Your body goes through a number of changes as you sleep, allowing you to get the rest you need for overall health. Sleeping helps the body and brain calm down and participate in healing processes, improving both mental and physical performance.
When you don’t get enough sleep, these essential functions are interrupted, which has an impact on your mood, energy levels, thinking, and concentration. Therefore, it’s important to acquire the necessary amount of sleep, which for adults is between seven and nine hours and for kids and teenagers is a little bit more.
It is undeniable, however, that when we get enough quality sleep, both our physical and mental health improve, as does our ability to function during the day.
What do we understand about the brain’s functioning while we sleep? Scientists are continually discovering new information about the brain’s activity. Are there any answers, or is it all a complete mystery?
Here are some of the most interesting things that your body does while you are sleeping.
Do you wake up groggy and unable to concentrate on anything during the day? This may be the cause of not getting enough sleep during the night. While many of us have difficulty falling asleep from time to time, whether it is due to worry, stress, illness, travel, or any other interruption in our routine, not being able to sleep at night is not normal!
If it happens to you that you recall not sleeping well more often than waking up rested, it may be that you are suffering from a sleep disorder. And while some of us were raised with the idea that there would be enough time to rest after we retire, it is not actually something you should take to heart. Losing rest can end up giving you some serious health problems, and it can impact everything in your life.
This is why you should be thinking about it as a necessity and not a luxury! And if you’re curious about why sleep is important, what could cause you to lose it, and why getting enough rest is crucial to your health, you’ve come to the right place! We have gathered all the information you need in a digestible way so you too can satisfy your curiosity!
Let us know if you find anything that applies to you in our list!
Did you know that you can burn fat while sleeping?
We get it, we’re all busy, and we want to look and feel our best with minimum effort. But the majority of the time, we need to put the hard work in, in order to be closer to reaching our goals. But that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy a few things that make our lives easier.
And fat burning while sleeping is surely one of them. It might sound weird and fake, but it’s something your body is absolutely capable of doing. Even when you’re sleeping and dreaming, your basal metabolic rate is still working, doing all its magic things. Your body is very smart, and this means that it keeps using calories to keep itself properly functioning.
And while you get the amount of rest you absolutely deserve, your body doesn’t stop, and it takes its time to do some healing and restoration work. And while sleep might feel relaxing for your mind and body, it doesn’t mean that everything shuts down the moment you doze off.
Now that you know that your body’s still working while you’re getting your Zss’s in, you should also know that you can use this time to burn fat. The key is that you have to make conscious and healthy choices while you’re awake to help your body burn fat without you even noticing its hard work.
If fat burning while sleeping is something that sounds appealing to you, try these 6 things:
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#1 Eat more protein
Protein is one of the most important macronutrients when it comes to maintaining a healthy and balanced weight, especially because it speeds up your metabolism. Moreover, protein can help your body stay fuller for longer due to the fact that it reduces the level of your hunger hormone, called ghrelin.
Another good thing about protein is that it helps you keep those unhealthy snacks away from you, and it won’t mess with your fitness or weight loss goals. Try to consume protein with every meal throughout the day, and if you have a hard time doing that, you can look for a healthy protein powder on the market, but make sure it doesn’t contain a lot of artificial sugars and chemicals.
Some fitness experts say that you can drink a glass of water or milk with protein powder before bed to help your muscles repair, grow stronger, and burn fat while sleeping.
Do you remember the basal metabolic rate we’ve previously mentioned? There are a few things you can do to bump it up. Having more muscles in your body, for instance, will help your body burn more calories throughout the day, whether you’re active, laying on the couch, or simply sleeping.
That’s because muscles burn more calories than fat, so every tiny piece of lean tissue is helpful. However, don’t be tricked by the number on the scale! 1 pound of muscle mass weighs the same as 1 pound of fat because 1 pound equals 1 pound, right?
But here’s when things get more clear: the number on the scale might be the same, if not even bigger, but you won’t look the same. You might notice that you dropped a pant size or that your old clothes fit you well again.
