What does it mean to sleep with quality instead of quantity? And why is it so important to have healthy sleeping habits to sleep well?
Well, know this, without good sleep, both our body and mental health suffer.
I’m used to giving little importance to sleep, especially when there’s a good K-drama involved (those like me know perfectly well what I’m talking about ;) ) or doing things that influence good sleep.
And do you know what the result is? Always waking up tired, in a bad mood, and with productivity under your feet.
So I decided to understand what we can do to guarantee our body high-quality rest and not feel tired all the time, and guess what we should work on? Exactly, on our daily habits.
In this post, I have collected 8 ways to improve your sleeping habits for quality rest so that you are ready to kickstart your day!
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8 ways to improve your sleeping habits
Improving the quality of your sleep may seem demanding at first, but if you really want to guarantee your body a good rest and want to wake up without feeling tired, then it can be done.
1) Keep a healthy diet
The first thing we need to pay attention to is what and when we eat.
Why?
Nutrition plays an important role in regulating our sleep.
The heavier and unhealthy we eat, the more we feel the need for sleep, the so-called drowsiness, which ruins our sleep cycle.
But it is also true that with unhealthy nutrition, we can suffer from insomnia leading us to sleep late, little, and with interrupted sleep.
Start eating healthy, with more fruit and vegetables, and reduce refined foods.
Don’t forget to eat at least 3 hours before going to sleep, as digestion could disturb your sleep and make you fall asleep hours later.
2) Sleep at least 8 hours
How do you plan to improve your sleep if you don’t even get enough sleep?
Think about it, if you go to shuteye at 3 in the morning and wake up at 6, you proceed with your day and arrive tired in the evening, but you can’t sleep because if you sleep now, you won’t sleep in the evening and thus ruin your sleep cycle.
How do you think you can give your body the rest it needs if you sleep that less?
We need at least 6-8 hours of sleep for the body to be ready for a day without getting tired.
I noticed that sleeping more than those hours and sleeping less makes me tired, and unmotivated and I really don’t want to do anything.
So it is very important to give ourselves the right amount of sleep, without exaggerating and without depriving ourselves too much.
3) Nap for 20 minutes
If someone in my house were to ask the question “Who sleeps the most in the house” everyone would point to me because I love my bed and find it hard to leave it.
But let’s face it, this point is difficult for many, I can’t be the only one ;)
Taking a 20-minute nap between 1 and 3 pm is absolutely one of the healthiest things you could do to re-energize if you’re feeling tired.
It reduces stress, enhances your mood, and helps you get over the afternoon slump.
But we don’t always stop at 20 minutes, right? ;)
Sometimes we promise ourselves to sleep for only 20 minutes but by the time we wake up, 4 hours have passed without we even notice it.
If this is difficult for you, try setting the alarm for 20 minutes and forcing yourself to get up as soon as it goes off.
With a little patience, you will be able to master it. :D
4) Set up a good sleep environment
To be able to sleep well, it is essential to also prepare the atmosphere of the room and set up the room for a good sleep.
For a good rest, it would be better to keep electronic objects such as the TV or telephone away, but since most of us have these two things, it would be better not to touch them at least 30 minutes before bedtime.
Make the bed comfortable, get a dehumidifier, keep your bedroom dark, and create a relaxing atmosphere.
The environment in the bedroom works wonders in promoting sleep, trust me.
5) Limit caffeine before bed
One of the ways to improve your sleeping habits is to limit caffeine before bed.
As tempting as it may be to relax with a nice cup of coffee, chocolate, or tea, drinking them before you go could affect your sleep, making you struggle to sleep.
If you would like to drink tea, then I recommend some herbal blend tea, like peppermint, chamomile, or rooibos, which don’t contain caffeine and help you relax instead of keeping you hyperactive.
So don’t panic, you can still enjoy your warm drink in bed while enjoying a good read of your favorite book ;)
6) Get daily exercise
The habit of exercising helps not only keep you fit but also has a positive effect on your mood and mental health.
Sport also helps fight stress, raise the level of serotonin which makes you happy, and also increases self-confidence.
And who are the people who can sleep well at night? precisely those who are not stressed and with a stable and relaxed body and mind.
You can do what makes you feel good, you don’t have to hit the gym. You can practice some light stretching, yoga, running, cycling, or simply walking.
7) Practice calming activities before bed
While it is true that keeping yourself moving during the day helps you sleep better, it is also true that before going to bed, you should avoid activities that make you active.
Practicing relaxing activities that help you slow down could be the solution to allowing you to fall asleep more quickly and have interrupted sleep, which leads to better rest.
There are many calming activities you can practice, you are spoiled for choice.
Here are just a few that you can practice even for just 10 minutes before going to sleep:
- breathing exercises
- stretching
- listening to relaxing music
- prayer or meditation
- taking a warm bath
- reading a chapter of your favorite book
- journaling
8) Limit the use of electronic devices 30 minutes before bed
After a tiring day, we can’t wait to get into bed grab our phone, and spend time on it.
We text or watch tutorials on YouTube, and scroll endless hours on Instagram or TikTok to see what others are doing.
I know, unfortunately, it’s a difficult habit to break, and I’m not ashamed to say that I too use my phone before going to bed, but that’s not healthy at all and I’m trying to break this bad habit.
To improve your sleeping habits, you should stop using electronic devices right before bed, as the blue light coming from the screen postpones your sleep and disturbs your sleep cycle.
Putting aside our electronic devices at least 1 hour before going to bed, it’s a good starting point. Let’s do it!
Conclusion
These are simple 8 ways to improve your sleeping habits and guarantee you a fabulous sleep.
If you want to wake up super energized every day, then all you have to do is work on your habits before going to bed, because a good night’s sleep is all you need for a motivating and productive day.
With love,
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