As you age, your sleep becomes all the more critical to your health and wellbeing. Having a strong body and mind both depend on your sleep quality. When you consistently lose sleep, you put yourself at risk of experiencing the detrimental effects of sleep deprivation.
Sleep deprivation can lead to various health problems affecting both your physical and mental health, including brain fog and susceptibility to harmful health conditions such as obesity, high blood pressure, and depression, just to name a few.
Before you start worrying too much, you should know there is a bright side. There are several ways you can work on improving your sleep hygiene for the sake of your health. Let’s take a look at five ways to fix your sleep and rest peacefully each night.
Stay Active
Your level of activity throughout the day is closely connected to your sleep quality at night. As you age, your activity levels naturally decrease. Your body isn’t what it was in your 20s, and that’s okay. You don’t have to keep up with Olympic levels of exercise in order to rest well at night. It can be as simple as taking a 30 minute walk each day to expend some energy.
Staying active also helps keep your mind active and excited. Rather than sitting around all day feeling bored, you’ll feel joy from getting up, getting outside for some fresh air, and moving around. In sum, the more active you are, the less anxiety you will feel from sitting still all day, the more energy you will expend, and the easier it will be to go to sleep at night.
Be Conscious of Your Eating Habits
It’s true when they say you are what you eat. Eating certain foods before bed can have a impact on your sleep quality, negative or positive. You should avoid excess caffeine, sugars, and any foods that trigger heartburn or reflux throughout the day.
The timeliness of your meals matters, too. If you eat a large meal too close to bedtime, your body will be busy digesting and you’ll have a hard time sleeping. Be sure to avoid indulging before bedtime, but if you must eat something, choose the right late-night snacks that won’t keep you up all night.
Develop a Wind Down Routine
Before you even lay your head on your pillow, you can nurture the quality of your sleep by winding down properly. This means practicing relaxing activities in the evening to help clear your mind and relax your body to ease into a great night’s sleep. While preferences differ for everyone, there are a few tried and true tricks for a proper wind down routine.
First thing’s first, turn off the technology. In the last hour or two before bedtime, you should avoid televisions, computers, or other technological devices that emit stimulating blue light. Instead, read a book, put together a puzzle, or practice a hobby such as knitting or crocheting. Next, help your body relax by stretching out your sore muscles or warming up in a bath. To seal the deal, have a warm cup of herbal tea and diffuse relaxing essential oils such as lavender and cedarwood.
Find Your Comfort
Find Your ComfortThis may sound like a no brainer, but if you aren’t comfortable, you’re not going to sleep well. You may be thinking, “I have a pillow, a mattress, and some covers. What else do I need?” Well, the quality of these things can have a great impact on how comfortable you are and how well you sleep.
If you are struggling to get comfy at night, you might want to rethink what you’re sleeping on. The foundation of a good night’s sleep starts your bed. Check out this guide on finding the right mattress to determine whether or not you are maximizing the potential of your sleep environment for your best night’s rest. As you age your body changes and so do your needs, so it’s important to reassess this every decade.
Make Your Bedroom Sleep-Friendly
Once you’re sure you have a proper bed, it’s time to create an inviting bedroom environment. It’s important to have a bedroom that promotes a sense of comfort and relaxation so you can rest easily at night. To do so, you’ll want to take a few simple steps:
- Step 1: Block out the light with blackout curtains
- Step 2: Eliminate noise disruptions by using a white noise machine
- Step 3: Choose a calming, neutral paint color
- Step 4: Diffuse a scent that creates an aura of relaxation
- Step 5: Feng shui your bedroom for a harmonious energy flow
By making these simple changes, you’ll be on your way to a better night of sleep in no time!
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