6 Proven Ways for a Better Night's Sleep

Many of us tend to take a good night’s sleep for granted not realizing the negative repercussions it can have both on our minds and bodies.

The truth is, sleep deprivation is something that should be taken seriously because not doing so can lead to a variety of health conditions like obesity, high blood pressure, and diabetes, among others.

If you’re struggling to get some good quality sleep, you may need to implement several lifestyle changes, and below are some of them.

Exercise daily

Studies have shown that regular exercise can help people sleep better.  This is because exercise helps speed up metabolism and stimulates hormones, cortisol in particular which is critical to better quality sleep.

You don’t even have to have full workouts to sleep better.  Even light exercises like 10-minute walks are enough to improve the quality of your sleep.

Limit Your Caffeine and Alcohol Intake

We all know that caffeine can keep us from falling asleep easily but you may be surprised to know that it can cause sleeping problems that can last between 10 to 12 hours after consuming it.

The same can be said about alcohol which can interfere with our sleep cycle.  All things considered, it’s best to avoid taking any of these two before going to bed especially if you’re not getting the number of hours of sleep you should be having daily.

Include Magnesium in your Daily Diet

Studies have shown that people with low magnesium often have trouble sleeping.  In fact, insomnia is considered a common symptom of magnesium deficiency, making it all the more essential to include a good amount of magnesium in our daily diets.

That being said, try to make legumes, nuts, avocados, bananas, whole grains, and fatty fish part of your meals.  Have more leafy greens when you can and you’ll see your sleep quality improve.

Quit smoking

The negative effects of smoking have been well-documented and sleep deprivation is one of them.  Nicotine can disrupt our sleep patterns especially if you like to take one just before bedtime. 

Even worse, smoking can also introduce other sleep-related conditions like sleep apnea since nicotine is a stimulant.  If you want to sleep better and longer, quitting smoking altogether would be an excellent idea.

No Heavy Meals Before Bedtime

While massive dinners can make you feel temporarily drowsy, it can disrupt your sleep because it prolongs the process of digestion.

Try to go heavy on lunch instead and have lighter meals in the evening.  If you can keep the calorie count to something below 500, the better.

It will also help to have something less spicy during dinner because spicy foods are also known to interfere with a good night’s sleep.

Lower Your Liquid Consumption in the Evening

Drinking lots of water at night can increase your bathroom trips, thereby keeping you from having a long, uninterrupted sleep.

Try to limit your liquid consumption at night as much as possible so you can sleep soundly till morning comes.

Final Thoughts 

A good night’s sleep can benefit us in more ways than we know which is why making a couple of key lifestyle changes can be crucial especially if you’re having trouble sleeping.

The tips provided should allow you to sleep longer and have better quality sleep than you did before you started making the said changes.