Some inside info on how to get a better night's sleep...
Morning: Wake up at the same time every day, whether that's 5:30 or 8:30. This ritual will help maintain your circadian rhythms and make it more likely you'll fall asleep at the same time every night, too. (Yes, you can sleep an hour later on weekends.) As soon as you wake up, get into some sort of daylight situation really quickly, even if it's just stepping out on a balcony. Bright light suppresses the production of melatonin, a sleep-inducing hormone in your brain, and helps set your body clock. If you're going to have coffee, this is the time, avoid it from noon on, and limit their morning dose to a cup or two.
Afternoon: At lunchtime, choose wisely: An animal study published in the journal Cell Metabolism in November 2007 linked a high-fat diet with a disrupted circadian clock. At least three hours before bed, get some exercise that raises your heart rate. Aerobic exercise in the late afternoon -- even just walking home from work -- can help you burn off the stress of the day and raise your body temperature. This has the potential to deepen your sleep later on.
Evening: Eat dinner several hours before bed to give your body time to digest, and avoid spicy or heavy foods if you're prone to heartburn. If you drink wine or beer, do so three or four hours away from bedtime; while alcohol may speed the onset of sleep, it can disrupt the sleep cycle later.
Night: Avoid watching intense TV shows, paying bills, or engaging in other stimulating activities an hour or two before bedtime. Instead, dim the lights to stimulate the release of melatonin and do a few relaxing yoga poses (such as Legs Up the Wall and Child's Pose) or 10 minutes of deep breathing or meditation. If you have a bathtub, use it. (Adding relaxing lavender oil will help.)
Do you follow of these rituals? How do you get the best night's sleep? Give your
Advice here...
Guest blog submitted by
bellaMUMMA
Morning: Wake up at the same time every day, whether that's 5:30 or 8:30. This ritual will help maintain your circadian rhythms and make it more likely you'll fall asleep at the same time every night, too. (Yes, you can sleep an hour later on weekends.) As soon as you wake up, get into some sort of daylight situation really quickly, even if it's just stepping out on a balcony. Bright light suppresses the production of melatonin, a sleep-inducing hormone in your brain, and helps set your body clock. If you're going to have coffee, this is the time, avoid it from noon on, and limit their morning dose to a cup or two.
Comments (18)
will try this tonight and the rest of the week!
i love my sleep and i can pretty much sleep in any condition, but i need a better rested sleep, cos i wake up tired.
good tips, but this is ridiculously hard to stick to if you're a junior in high school and you're working your butt off studying for sats and ap classes.
i do agree that maintaining a regular sleep schedule is better than getting 3 hours of sleep on weekdays and ~15 hours on weekends. (which is what i just did, incidentally. oops..)
also, don't listen to the radio right before sleeping, and try to minimize the amount of light/electricity in your room while you sleep (turn off appliances, turn the alarm clock away from you) so the light/energy isn't interfering with your senses. (that's what my mom says, at least. lol)
Great advice! Thanks xD
You always give GREAT advice! Love it!
i need some good sleep...
I have a few rituals before bed, as in reading a chapter in a fun book or writing a few poems. It's not been until recently that I have a T.V. in my bedroom. The only channel it stays on is Cartoon Network. Watching something hilarious like "Family Guy" or "Robot Chicken" before I go to sleep when I don't want to read is a great stress reliever.
the night part is making me really sleepy now haha
that sounds lovely. especially the bath with lavender oil.
im going to try it for tonight.
Gosh, you're a modern day wonder woman! I swear, such great advice.. AGAIN!
:DDD love this post!
I always have trouble sleeping, and I really like this advice. Thanks! :)
Ahhh, if only this fit with my lifestyle. College dorm life doesn't match up with the "sleep at same time every night".
thanks for the tips. my circadian rhythm is completely screwed over ever since i worked overnight shift for two years. i take a melatonin supplement but it's not enough to fix the problem. i am going to be spending my break from school trying to correct the issue. going to bed when the majority of people are waking up is not worthwhile.
@Meowmeowkimmaee@xanga - Agreed. I'm lucky to even get 5 hours of sleep. I try to keep a regular routine going.
I probably need to try this... but like a few people said its really hard in a dorm setting, especially with the work load. I know as a fact I probably will not sleep much tomorrow night because if a paper due Tuesday :/
I like this.
Limit my coffee intake? *pouts*
I have trouble sleeping and starting tonight I'll use these tips. Thanks.