7 Tips to Get More Restful Night of Sleep
Sleep plays a pivotal role in successful weight loss goals as well as your overall quality of life. While proper nutrition and exercise are important too, sleep is one thing that is oftentimes overlooked. I know for myself, when I don’t get enough sleep < 8 hour’s, the next day I feel almost as if I am hungover. This feeling can oftentimes cause you to make poor decisions on what to eat, and even when you do eat, perhaps you just don’t feel satiated.
7 tips to get a more restful night of sleep
- Stick to a sleep schedule of the same between and wakeup time even on the weekends. This will help to regulate your body’s clock and could also help you fall asleep and stay asleep for the night.
- Monitor caffeine intake. Caffeine is a stimulant and takes about 12 hours for the body to digest, so if you’re someone who is having difficulties sleeping, perhaps it’s time to adjust your morning cup of joe routine.
- Unplug. These days our cellphones are always right by our side. Make a rule and turn down your device and unplug and hour before bedtime. Better yet, leave your phone in a room outside of your bedroom.
- Exercise DAILY. Whether vigorous or light exercise, is proven to help improve your sleep.
- Practice a relaxing bedtime ritual. Organic sleep tea, lavender spray, and an eye mask are all simple things to help you practice a relaxing bedtime ritual.
- Evaluate your bedroom. Does your room have unnecessary clutter, noise or bright lights that are inhibiting your sleep? Consider using a white noise machine, humidifier or fan to block some of that background noise. Also, establish a cool room temperature between 60-67 degrees.
- Sleep on a comfortable mattress and pillows. Mattresses have a life expectancy of about 9-10 years, so perhaps it's time to invest in a new one. Though it can be a big investment, think about this - you spend about 1/3 of your life sleeping. Having comfortable pillows and making your room more attractive can also help invite a better night of sleep.