It’s a natural thing we all need, but we are not all great at sleeping. If you want to learn how to become a better sleeper, a little trial and error might be necessary. There are hundreds of tips available for sleeping better. Unfortunately, not all will work for you.
Maybe you have trouble sleeping. You know it’s important, but getting to sleep or getting enough sleep is a challenge. The number of hours you sleep may be plenty, but the quality isn’t great.
No matter the reason, learning how to become a better sleeper can change your life. With better, deeper sleep, you can gain energy. It can even lift brain fog and provide plenty of other great benefits. So before we look at some of the best tips for becoming a better sleeper, let’s look at some of the benefits.
Benefits of Better Sleep
Better Mood
When you get better sleep, you tend to be in a better mood. This is because sleep helps your mind process emotions better. Conversely, lack of sleep can lead to a mood disorder. For example, some studies have shown that you are about five times more likely to develop anxiety or panic disorders if you have insomnia.
With a good night’s sleep, you get to hit the reset button. Many people struggle with emotions when they are tired. Get better sleep, and you will likely be in a better mood.
Heart Health
It’s more common for heart attacks to happen in the early morning hours. This is due to the way sleep interacts with blood vessels. If you don’t get enough sleep, it can cause blood pressure issues or even cholesterol issues. Many experts believe seven to nine hours of sleep every night leads to a healthier heart.
More Energy
Sleeping well leads to a replenished mind and body. When you get better sleep, one of the first noticeable benefits is more energy. This allows you to be more productive without feeling the need to stay up all night.
Lower Inflammation
The human body is filled with inflammation when you feel stressed. With better sleep, you can reduce stress, which can lead to lower inflammation. This can help your body heal and even age better.
Better Healing and Body Repair
Sleep is the best time for your body to repair itself. Wounds and illnesses heal best when we are asleep. The body goes to work on healing, and better sleep leads to better healing.
Better Blood Sugar
If you struggle with blood sugar issues, getting better sleep can help. When you enter deep sleep, your glucose level will drop. Conversely, if you don’t get enough deep sleep, it can cause issues in your body with blood sugar levels.
Weight Control
Better sleep can help with weight control. When you’re well-rested, you don’t tend to feel as hungry. However, if you’re sleep-deprived, you might struggle to control your appetite. This is because leptin and ghrelin, hormones found in the brain, get out of whack when you don’t get enough sleep. These hormones make it harder to control your hunger.
There are many benefits of getting better sleep. If you become a better sleeper, you will likely experience several incredible benefits. It might take more than just one or two great nights of sleep, however.
Tips to Help You Become a Better Sleeper
Get More Sunlight During the Day
Our modern world can make us feel like we are trapped inside all day long. We go from the office to our vehicle to home and only get a few minutes of sunlight each day.
The body has a natural clock, which is called the circadian rhythm. If this clock gets out of whack, it can cause issues with how you sleep.
Getting more natural sunlight or even brighter light during the day can help reset your circadian rhythm. With a healthier body clock, you can gain more daytime energy and become a better sleeper.
More bright light during the day can help you sleep longer and gain better sleep. It can even make it easier to fall asleep faster.
Just two hours of bright light exposure can increase sleep efficiency by quite a bit. If you cannot get outside in the sun, an artificial bright light device can help you get the exposure you need.
Cut Out the Blue Light Exposure
You are exposed to blue light all day long and into the night. This is because your smartphone, computer, and TV all put out blue light. This can impact your circadian rhythm and trick your brain into thinking it’s not time to go to bed.
Blue light exposure reduces the production of melatonin and other sleep hormones in your body. By reducing blue light, especially in the evening, you can become a better sleeper. There are several ways to reduce blue light exposure, including:
- Wearing blue light blocking glasses
- Using a blue light blocking/reducing app on your computer
- Using a blue light blocking/reducing app on your smartphone
- Turning the TV off two hours before bedtime
- Turning off bright lights two hours before bed
These tricks can help to keep the blue light to a minimum during the evening hours. With less blue light exposure, you can sleep better.
Establish Better Sleep Hygiene
You might have a routine to get you ready for the day, but do you have one to help you sleep at night. Sleep hygiene is important and can help you become a better sleeper.
If you want to establish better sleep hygiene, consider the following:
- Take a warm shower before bedtime
- Go to bed at the same time every night
- Skip the nap during the day
- Avoid heavy eating and alcohol before bedtime
- Use your bed only for sleep and sex
- Drink sleep-promoting herbal tea before bed, such as chamomile tea
These tips can help you to sleep better. With better sleep hygiene, your body will be prepared to go to bed.
Use a Melatonin Supplement
Melatonin is the top sleep hormone produced in the body. It lets your brain and body know it’s time to relax and get ready to fall asleep. You can get a melatonin supplement to help you become a better sleeper.
This type of supplement is often used to treat insomnia. However, it can also be helpful with drastic changes to your schedule.
Many studies have shown taking a small dose of melatonin (around 2 mg) before bed improves sleep quality. It has been shown to help people fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer.
The best part about taking a melatonin supplement is it’s not addictive. It doesn’t have withdrawal effects. You can take it while adjusting your bedtime and wake-up time, and then let it go once you’ve adjusted.
Avoid Alcohol
A big reason why many people don’t sleep well is alcohol. It seems like it should help you fall asleep, but it can actually have a negative impact on your sleep.
Alcohol has been shown to increase disruption to sleep patterns. It can also increase snoring and sleep apnea.
Drinking alcohol will alter your melatonin production, too. It can make it harder to stay asleep and even decrease the amount of HGH (Human Growth Hormone) your body produces at night.
If you plan to have a drink or two, do it several hours before going to bed.
Create a Great Sleep Environment
The bedroom shouldn’t be a place to watch TV or get work done. Instead, this should be an area of your home reserved for sex and sleep.
Your bedroom environment plays a big role in becoming a better sleeper. The right temperature, external lights, and noise all impact the quality of sleep you get.
Noise from traffic or other sources can lead to poor sleep. Lights, even small ones you don’t think about, can also cause poor sleep quality.
Optimizing your bedroom environment can help make you sleep better. First, of course, you want to reduce external noise as much as possible. For example, a white noise machine can help drown out traffic and other noises.
It’s also a good idea to get rid of any artificial light. If you cannot get rid of the light, wearing a sleep mask can help. This can make sure light doesn’t impact your sleep at night.
The right temperature also makes a difference. Most people sleep best at around 70-degrees F. If the temperature is too warm, it’s hard to sleep. If it’s too cold, you will cover up and likely struggle to sleep, too.
However, a lower temperature is better for sleep than a higher one. Of course, it’s best to figure out what you prefer, but trying a temperature a little colder than normal might help you become a better sleeper.
Can You Benefit From a Better Night’s Sleep?
These sleep tips have been studied and have been shown to work for those with sleep disorders. However, even if you don’t have a sleep disorder, you can use these tips to become a better sleeper.
Learning how to become a better sleeper might be the key to becoming a more productive person. We all wish we could get another hour or two in the day. While we cannot change time, we can change our energy level with better sleep at night.
Jordan Fabel
Covering different 'paths' that people's lives can take. Creative, foster parent, ticket dismissal, you get the idea. Exploring the requirements, certifications, exams, and obviously, approved courses along each path.