We all have heard that it is optimal to have 8 hours of sleep a night. Many people do not achieve this due to factors that we can control such as watching TV at night or using smartphones in bed. We all are guilty of getting into bed with the intention of checking our phone for a few minutes but then an hour of lost sleep goes by. This lost sleep is detrimental to the body. Sleep is function that everyone needs to give our bodies a break and to refuel for the next day.
Sleep is so important to our health and needs to be a priority. When we sleep, our body releases hormones which help with reducing hunger levels, maintains our immunity, helps our memory retention, and also assists with reducing the risk of many diseases.
Making sleep a priority just like we prioritize work, eating, and fitness is so important. To ensure you get 8 hours of sleep a night, you can do the following things:
- Schedule a set bedtime so you know you will get 8 hours of sleep. Perhaps if your wake up time is 6 am. Make sure you are in bed at 9:45pm so you have a few minutes to wind down before you fall asleep.
- Wear comfy clothes to bed. The last thing you want is to be wearing an itchy t-shirt or pants that are making you too hot. Also know don’t switch around blankets in your bed. Having the same bed sheets and blankets creates a comfortable environment that your body can expect to relax in. If you end up changing your bedding a lot, many times it takes a few nights to get used to it.
- Relieve stress before you go to bed. Maybe there is a huge to-do list lingering in your head. Have a notebook at your bedside that you can write all your stressors down so you won’t think about them when trying to sleep. This will help alleviate the middle of the night stress of a looming project you have at work.
- Reduce outside noise around you. Many people live in a noisy area that makes it hard to stay asleep throughout the night. There are many apps that you can play at night to wash out the noise. We love using a white noise in hotels when traveling because there are always unwanted disturbances in the hallways or next door. This works like a charm and helps us sleep.
- Eat right and exercise routinely will help you stay asleep. Eating whole foods combined with exercise nourish your body to be able to have a restful night. This helps you have a deeper sleep which will help you be energized for the next day.
It is never too late to start getting into a good sleep routine. Once you are able to have a healthy sleep hygiene you will realize how sluggish and run down you felt. You will be able to be much more productive during the day which will help you in the long run.