Yep, that’s the power of your muscles! And another great thing about it is that you’ll be able to eat more, because they will require more food, in order to be strong and grow even more!
So don’t be afraid to pick up the weights or start with bodyweight exercises at first, such as squats, lunges, pushups, deadlifts, bicep curls, planks, and so many other physical exercises.
…And no, strength training won’t make you bulky if you’re a woman! Your body needs a lot of testosterone to build the same muscle mass as a man, so it’s not that easy!
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#3 Turn off the lights
We’re sorry TV lovers and night light enthusiasts, but the experts say that you should be sleeping in the dark if you want to have a good night’s rest and also burn fat while dozing off.
The reason why we tell you this is that when you have a light on, your circadian rhythm gets confused, and it can’t properly balance your metabolism. As a matter of fact, a study showed that women who slept with light or with their TV turned on in their room were more likely to gain weight compared to women who slept in a dark room.
And these two are not the only bad guys in this equation! Your phone, for instance, can be just as bad for your sleeping schedule. Try to stop scrolling at least 30 minutes prior to bed, and even better, keep your phone in another room if you want to wake up more rested.
#4 Sleep better
If you thought that tossing and turning all night long will help you burn fat, you’re wrong. One of the key things that will help you burn more calories while resting is getting good quality and long-lasting sleep.
One of the easiest ways you can try to make sleep better during the night is to wake up and go to bed at the same hour every day, even when it’s the weekend! By doing that, you allow your circadian rhythm to do its job and help you get up and fall asleep more easily.
A recent small study showed that people who sleep in rooms that are a bit colder burned more fat while they slept compared to those who didn’t lower the temperature. Even though there’s not enough research to back this thing up, it’s worth a try, isn’t it?
Don’t think that you need to turn down your temperature to the freezing point, but just a little, 65-70 degrees F, which is enough to speed up your metabolism and help you sleep better throughout the night.
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#6 Leave the carbs for the day
Carbohydrates are good for your body, but they contain a lot of calories and can spike the insulin levels in your body, which might mess with your metabolism (keep in mind that your metabolism is more active during the day rather than before you sleep).
This doesn’t mean that you should say goodbye to carbs in order to burn fat while sleeping and resting, but it’s better to consume them during the day so that your body has enough time to burn them and use them as fuel for your activities.
By doing that, you’ll have less insulin in your blood, and your hard-working body will be able to metabolize fat for energy while you’re completely dozed off.
CONCLUSION
It might not seem very real to burn fat while sleeping, but you can’t really know until you try, right? Now you know a few things you can do to help your body burn more calories and reach your fitness goals faster, even while you’re sleeping and relaxing.
All you have to do is to consume more protein throughout the day, keep your carbs for lunch, drink plenty of water, turn off the lights in your room, lower the temperature, go to bed and wake up at the same time each day, and do a bit of strength training! Even 10 minutes count!
Some of us are known to be big dreamers, while others are not so much, and I’m not referring to life dreams, a big house, a loving family, and successful careers that take place during the day, I’m talking about those dreams or nightmares that occur during the night.
While some people out there might brag “they never ever dream about anything”, others actually dream pretty often, about many things. If you’re in the second category, then this is a good article for you to read. Have you ever wondered if you can control what you’re dreaming?
Because Freud did *wink-wink*. But truly now, we can’t 100 % control our dreams. Sometimes they might be filled with snippets from our daily lives, and sometimes they translate some of our innermost thoughts. However, what if we could partly improve our sleep, so we can dream better at night? Let’s find out if that’s possible:
Get enough quality sleep
Did you know that adults need roughly 7 hours or even more to sleep properly? If you’re experiencing trouble getting a good night’s sleep, there are various ways to combat that! First, try to set a bedtime and wake-up time and stick to it every single day.
