Getting enough sleep is directly related to your physical and emotional health. Some things that could be poorly affected are your concentration, memory, and mood. Additionally, lack of sleep increases your risk of depression, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and high blood pressure.
On the bright side, there are ways to get better sleep without prescription medication. e-Ventures by Eldeotjairay shares some tips!
Modify your exercise routine.
If you exercise regularly and are not seeing an improvement in your sleep, look at what time you work out. Moderate aerobic exercise has been proven to release endorphins, which are the chemicals that energize you after your workout. Unfortunately, if you work out too close to bedtime,
that could mean you will be wide awake at night. Johns Hopkins Center for Sleep’s medical director, Charlene Gamaldo, M.D., recommends avoiding exercise two hours before bedtime.
Drink something warm.
Warm liquids, like chamomile tea or warm milk, before bed might help you get better sleep, as these liquids interact with our bodies in ways that can induce sleep.
Warm milk works because it can stimulate the production of serotonin – the substance involved in the transition between being awake and falling asleep. Chamomile tea works with benzodiazepine receptors to help you fall asleep.
Keep your bedroom dark.
Keeping your bedroom darker can dramatically improve how easily you can fall asleep. Purchase some blackout curtains to reduce the amount of light that enters your room. Other light-reducing options include removing digital clocks and wearing an eye mask.
Use technology.
There is technology explicitly made for sleep, and listening to peaceful music, nature sounds, or binaural beats can help you fall asleep. One piece of technology that is made specifically for sleep is a white noise machine. Many models have a sleep timer, so you don’t have to worry about it playing all night if that’s not what you want.
You might consider the Apollo Neuro. It is a scientific, wearable touch therapy device. You wear it either on your wrist or your ankle, and the vibrations soothe your nervous system. It rebalances and strengthens your autonomic nervous system and improves heart rate variability (HRV), which helps your body become more resilient after stress is triggered. This resilience helps you relax and sleep at night and focus during the day.
Address your stress.
Reducing stress promotes better sleep. If you’re lying in bed at night worrying, it makes falling asleep difficult.
One way to reduce your stress is to journal directly before bed. There are many different techniques for journaling that might help you with stress. One of which is bullet journaling or using prompts. One stress trigger that we don’t often think of until we are lying in bed at night is the state of our home. When you have a clean, organized, and decluttered home, it’s easier to sleep at night. It’s wise to address any issues before bed to create a more positive, healing, and healthy atmosphere at home.
These five tips will help you de-stress so you get the sleep you need. You can use as many as you want without the side effects of sleep medication.
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