Sleep is not only important to let the body rest and gain new strength. It also gives your brain the opportunity to process a day full of impressions, decisions and emotions. If you often have trouble falling asleep, or wake up during the night and have difficulty getting back to sleep, the following tips are worth trying out.
1. Exercise
Get a daily portion of exercise. Scientists are not yet completely in agreement, but it does seem that too much exercise shortly before going to sleep is not conducive to a good night’s sleep. To be on the safe side, it is wise not to exercise vigorously within 3 to 4 hours before your bedtime, because you will then stimulate your body for a few hours instead of helping it relax. It doesn’t have to be too strenuous: 20 to 30 minutes of walking (preferably with a bit of brisk walking), cycling or swimming can help you relax earlier in bed.
2. Afternoon naps
A nap during the day is no problem, as long as you limit it to 20, maximum 30 minutes, and no later than 2/3 p.m. Otherwise you’ll still be lying in the evening counting ceiling tiles. Such a siesta can even be very beneficial for your concentration and creative performance for the rest of the afternoon.
3. Fixed pattern before going to sleep
Develop a regular, relaxing bedtime pattern. Go to bed at about the same time every day and get up at the same time every day. Also on weekends. Such regularity helps your body clock to start switching off at those times. In the last hour before you go to bed, do something that relaxes you: a warm bath or shower, quiet music, a little reading, doing a puzzle or maybe a game of solitaire. It doesn’t matter what you do, as long as it relaxes you. As soon as you start this activity, it also signals to your brain that it is time to switch to sleep mode.
4. Stimulants
Be careful with stimulants:
- alcohol may be said to help you fall asleep faster; it also reduces the quality and duration of your sleep, so that you wake up after too few hours.
- Caffeine can keep a person awake for 10-12 hours after the last consumption. So avoid drinking coffee, black tea or caffeinated soft drinks after lunch, or drink less of them throughout the day.
- Smoking can also have a negative impact on your sleep, because nicotine is a stimulant. Some smokers experience withdrawal symptoms during the night, which can lead to poor sleep.
5. Clear your head
If you lie awake because your brain is still far too active, try to calm your brain, for example as follows:
- make a list of all the things you need or want to do the next day (this way it won’t stick around in your head);
- write down what keeps you so busy that it keeps you awake at night (write it down);
- relaxation exercises in bed (e.g. conscious breathing, awareness of your muscles);
- or read something that completely distracts you and doesn’t stimulate your head (how about a page from a dictionary, or encyclopedia, or a history book…).
6. Avoid screens
Do not look at the TV or a computer screen in the last 30 minutes before you go to bed. Both screens emit a light intensity that is comparable to that of the sun, which fools your brain into thinking that it is not yet time for bed.
7. A sip or a bite
A glass of milk (contains an amino acid that promotes the production of serotonin and/or melatonin in your brain, which makes the brain less active), a light snack or a cup of herbal tea can help you relax, but don’t overeat because then your body suddenly expects a complete meal. Half a sandwich with turkey or peanut butter, or a banana, or a healthy muesli with semi-skimmed milk or yogurt works fine.
8. Oh, that snoring next to you…
Do something about your snoring partner, but in a legal way. Snoring is caused by an excess or weakness of throat or nasal tissue, which vibrates with your breathing during sleep. Drinking, smoking and being overweight are well-known culprits, but age and gender also play a role. So if your partner is a middle-aged or older drinking smoker who is quite a few pounds overweight, he wins the grand prize.
Before you reach for the rolling pin, see if it helps to let him sleep on his side or to raise the head of the bed a bit. This reduces the chance of a wide throat opening, resulting in less air passing through the larynx. There are more and more aids on the market that work better for some than others, but if your partner’s snoring is really a problem for your own sleep, then they are certainly worth a try. And if that everything doesn’t work, then you should consider sleeping in another room. Or let him do that, most men sleep anyway, everywhere… 🙂
9. Take a good look at your bedroom
Make sure your room is quiet, dark, and at a comfortable temperature. Noise can seriously disrupt your sleep. A form of sound wallpaper (a fan, a DVD with sea sounds, very soft music) can provide a good counterbalance. Or else use earplugs.
A good temperature is also very important. Research shows that the ideal bedroom temperature is somewhere between 15 and 18 degrees. The humidity level also plays a role: a room that is too dry gives you a dry, itchy throat, and all that coughing also keeps everyone awake.
10. The importance of good bedding
Finally, your bedding is an important key in getting enough sleep. If it has been a while, take another look at your bed with a critical eye: is your bed base still tight enough or has it actually sagged too far? Does your mattress still provide the support you need? A mattress topper can provide a solution (if your mattress is not too far gone yet). Also consider a wool underblanket, ideal for people with rheumatism, osteoarthritis, asthma and allergies. And your pillow, does it actually need to be replaced? Are you perhaps better off with cotton or satin sheets and pillowcases than the synthetic stuff?
All components that can contribute to making sleeping not only a pleasant experience, but even a party.
And again, not everything works the same for everyone, so experiment and see what works best for you.