Also, you should know that a comfortable temperature in your bedroom means a lot to a good sleep session. Naturally, a comfortable temperature might vary, depending on what each and every one of us prefers. Then, make sure you turn off all the lights, including the nightlights. Give up on any glowing clocks that you might have in your proximity.
Exercise more
Did you know that exercising regularly during the day helps you fall asleep faster at night? However, you shouldn’t exercise right before bedtime, as you might have trouble falling asleep rather than making it much easier.
There are recent studies that show how exercising too late might have something to do with the disruption of your sleep. However, not all exercises are the same, so it’s highly important to choose your activities carefully.
If you’re really decided to exercise before bedtime, make sure you go for moderate activity. This will help you fall asleep faster and get better quality sleep. It’s also important to keep a 1-hour gap between the time you did your last workout and bedtime.
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Have a special sleep zone
It’s very important to clear your bedroom from clutter. Make sure you don’t sleep in the room you have your TV or computers. Also, it’s important to stay as far as possible from smartphones, and any other electronics that might glow and beep.
If it’s absolutely mandatory to have a workspace in your bedroom, you can use a room divider to keep it out of sight at bedtime. It’s very important to create a space that’s essentially just for sleeping because any other kind of disturbance might also have something to do with the quality of your sleep. Try to make a sanctuary out of your bedroom!
De-stress before bed
Take an hour before your bedtime to try and release all the stress you’ve accumulated. Do things that are relaxing to you, whatever those might be! If you have never considered doing this and you don’t really know WHAT works for you, you can try meditation or deep breathing, where you basically lay down and focus solely on the way you breathe.
It doesn’t sound like much, but trust me it does the trick! Also, there is aromatherapy, which is also known to be very helpful in this matter. It’s worth mentioning that you shouldn’t work during this time, eat and drink (except for water and maybe chamomile tea), or perform any strenuous exercises, as we mentioned above.
Change your sleeping position
If you’re known to suffer from unpleasant dreams, you can always try to change the way you usually sleep. There’s a small 2004 study that shows how people who slept on their left side had more nightmares than those who slept on their right side.
In another 2012 study, it has been noticed that sleeping on their stomachs might promote dreaming persecutory dreams, such as being smothered, locked up, or unable to move. Also, if you’re known to suffer from back pain or you have issues in that area, you should also consider sleeping in a way that is comfortable for your spine.
Eat foods with melatonin
Melatonin is a hormone that your body is producing naturally, and is responsible for improving the quality of your sleep. Melatonin can be found in various foods, such as eggs, fish, meat, milk, nuts, some cereals, germinated legumes or seeds, and mushrooms.
This substance works side by side with your body’s circadian rhythm. In other words, the circadian rhythm is your internal clock and is responsible for deciding when it’s the proper time to sleep, wake, and eat.
Did you know that the melatonin in your body starts to increase when it’s dark outside, and decreases when the sun is up? This way, your body naturally knows when it’s time to sleep and wake up.
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Consider taking melatonin supplements
There’s a 2013 meta-analysis where scientists came to the conclusion that melatonin decreases sleep onset, and increases total sleep time, but also improves the overall sleep quality, even if the effects are modest. In another study conducted in 2018, researchers discovered the interesting cases of three people who had nocturnal hallucinations.
These hallucinations were slightly reduced when they took 5 mg of melatonin. Taking melatonin for dreaming might have a different impact on each individual. Some people might find that melatonin improves dreams, but others might have more vivid and even scarier dreams.
Manage anxiety
In another 2014 study conducted on older adults, those who suffered from generalized anxiety disorder had experienced more bad dreams than those who didn’t. The researchers suggested that cognitive-behavioral therapy might help those who suffer from anxiety to reduce their recurrent bad dreams.
However, generalized anxiety disorder is still a topic that hasn’t been tackled as it needed to be, so if you don’t know how it manifests, we don’t blame you.
Some of the most common physical and mental symptoms of this condition include perceiving situations as more dangerous than they really are, difficulty in letting go of your worries, difficulty focusing, difficulty sleeping, and dealing with uncertain situations.
