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A Guide On How To Sleep Better Naturally

How To Sleep Better Naturally
August 17, 2021 329 view(s)

A Guide On How To Sleep Better Naturally

If you struggle with insomnia, it takes being deliberate about your sleep routine and lifestyle to get a good night’s sleep. Otherwise, the lack of sleep may take a toll on your productivity, mood, immunity, vitality, and immunity. This article will discuss insomnia, why you shouldn’t take sleep medicine, and how to sleep naturally.

What Is Insomnia, And Why Does It Disrupt Your Sleep

Insomnia is a sleeping disorder characterized by difficulty falling asleep or remaining asleep. Insomnia manifests differently in different people. While some people only have difficulty falling asleep, others have difficulty staying asleep or waking up too early, while others struggle with falling and staying asleep.

According to a psychiatrist at the University of Columbia, up to 30% of Canadians struggle with insomnia, with women having a higher prevalence. Insomnia can leave you feeling tired, sleepy, irritable, unable to focus, prone to errors or accidents, frustrated, and feeling worried about your quality sleep and health.

Insomnia can be characterized in various ways, including:

  • Acute vs. secondary insomnia. Acute insomnia is short-term and happens for a brief period, whereas chronic insomnia lasts for extended periods (at least three months) or recurrently.

  • Primary vs. secondary insomnia. Secondary insomnia is linked to poor health conditions, while secondary insomnia is not associated with health conditions. The most common health conditions that lead to disrupted sleep include asthma, mental health illnesses such as anxiety and depression, sleep apnea, ADHD, and chronic illnesses. Also, some medications may cause insomnia as a side effect.

Various factors can contribute to primary sleep insomnia, including jet lag, disrupted circadian cycle, uncomfortable sleeping conditions, irregular sleep routine, unhealthy lifestyle, coffee or caffeine consumption later in the day, napping for long hours during the day, work stress, and working night shifts.

Why Should You Avoid Medication To Help You Sleep?
Many people looking for a solution for insomnia often consider taking sleep medication or other sleep supplements. Although you may be eager or desperate to have a full night’s sleep, sleep medication may be more harmful than beneficial to your sleep quality and overall health. Besides, it does not focus on resolving the underlying cause of insomnia.

Insomnia medicine is associated with adverse and, in some cases, life-threatening side effects such as:

  • Increased risk of central nervous system breakdown
  • Risk of dependence
  • Drowsiness and dizziness
  • Memory lapse and hallucinations
  • Sleepwalking, unusual dreams, and parasomnias
  • Muscle paralysis
  • Digestive issues, e.g., constipation, diarrhea, stomach pain, stomach tenderness, bloating, and heartburn

 

Therefore, it is best to keep away from sleep medication and find ways to fall and remain asleep naturally.

7 Ways You Can Sleep Better At Night!

1. Develop A Consistent Sleep Routine

Establishing a better sleep routine involves being deliberate about having a sleep schedule and incorporating some activities that help you relax before going to bed. First, start by establishing how many hours of sleep you want to get. Then determine your sleeping and wake-up time and create a bedtime schedule.

For instance, let’s say you want to sleep for 8 hours. You may set your bedtime at 10.00 pm and wake up time at 6.00 am. Start your bedtime routine at 9.30 pm. In the 30 minutes leading to your scheduled sleeping time, engage in calming activities such as listening to soothing music, doing breathing exercises for relaxation, meditating, showering, or reading.

Make your routine a habit. Do it every day for at least 10-21 days until it becomes a natural part of the day. With time, your brain will associate your bedtime routine with deep relaxation and enable you to fall asleep naturally. If you have extreme difficulty falling asleep, you may need to have a longer sleeping routine, up to 2 hours, to allow you ample time to relax.

2. Improve Your Diet

Your diet and nutrition influence your sleep quality. Consuming certain foods makes it harder for you to fall asleep or sleep restfully, while others promote relaxation to promote sleep onset.

For example, red meats take longer to digest, while spicy foods may cause acid reflux, which may irritate your airway or worsen sleep apnea. Simple carbohydrates and sugar may spike your blood sugar and cause an energy surge. On the other hand, chamomile tea soothes your nervous system.

