How can I sleep better?

Have you ever wondered how to sleep better?

Sleep disorders are not inevitable, but following simple rules is often enough to get a good night’s sleep. Read on for our ten tips to get a good night’s sleep. Activities and drinks to put aside, the comfort of the room…

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1. Avoid caffeine and theine

It has been proven that caffeine prolongs the time it takes to fall asleep and shortens our sleep soundly. This might disappoint coffee fanatics, but the truth is that it’s best to have our last cup of the day after lunch. Concerning drinks with theine and soft drinks (mainly those based on cola), it is best to stop drinking them after 4 PM. Instead, at night drink a soothing herbal tea, a glass of warm milk, or a natural supplement with a calming effect.

2. Don’t play sports at night

Physical activity is excellent for your health, but it is better to schedule it in the morning or at lunchtime than in the evening. Indeed, after 7 PM, the body temperature begins to drop, a sign that the body is preparing for rest. By increasing the heart rate, sports practice maintains a higher body temperature and wakes up the body, thus interrupting the biological rhythm. If your schedule doesn’t allow you to exercise during the day, take a warm shower and wait at least 2 hours after your workout to go to bed.

3. Eat a light dinner

Digestion can make sleeping difficult, so avoid large dinners before bedtime. Avoid red meat and spicy dishes. Prefer vegetables, white bread, pasta, fish, and vegetables. Finally, eat dinner as soon as possible, ideally two hours before bedtime!

4. Take a warm bath to help you fall asleep

Do you take a hot bath at night to calm down and prepare for sleep? Not the best thing to do! When you program yourself to sleep, your body lowers its internal temperature. So you have to go in this direction and instead take a warm bath or shower, at 37°C maximum, to calm down.

5. Respect your sleep cycle

Are you having trouble falling asleep at night? Maybe you miss your bedtime because you want to watch the movie’s end, finish your book, or be with friends. Since sleep is organized in about an hour and a half cycles, if you miss your “train,” you’ll have to wait for the next one!

You must also try to go to bed and get up at approximately the same time daily. If you have no sleep pattern, for example, on weekdays you go to bed at 11 PM, and on Saturdays at 4 AM, you will find it harder and harder to get a good night’s sleep.

6. Be careful with screens

Certain activities strongly disturb our sleep cycle. During the night, avoid TV, video games, and spending time in front of your cell phone. These devices emit a blue light similar to daylight, which activates the waking mechanisms in our body. Therefore, stopping using them at least 1 hour before bedtime is best.

7. Leave your worries out of the bedroom!

At least 1 hour before bed, prepare your mind for sleep: practice an activity you enjoy, such as meditation, knitting, painting, reading, etc. Put aside your “to-do list”!

8. The bedroom is a place to sleep

It is essential to respect the role of your bedroom: it is a place to sleep! If possible, avoid spending time in bed doing other activities such as eating, watching TV, or spending time on your cell phone.

9. Keep your bedroom at the right temperature

In your bedroom, the ideal is to lower the temperature to 19°C. This contributes to falling asleep. Also, although it may sound strange, it is essential to go to bed with warm feet. Several studies have shown that warming the extremities promotes vasodilation and blood circulation.

10. Prioritize darkness and silence

It is ideal to immerse your bedroom in total darkness to sleep better: close the blinds, invest in blackout curtains, or wear a sleep mask. Silence is also essential to ensure restful sleep. If your neighbors are noisy or your spouse snores, it’s time to invest in earplugs!

Bonus: A good mattress is essential for restful sleep!

It is difficult to sleep well when you sleep on a deformed mattress or when the slightest movement of your partner makes you jump. The best is to change our mattress every ten years. How old is yours?