Oftentimes, dreams are just a jumble of your daytime thoughts and experiences. Some bad dreams might reflect things that are probably just stressing you out. As an alternative, you can try writing them down as soon as you wake up, including what you felt during those dreams. This is a positive exercise that might help you connect the dots between what you’re dreaming and what you’re living.
Take up virtual gaming
According to a 2019 study, by playing physically interactive games you might control the frequency of lucid dreaming. How come? Well, overall gameplay makes it much more likely that game content will appear in your dreams and increase lucid dreaming. This is also known as the Tetris effect.
Getting a good night’s rest is very important for your health, as doctors say. Many of them say that having a sleep schedule you respect is just as crucial as exercising regularly, but also having a healthy and balanced diet and lifestyle.
A study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has discovered that 1 out of 3 Americans doesn’t get enough shuteye during the night. Several factors can influence one’s sleeping schedule, such as stress, too much work, too much caffeine, working out late in the evening, and so many other things.
Getting your Zzz’s in varies from person to person, but experts suggest that adults should aim for at least 6 hours and no more than 9 per night. Lacking rest can interfere with your safety and health and can be the cause of many issues. Today’s article tells you 7 reasons why you should prioritize sleep.
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1. Cure for depression
Having a good night’s rest is essential for keeping your hormone levels balanced, your brain healthy and fresh, and your mood swings in check.
Several studies have discovered that many mental health issues, such as depression and anxiety, have a strong connection with sleeping quality and disorders.
Moreover, research that had more than 2,00 participants discovered that people who are diagnosed with depression and anxiety are more likely to experience sleep disorders.
…If you have trouble falling asleep at night, make sure to talk to your doctor about this issue!
2. Lack of sleep can increase inflammation
When you’re sleeping, your body has the needed time to repair itself, relax, and rejuvenate. That’s why you may want to take a nap when you have a major headache or when you feel sick.
As you can imagine, poor rest can have a big impact on inflammation in your body, because it plays a crucial role in managing your central nervous system. Lack of sleep, for instance, especially the one that is caused by disturbed slumber, is responsible for activating inflammatory signaling pathways, which can further lead to increased levels of markers of inflammation, such as C-reactive protein and interleukin-6.
One night without any rest won’t have long-term side effects but if you constantly miss your Zzz’s, you are more likely to develop different chronic conditions, such as heart disease, depression, obesity, type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, and certain types of cancer.
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3. Increases productivity and concentration
As we’ve previously mentioned, sleep is the key ingredient when it comes to having a healthy brain. Sleep influences a lot of processes that take place in your brain, such as performance, cognition, productivity, and concentration.
Have you ever pulled an all-nighter just because you had a big presentation and you felt like you need more time to make things perfect?
It might’ve worked wonders for that time, but we are sure that the day after you’ve felt tired, sluggish, exhausted, and unable to properly focus, or even workout. That’s what happens in your body when you don’t get enough Zzz’s in.
…If you want to make sure that your body functions the way it’s supposed to and that you can properly focus on your daily tasks, make sure to prioritize sleep each night!
4. Can make your heart stronger
Another thing that lack of sleep can do to your body is make you more likely to develop heart disease. An analysis of 19 studies has discovered that patients who sleep less than 7 hours per night have 13% more chances of dying due to heart disease, compared to those who sleep at least 7 hours per night.
In addition to that, short sleep is linked to increasing the risk of high blood pressure, especially in people who suffer from obstructive sleep apnea, a health condition that means breathing is interrupted for certain periods of time during sleep (approximately 10 seconds or longer).
However, don’t think that you should oversleep in order to be more healthy, because it doesn’t work like that either! An interesting fact about getting your Zzz’s in is that if you sleep more than 9 hours on a daily basis, you are more likely to develop high blood pressure or heart disease.
