Are you having trouble sleeping lately? Well, think about all the factors that intervene when it comes to sleeping peacefully at night: pressure at work, problems with your love relationship, or drinking coffee after mid-afternoon can be reasons that make it difficult for you to sleep well.
In this sense, It is very important to prioritize sleep hygiene when adopting habits that allow us to sleep well, both in quantity and quality. Here we will see what this concept consists of.
There is no doubt that sometimes controlling all the factors that influence the amount of sleep is complicated, but it is possible to adopt habits that allow you to sleep more and better. This is important for your health, but it is also necessary to stay lucid and focused during the day.
The sleep hygiene It is a set of practices that are necessary to sleep well. When we talk about falling asleep at night it is not only a question of quantity, but also of quality. How you sleep will influence your performance during the day, your well-being and your lucidity.
Sleep difficulties are usually found in daily routine: work schedule, bedtime habits, lifestyle, etc. Therefore, it is important that you understand that The goal of sleep hygiene is for you to go to bed and wake up on a schedule throughout the week In addition, maintaining good bedtime habits also predisposes us to live a healthy lifestyle in which it is more difficult to start having problems taking advantage of the hours of sleep: it is a situation similar to a fish biting its tail.
Of course, quantity is also important; It is essential that you spend the necessary time in bed, that is, neither less nor more. This can vary between individuals (it can be 6, 7 or 8 hours) for different reasons, such as age.
Some of the reasons why it is important to take care of sleep hygiene are the following:
The 10 sleep hygiene tips to sleep better
The tips below They can help you optimize your night’s rest , so that your mental acuity does not suffer, you maintain your emotional balance and have an ideal energy level during the day. So, pay attention, because these recommendations will positively affect your well-being.
It is necessary create a suitable environment to rest and not interrupt sleep during the night , because environmental conditions will greatly affect the moment of rest and the ability to fall asleep. To make the most of your rest during the night, you need to sleep on a comfortable mattress, with an appropriate pillow, and in a room where you feel comfortable. When falling asleep, it is advisable to have little light, little noise and a comfortable temperature. It is highly recommended to have the television turned off.
Additionally, you should use the bed only for sleeping. what do I want to say with that? Well, the bed should not be used for other things, such as playing video games, working on the computer or eating. What you can do in bed is have sexual relations, and, furthermore, sex will allow you to sleep better : after reaching orgasm the body relaxes and helps you fall asleep.
2. Follow a sleeping ritual
If you have trouble sleeping, You can try having a ritual before bed For example, take a hot bath with some music to relax and then drink an infusion before going to bed.
It is also important that you are relaxed when you go to bed. If you have just done an exciting activity, it is convenient to find that ideal state before sleeping. Carry out relaxation techniques It can be useful to calm you down and free you from daily tensions.
3. Take care of your diet
Food can influence our sleep, since Both what and when we eat can affect our general well-being and they can be a problem at bedtime. A balanced diet will always be beneficial for our body, but it is also important to maintain a meal schedule. Dinner should not be heavy, but you should not go to sleep hungry either because it can cause us to wake up during the night looking for food.
This is different from Night Eating Syndrome (NES), which can be caused by anxiety, depression or a change in endocrine patterns, among other reasons. If during the morning you have morning anorexia, that is, you practically do not eat; and during the rest of the day, until nightfall, you eat few calories, but then you gorge on food, you should visit a specialist to treat this problem as soon as possible.
4. Don’t take stimulants after mid-afternoon
Coffee consumption is widespread in our culture, but caffeine stimulates the brain and interferes with sleep Consuming it in the morning can be a good option, but coffee, tea or cola should not be consumed after mid-afternoon, especially if you are sensitive to its effects.
It is important to note that, despite these indications, there are people who can consume products such as coffee even just before going to bed. Unfortunately, most of us may not be so lucky. Just in case, it is better to do without stimulants if we see that we are not sleeping well at all.
5. Practice physical exercise
Doing regular physical exercise helps people sleep better. Its beneficial effects, however, depend on the time of day in which the exercise is performed and the general physical condition of the individual. Some experts warn that exercise done in the morning does not affect nighttime sleep, and even helps you sleep better, but If carried out too close to bedtime and the exercise intensity is high, it is likely to cause sleep disturbances
After an intense training session, it takes up to four hours for the body to fully recover: return to normal heart rate, recharge muscle energy stores, recover water balance and, in general, return to a state of rest that allows us to correct rest. On the other hand, practicing little physical exercise and leading a sedentary lifestyle can cause insomnia.
6. Don’t abuse the nap
There are many studies that seem to indicate that taking a nap after eating provides many benefits for your health and mind. Therefore, taking a nap will have a beneficial effect on your well-being and can increase your alertness, your concentration, your productivity, and will improve your memory and your learning ability.
But to prevent naps from affecting sleep patterns at night and to avoid complications when falling asleep at night, It is preferable not to take a nap too late in the day The ideal is a short nap, about 20 or 30 minutes maximum. If you have trouble sleeping at night, you may want to avoid napping for a while.
7. Try not to consume alcohol before sleeping
Don’t drink alcohol before going to sleep, because Although it will help you fall asleep faster due to its depressive effect, it will alter subsequent sleep phases and will cause you to wake up during the night, preventing you from getting the necessary rest and reducing the quality of your sleep.
8. If you can’t fall asleep, get up
If on any occasion you cannot fall asleep, Get up and do an activity that induces sleep , such as performing a relaxation technique or reading a book. It is better not to stay in bed, as it will increase your anxiety as you watch time pass. Do not overexert yourself during this period, as it could increase your level of wakefulness. Also avoid high lighting.
Have a schedule for falling asleep and waking up will allow your body to begin the processes that will trigger sleep in advance , in addition to helping you optimize the internal clock and, therefore, the quality of sleep. If your work schedule allows it, schedule your sleeping hours realistically to improve your quality of life.
It is not about having a strict sleep schedule planning, but it is important that, for example, you do not go to bed late at night if you start working early.
10. Clear your head
Stress, worry, or anger over something that happened during the day can disrupt your sleep. If this happens to you, you should take some time away from bed for self-reflection, because This can help you figure out what’s wrong and what you need to do to fix it
If you can’t stop worrying and feel like you’ve lost control, you need to learn to manage your thoughts. For example, you should know that it is possible to evaluate your emotions and/or check how realistic your thoughts are. Mindfulness can be of great help for correct emotional management and self-knowledge, to improve your self-esteem and to adopt a positive attitude towards problematic situations that may arise on a daily basis.
It could be the stress of work or school that is making it difficult for you to sleep. Learning time management can be effective in keeping you calm and relaxed throughout the night. Maybe you need to solve deeper issues, such as your self-esteem or your relationship. In these cases insomnia can be a symptom of a more serious problem
Important: insomnia can be a symptom of a psychological disorder
Sleep hygiene is effective when different habits are carried out at the same time. If you always go to bed at the same time, but consume coffee at night, do not eat a light dinner, and have a sedentary lifestyle, it is very likely that you will have difficulty sleeping.
This is interesting to prevent sleep disorders, but if the problem is already present, you may need to see a psychologist. Insomnia is sometimes a symptom of some psychopathology such as depression or anxiety. In these cases, in addition to following the 10 tips for good sleep hygiene, it is also necessary to attend psychotherapy sessions.
You may be interested in: “7 psychological signs that indicate that you are not getting enough sleep”