Avoid taking huge meals a few hours before your bedtime. Instead, nutritionists and sleep experts recommend that you eat your last meal at least three hours before going to bed to allow ample time for the food to digest before falling asleep.

Aim to eat a well-balanced, highly nutritious diet throughout the day. Hydrate adequately, but do not drink water excessively in the evening to avoid having to wake up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom.

Lastly, you can use supplements and natural products to help support better sleep. Some great options can include vitamins and CBD oils like equilibria A

3. Avoid Electronics Late At Night

An important aspect to incorporate into your sleep routine is putting away your electronics before bedtime. Establish an electronic curfew for yourself to enhance the production of melatonin.

Melatonin is a hormone that promotes sleep onset and a natural sleep cycle. It serves as a circadian clock that turns on the body’s night-state physiological functions. For instance, its production lowers pressure, slows down metabolism, and promotes relaxation. Darkness increases its production while light inhibits its production.

TVs, tablets, mobile phones, laptops, and other screen electronics emit blue light, which disrupts melatonin release by the pineal gland. As such, it is best to switch them off or keep them away at least 1-2 hours before your bedtime. If your read as part of your bedtime routine, go for hard copy books instead of electronic books.

4. Manage Stress With Meditation

Aside from its numerous mental, psychological, and emotional benefits, meditation can also be a valuable tool for improving your sleep onset and overall sleep quality. It helps the mind and body to relax and also lowers stress and gradually reduces sense stimulation. Physiologically, it lowers blood pressure, soothes the nervous system, slows down breathing, and transitions brain waves from beta to alpha.

Body scan mindfulness meditation and breathing meditation are among the most effective types of meditation for sleep. The 4-7-4 breathing technique has reportedly shown remarkable effectiveness in helping people with insomnia fall asleep. Body scan mindfulness meditation involves moving your attention systematically from one part of the body to another.

5. Exercise

Numerous studies indicate that exercise can significantly reduce your sleep onset and improve the quality of your sleep—however, the type of exercise and its timing matter. 

Vigorous-moderate exercises flood the body with endorphins and boost energy levels. They also help to tire the body so that you fall asleep faster and deeply at the end of the day. Therefore, it is best to do them early in the day, e.g., in the morning or mid-afternoon, as doing them in the evening can delay your sleep onset.

On the other hand, light exercises such as stretching and gentle yoga help the body and mind relax. Therefore, you can do them later in the day or incorporate them into your sleep routine. Ultimately, all forms of exercise improve blood circulation, lower stress levels, and promote overall wellbeing.

6. Avoid Alcohol & Caffeine

Although caffeine can improve your focus and performance, when taken later in the day, it may stimulate your nervous system and prevent your body and brain from relaxing at night. Since caffeine can stay in your system for up to 6-8 hours, it is best to avoid taking it at least 6 hours before your bedtime. If you must take a cup of coffee later in the afternoon, opt for decaffeinated coffee.

Alcohol can cause delayed sleep onset in some people, while in others, it acts as a sedative and causes you to fall asleep quicker. In both cases, as the liver metabolizes the alcohol, you may experience sleep disruption.

Alcohol also decreases sleep quality as it causes an imbalance in the Rapid Eye Movement (REM) and Non-RAPID Eye Movement (NREM) sleep cycles. It also increases your risk of sleep apnea by up to 25%.

 

7. Invest In A Proper Bed & Pillow

Finally, you need to create a comfortable environment for sleeping. Invest in a sturdy bed, comfortable beddings, and the right pillow. If you wake up with a stiff neck or sore back, it might be time to replace your mattress and pillows.

Generally, you should replace your pillow every 18 months, although memory foam pillows can last up to 3 years. When choosing the right pillow and sleep aid, consider factors such as fill material, fill weight, size of the pillow, its fabric, and quality. Also, consider your most preferred sleeping position.


Conclusion


It can be frustrating to have difficulty falling or staying asleep. You wake up tired, and it can take a toll on your productivity and health. The good news is, you do not have to take sleep medicine as a few tweaks in your lifestyle can significantly improve your sleep quality and act as a natural sleep aid to get you drifting off to more restful sleep.