5. Supports your immunity system
If you don’t snooze enough, your body might try to cope with that and it will make you more prone to getting sick. Some studies have discovered that people who sleep less than 5 hours per night are more likely to get a cold, compared to people who make it a priority to get their Zzz’s in.
If you’re sleep-deprived and you’re being exposed to a virus, such as a random cold, you have a much bigger chance of getting sick, because your immune system is weakened, so it can’t properly protect you. Moreover, if you end up getting sick and you don’t get the right amount of shuteye in, your recovery time will take a lot longer than it should.
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6. It will help you have a balanced diet
…Did you know that having cravings very often is a sign that you need more sleep?
That’s because your brain tries to survive the day, so it needs more energy to make up for what it didn’t get from bedtime. As a result, you will crave a lot of food that will give you some type of energy. Unfortunately, you are more likely to want to eat greasy, unhealthy, and sugary foods such as fries, chips, chocolate, donuts, burgers, and pizza.
Nutritionists say that there are two important hormones that are responsible for regulating your appetite. The first one is called leptin and it gives signals to your body that you’re full and you don’t need to eat anymore. The other one is called ghrelin and it stimulated your appetite.
When you’re exhausted due to sleep deprivation, none of these hormones function the way they should, so you end up feeling hungry a lot. As you can imagine, that won’t be good for you if you have health and fitness goals.
7. Your skin will look better
…Who doesn’t want to have clear, healthy, and glowy skin? Then you should prioritize rest.
When you don’t sleep enough during the night, your skin will show it. It’s a bit dry, dull, and more prone to breakouts. If you keep missing nights, your skin will lose moisture, and over time it can increase signs of aging such as under-eye circles and wrinkles.
Your body does a lot of work while you snooze. It repairs itself and increases blood flow and collagen production. Both of these are key ingredients when it comes to healthy and moist skin, so make sure to respect your sleeping schedule.
Conclusion
To sum up our article, we can say that besides eating healthy and exercising, getting enough Zzz’s is also really important for your overall health. If you want to make sure that you get a good night’s rest, you can try limiting your screen time at least an hour before bed, go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, try a sleeping mask, get a humidifier, or do some yoga or meditation exercises to prepare your body for rest.
Sleeping well enough during the night is at times even more important than regular exercise and a healthy diet. Research actually sustains the idea that poor sleep might have immediate and negative effects on your hormones, exercise performance, and brain function.
It might also cause weight gain and increase disease risk, no matter the age or gender. In exchange, proper sleep will help you to consume less, exercise better, and keep better overall health. Over the past few decades, our sleep quality and quantity have continuously decreased.
Why? In fact, there are more people now that sleep poorly than those who get a good night’s sleep. If you want to be a part of the second category, you have to adapt to a certain kind of lifestyle. Here are 17 things that will definitely help you sleep better:
Increase your bright light exposure during the day
Your body has its own natural time-keeping clock that is also known as your circadian rhythm. It might affect your brain, body, and hormones, as it helps you stay awake and tells your body when it’s time for you to sleep.
Natural sunlight or bright light throughout the day will maintain your circadian rhythm healthy and stable. In other words? You will have lots of energy throughout the day, but also a better nighttime sleep quality and duration.
For those who suffer from insomnia, daytime bright light exposure helped improve sleep quality and duration. It also shortened the time it needed to fall asleep by 83%.
Reduce the blue light exposure in the evening
Exposure to light throughout the day is great, but nighttime light exposure…you guessed…has the EXACT opposite effect. This happens only because it messes with your circadian rhythm, which tricks your brain into thinking that it’s still daytime.
It will also reduce hormones in your body such as melatonin, which is responsible for making you feel more relaxed and get a deep sleep. Electronic devices, including smartphones and computers, emit blue light in big amounts, and in this matter, they’re the worst. There are various popular methods to reduce the nighttime blue light exposure, which include:
Wearing glasses that block the blue light
Downloading an app like f.lux to block blue light on your laptop or computer
Installing an app that blocks blue light on your smartphone
Don’t drink caffeine late in the day
Caffeine is a great product with many benefits. Not only is consumed by 90% of the US population, but it’s also extremely beloved. A single dose of caffeine can increase focus, energy, and sports performance. BUT, when you drink it later in the day, caffeine stimulates your nervous system and might stop your body from detaching from the daily stress at night.
