Relaxing Your Mind: 7 Tips for Getting a Good Night’s Sleep

Sleep isn’t an option if you want to live a healthy life – it’s a necessity. When you sleep, your brain is able to recover from the stresses your mind and body are put through every day. But sleep disorders affect tens of millions of people in the United States every year.

Chronic sleep deprivation can cause significant health conditions because your brain isn’t able to complete the job that it is supposed to do. Those illnesses could have been avoided if you had been able to sleep well!

Instead of running to your doctor for controlled sleeping pills, try these 7 tips for getting a good night’s sleep and living your best life.

7 Tips to Relax Your Mind

1.Stay off your phone at night. The easiest way to relax your mind is also the hardest thing for most people to put into action. Exposure to the Blue-light that your electronics emit tricks your brain into thinking it’s daytime and messes up your circadian rhythm. If you must use your phone or computer in the evening, try wearing blue light blocking glasses or using an app that blocks blue light on your electronics. Otherwise, turn off your TV and other electronics at least two hours before bedtime.

2. Invest in a comfortable bed and pillow. What you sleep on may let you fall asleep okay, but staying asleep could be another story. If you’re tossing and turning, find the most comfortable pillows you can and try to invest in a bed with the right firmness for your sleeping style.

3. Avoid caffeine after lunch. If you eat a heavy lunch, you may be tempted to fight that carb letdown lull with a caffeinated beverage. But caffeine acts as a stimulant to your nervous system and can stay in your body for up to 8 hours. For those who struggle with sleep, keep your caffeine intake to those few hours between waking up and lunchtime.

4. Avoid alcohol, too. There are millions of people around the world who think that a nightcap helps them sleep better, but there is a lot of research that proves otherwise. Alcohol intake adjusts your body’s circadian rhythm, reducing your melatonin production, which is necessary for sleep. It also increases the symptoms of sleep apnea, a chronic condition that many people suffer from in which they have disrupted sleep patterns and snoring.

5, Try supplements. Natural supplements like melatonin and magnesium have been shown to improve the quality of sleep in users. You can get these sleepy-time supplements in tablet form or try them in teas, like chamomile and lavender.

6. Eat early. Eating late at night is unhealthy for many reasons, but that heavy meal sitting on your stomach is still being digested and will cause your body to be uncomfortable as you are sleeping.

7. Set the mood. Your bedroom should be a relaxing getaway from the stresses of the world. Choose to paint and decorate it in calming tones. Purchase comfortable sheets and blankets to sleep with. Be sure that your room temperature isn’t too warm or too cold for you. Use an air diffuser with a calming scent. Set the mood for all of your senses to relax.

Live Healthier With Regular Sleep

Insomnia isn’t just an irritant – it’s dangerous to your health. If your body fights to get a good night’s rest, try these 7 tips to relaxing sleep.