If you want your body and mind to be healthy, you need to combine a healthy and balanced diet with regular exercise and good quality sleep. Adults need an average of 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night to function. While a few nights of poor quality sleep will make you feel grumpy and dizzy, long-term sleep deprivation takes everything to another level and brings serious side effects for both the mind and body. Sleep deprivation can increase the risk of diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, it is a good base for weight gain and the development of severe depression. If you have been dealing with sleep problems for some time now, here are a few things that you can do to improve sleep quality. If you feel a bit confused and overwhelmed, start with these tips:
· Stick to a sleep schedule. Set aside at least seven hours of sleep per night and try to go to bed at the same time and wake up at the same time. Your body needs rest and your inner clock, the circadian rhythm, needs a balanced schedule to function properly.
· Pay attention to what you eat and drink. You should not go to bed feeling hungry, but you shouldn’t go stuffed either. Also, you should not drink coffee late in the afternoon. If you love coffee and use it to function in the afternoon, switch to decaf if it is past 2 pm. Alcohol makes you feel sleepy, but it will interfere with quality sleep later in the night, so avoid drinking too much in the evening.
· Limit daytime naps. You might be one of the people who only function with an afternoon nap. If the nap is longer than 30 minutes or takes place too late in the afternoon, it is better to do it all together.
· Include daily exercise in your routine. Physical exercise stimulates the body to produce more melatonin, the sleep hormone. You don’t have to train for the marathon. A simple walk will be enough.
· Manage worries. We all live hectic lifestyles and are forced to juggle with a lot of things to do, both at the workplace and in their personal life. The best thing to do about these is to put them aside, at least in the evening. Try to solve as many as possible before bedtime and forget about the others. You should try to relax before bedtime, so read a good book, take a hot bath or meditate.
· Create a relaxing environment in the bedroom. The bedroom should be the perfect place for relaxation. Limit light and noise in the evening, and make sure that you use a comfortable bed, pillow, and mattress. If your budget doesn’t allow for the bed to be replaced, opt for a new mattress. There are plenty of top quality mattresses available for fair price rates if you know where to search for them. A lot of people opt for local stores, but we recommend you to check out the online offer. Online stores don’t have to cover sales commission fees and costs related to the physical location. Learn how to select a mattress here at this source.
Memory foam mattresses have gained a lot of popularity thanks to their extreme comfort. You will sleep well on one of these because they are specially designed to provide full-body support. They are made of a material that molds to your body form and remembers it. These mattresses are a bit more expensive compared to other types available, but they are worth every extra penny.