There’s one study that shows how consuming caffeine up to 6 hours before bed will significantly worsen your sleep quality. Caffeine can remain in your blood for 6-8 hours. That’s why drinking big amounts of coffee after 4 p.m. isn’t really recommended, particularly if you know you’re a bit sensitive to caffeine or experience trouble sleeping.
Reduce irregular or long daytime naps
Even if short power naps are good, long or irregular napping during the day will have a negative impact on your sleep. Sleeping during the day might confuse your internal clock, which means that you will struggle to sleep at night.
Even more, there’s one study that showed how participants were more tired during the day after taking daytime naps. There’s another study that proved how napping for 30 min or even less might enhance daytime brain function, but longer naps might harm your health and sleep quality.
Even so, some studies are showing how those who are used to sleeping regularly during the daytime don’t suffer from poor sleep quality or disrupted sleep at night.
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Try sleeping and waking up at consistent times
Your circadian rhythms work on a set loop, as it aligns itself with the sunrise and sunset. Why does everyone recommend respecting a consistent schedule with your sleep and waking times? That’s why, because it will improve your long-term sleep quality.
There’s one study that shows how participants who suffered from irregular sleeping patterns went to bed late on the weekends and reported poor sleep. There are many other studies that show how irregular sleep patterns might affect your circadian rhythms, alongside your levels of melatonin, which lets your brain know that you have to sleep.
If you experience trouble sleeping, make sure you get in the habit of waking up and going to bed at the approximately same hour. Because after a couple of weeks, you won’t even need an alarm.
Take a melatonin supplement
Melatonin is a highly essential sleep hormone that will let your brain know when it’s the right time to relax and head to bed. Melatonin supplements are a wildly popular sleep aid. They are often used to treat insomnia because their properties are so good when it comes to falling asleep faster.
There’s one study that shows how taking 2 mg of melatonin before going to bed will improve sleep quality and energy the next day, and will help people to fall asleep easier. Even better, no one ever manifested any kind of withdrawal effects.
It can be extremely practical to carry melatonin with you, especially when you’re traveling and adjusting to new time zones because it might help your body’s circadian rhythms to get back on its track.
Consider using these supplements
And if we’re talking about supplements, here are a couple of things you could take to induce relaxation and help you sleep:
Ginkgo biloba – Here’s a natural herb with lots of benefits. It will enhance your sleep, relaxation, and stress reduction. You can take 250 mg 30-60 minutes before going to bed.
Glycine – There are a couple of studies that showed how taking 3 grams of the amino acid glycine will improve your sleep quality.
Valerian root – Valerian is well known for helping out with sleep problems, but also improving sleep quality. Take 500 mg before bed.
Magnesium – Magnesium is the one responsible for 600 reactions in your body, which also include relaxation and enhanced sleep quality.
L-theanine – An amino acid, L-theanine can help with your relaxation and sleep issues. Take 100-200 mg before bed.
Lavender – Lavender is a wonderful herb, especially when it comes to its many health benefits. Lavender can induce a calming and sedentary effect to improve your sleeping issues. You can take 80-160 mg containing 25-46% linalool.
Not only you should try these supplements one at a time, but you should also remind yourself that they’re not magic bullets for your sleeping problems.
Don’t drink alcohol
Did you know that having a couple of drinks every night might have a negative impact on your sleep and hormones? Alcohol can cause or even increase the symptoms of sleep apnea, snoring, and disrupted sleep patterns.
It can also have an impact on the amount of melatonin your body produces at night, which you well know plays an essential role in your body’s circadian rhythm. There’s another study that shows how alcohol consumption at night can decrease the natural nighttime elevations in HGH, which is known as the human growth hormone.
