Photo Credit: Shona Tennille via Compfight cc
A good night’s sleep is an important part of staying fit, healthy and alert. A restless night can affect your work as well as your body’s ability to function properly the following day. Here are some basic tips to help you achieve a peaceful rest.
- Make sure you’re comfortable
One of the most important things to consider if you are not getting enough sleep is whether your bed is right for you – and the mattress is crucial. Turn to specialists Eve Mattress to be sure that you will get the correct type of bed to suit your needs. Comfort and the correct bedding will help you to relax and an article on the BBC website explains how your body needs to be at the correct temperature in order to enjoy a good night’s sleep.
- Eating and drinking
You should not eat or drink just before you go to bed, but if you do you should leave yourself enough time to digest them. Some foodstuffs and drinks should be avoided for at least a couple of hours before your bedtime. These include alcohol, coffee, tea or fizzy drinks and also foods such as bacon, cheese and nuts. These products have chemicals in, such as caffeine or tyramine, which trigger your brain’s natural stimulants among their ingredients.
- Electronic gadgets
Using electronic gadgets before going to bed can affect your body’s natural rhythms and body clock. According to an article on the Daily Mail website, the light emitted from these devices stops the brain producing melatonin which makes the likelihood of falling asleep far less likely. Research has shown that long-term use of these devices can possibly increase the chances of getting certain cancers.
- Aches and pains
If you suffer from back pain or some other type of discomfort this can make sleeping almost impossible, but you should try not to ignore the problem. Losing sleep at night will not only make you grumpy the following day, but can cause severe long term health issues. These can include weight gain, loss of concentration and depression. Visit your GP for help.
- Stressed out
If you are studying for exams or have a gruelling schedule at work and home life is hectic, then you’re probably not able to relax. If you are too stressed it’s likely that you won’t be able to calm down enough to get any sleep at night. Trying meditating before you go to bed or having a short workout might help relieve some of your tension.
- Late nights out
Going to see a live band or visiting your favourite nightclub is alright as long as you don’t make it a regular thing, but life isn’t that simple. If you do spend the night out try to drink plenty of water and stay hydrated. Too much alcohol will stop you sleeping properly and you’ll feel bad the next day.
- Too much noise
If there are lots of external noises that you can’t stop then investing in some earplugs might help you to get a good night’s sleep. There’s nothing worse than just drifting off into the world of slumber and the neighbour’s cat starts howling or a car revs outside your window and wakes you up.
* This is a collaborative post *
Should be eight things…..babies and children lol.