Do you get enough sleep? I don’t during the week and it’s been one of my goals to get more for as long as I can remember. I know my problem has a lot to do with my profession and the time of day I get up in order to do my own workouts before I put my clients through theirs. I’ve been told by many that I need to bag that habit, sleep a little more and fit my workouts in later in the day, but that just doesn’t fly for me. I enjoy starting my day with activity and have done so for so long that I’m afraid I’d be so crabby that I couldn’t stand to be around myself if I did anything else. So since I can’t make more hours in the day to get it all done, here are 5 ways to get more sleep and improve our wellness.1.) Control your room temperature: Maintain a comfortable temperature in your bedroom. Extreme temperatures can prevent you from falling asleep or interrupt your sleep.
2.) Exercise: Try to exercise 20 to 30 minutes a day. I have no issue there. Daily exercise often helps people sleep. However, don’t work out too close to bedtime because it may interfere with sleep.
3.) Set a schedule: This is a biggie for me. My schedule during the week starts about 4-5 hrs earlier than on the weekend. However, according to the experts, you should go to bed at a set time each night and get up at the same time each morning. Changing your sleep/wake times disrupts your circadian rhythms and may lead to insomnia. "Sleeping in" (which I do) on weekends also makes it harder to wake up early on Monday morning because it re-sets your sleep cycles for a later awakening. I can vouch for that for sure.
4.) Avoid nicotine, caffeine and alcohol:
Avoid drinks and things that contain caffeine like coffee, chocolate, soft drinks, non-herbal teas, diet drugs, and some pain relievers. These substances act as a stimulant and keeps people awake. Smokers tend to sleep very lightly and sometimes wake up in the early morning because of nicotine withdrawal. Stay away from that night cap too because alcohol robs you of deep sleep and REM sleep and keeps you in the lighter stages of sleep.
5.) Relax before bed:
Don’t watch TV or surf the internet. Instead choose a warm bath, meditation, or another relaxing activity that will make it easier to fall sleep. Train yourself to associate certain restful activities with sleep and make them part of your bedtime routine.
Do you have any other ways to get more sleep? If so, please share them in the comment section.