HGH plays an important role in your circadian rhythm and has lots of key functions.
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Optimize your bedroom environment
Do you know how many people put emphasis on the way their bedroom looks? You probably never thought about it, but its setup can impact how much you’re sleeping. Some of the things you need to take into consideration when it comes to your bedroom environment are the temperature, noise, external lights, and furniture arrangement.
Numerous studies are pointing out that the external noise, which oftentimes comes from traffic, can affect your sleep quality and increase the chances of long-term health issues. In one study that was conducted in the bedroom environment of women, 50% of participants have noticed an improved sleep quality when noises and lights were diminished.
Set your bedroom temperature
Body and bedroom temperature might have a great impact on your sleep quality. You probably noticed that during hot and steamy summer nights, in hot locations, you ALWAYS have a problem sleeping. All this is natural, given the fact that it’s way too warm!
In fact, there are various researches that prove how sleep quality is affected more by temperature than by noises. Other studies show that increased body and bedroom temperature can affect the quality of sleep and increase wakefulness. It seems that around 70°F (20°C) is the most comfortable temperature for most people.
Don’t eat late in the evening
Eating too late in the night might have a negative impact both on our sleep quality and the natural release of HGH and melatonin. That being said, the quality and type of your late-night snack might have a negative impact on your insomnia-prone habits, too.
In one of the studies that focused on this matter, a high-carb meal eaten 4 hours before going to bed actually helped people fall asleep faster. What’s even more interesting is that, apparently, a low-carb diet might have been found to improve sleep, which helps us draw the conclusion that carbs aren’t always needed, especially if you’re used to a low-carb diet.
Chill and clear your mind in the evening
Do you know how many people out there have a scheduled pre-sleep routine that helps them relax and detach from all the nonsense carried along the day? Relaxation techniques before bed will improve your sleeping quality, as the same techniques are used by professional therapists to treat insomnia.
There’s one study that showed how a relaxing massage had a positive impact on the sleep of people who were ill. Some of the strategies you could try are listening to relaxing music, reading a book, taking a hot bath, meditating, deep breathing, and even visualization.
Take a relaxing bath or shower
A relaxing bath or shower is another efficient way to sleep better. Studies show that taking a shower before bedtime can improve the overall sleep quality and help you fall asleep much faster. In fact, in one of the many studies, taking a hot bath for 90 straight minutes before bed did wonder when it came to sleeping quality, and the subjects were people who couldn’t sleep.
As an alternative, if you don’t want to take a full bath every night, you can simply bathe your feet in hot water, as it will help you relax and it will improve your sleep.
Make sure you don’t suffer from any sleep disorder
Although we offer all kinds of options for your sleeping problems, it’s worth considering an underlying health condition too. One of the most common problems can be sleep apnea, which is at fault for causing inconsistent and interrupted breathing.
People who suffer from this disorder oftentimes stop breathing in the middle of the night. However, the condition is more common than you might have thought. In one review, 24% of men and 9% of women currently suffer from sleep apnea.
Another common medically diagnosed illness can be related to sleep movement disorders and circadian rhythm sleep/wake disorders, which are most common in those who work in shifts.
Get yourself a comfortable bed, mattress, and pillow
Did you ever wonder why are you sleeping better in a hotel? Apart from having an extremely relaxing environment, the quality of your bed can have a negative impact on your sleep. One study has looked into the benefits of having a new mattress for 28 days, and it revealed that it reduced back pain by 57%, shoulder pain by 60%, and back stiffness by 59%.
Should I also add that it enhanced sleep quality by 60%? There’s also another study that points out how new bedding can have a lot to do with proper sleep. Plus, poor-quality bedding might lead to increased lower back pain.
Of course, the proper mattress and bedding will always be subjective. So if you decide to upgrade your bedding, we strongly recommend you base your decision entirely on your personal preferences.
