experience, this really works! Milk contains L-tryptophan, an amino acid that’s scientifically proven to help humans sleep.
8. Quit smoking.
This won’t apply to everybody obviously, but if you do smoke realize this negatively affects your ability to sleep. Cigarettes contain Nicotine (a stimulant) which disrupts sleep. In addition, smokers experience nicotine withdrawals later in the night, compounding the problem further and making it harder to sleep.
9. Relax.
Failure to do this is the single biggest reason that almost all people have trouble sleeping. Life brings many challenges and stress – don’t bring these with you when you’re about to go to sleep. Signs that you’re doing this include inability to sleep and waking up in the middle of the night. Stress, anger etc. can make it extremely difficult, if not impossible to sleep well.
Do not let things outside of your control bother you. Sleep well, and deal with challenges during the day so your mind and body can rest at night. A really effective method to rid stress quickly is deep breathing while in bed. Close your eyes – and take slow, deep breathes in and out. You will instantly feel your muscles relaxing and at greater peace. Stay out of your head!
10. Play soothing music.
Don’t get the wrong idea here, I’m not advocating playing death metal at midnight. But what has been proven to work is playing calm, soothing music while lying in bed. There are thousands of appropriate albums you can download that will work well. Popular options include nature sounds (forest, rain storm, ocean waves) and white noise.
White noise is a dull soothing sound that when played has shown to have a soothing effect. Brown noise is another popular choice. I personally find the sound of my ceiling fan to be very relaxing – experiment a bit and find what works for you.
11. Get Fat.
Not so fast! I meant eat some HEALTHY fats. Glycogen production happens at barely different times for people and depending on what you ate you could be having insulin spikes from previously eaten carbohydrates hours ago.
Insulin spikes cause sleep disturbances in addition to loss of REM sleep, the most significant. Fats slow digestion and lower spikes in your blood sugar. Don’t go crazy although, a tablespoon of almond butter should do the trick.
12. Slow your roll.
This technique is similar to relaxing. You need to slow down your heart rate through controlled breathing. First thing you do is pay attention to your breathing frequency and take control of it.
Start taking longer breaths and slooooow down. Exhale utterly and wait a few seconds before you inhale slowly and fully again. You should be capable to notice your heart beat and you can feel It slowing down. This will take 5-7 minutes your first time and 3-5 minutes once you get the hang of it.
Well there you have it – 12 great ways that are guaranteed to help you sleep better and lead a healthier lifestyle. Try and implement as many of them as possible for the best effect and you’ll be counting sheep in no time. I hope this was helpful and wish you many ZZZ’s, thanks for reading.