How much sleep do you get?
With smartphones, tablets and televisions now an essential part of our lives, insomnia rates are on the up. The light from screens at bedtime is the exact opposite of what our bodies need to be able to switch off. If you’re struggling to get some shut eye, take a look at our 5 tips to get more sleep.
5 Tips To Get More Sleep
1. Walk It Off
Research has shown that a brisk walk in the afternoon is the perfect exercise to reduce sleep disruption in men. Sometimes your body just needs to work off its energy and to burn a few calories before you go to sleep in the evening. If you still feel full of energy after you’ve eaten dinner, go for a walk or do some light aerobic exercise to get your body ready to sleep.
2. Have A Warm Drink
Include time for a warm drink in your evening routine. A cup of warm milk or cocoa will give you the serotonin boost that you need before bed. Both contain tryptophan which is one of the foundation ingredients of serotonin, a hormone that naturally assists your body with sleep. Raise your serotonin levels before bed to get a more relaxing, refreshing sleep.
3. Wear Socks
When your hands and feet are warm, your blood vessels enlarge to lower your core temperature by dispersing heat. Wear socks to bed to keep your feet warm and to lower your temperature ready for sleep. Sleeping in a warmer environment will enable you to get a more restful night, so try not to lower the temperature in your bedroom too much before you go to sleep.
4. Don’t Try Too Hard
Trying too hard to sleep could be what is causing you to have so many sleepless nights. If your brain isn’t ready to switch off for the night, go with it. You’ll be able to sleep when your body is ready. Try to keep your eyes open for as long as possible and in the morning you won’t even remember falling asleep!
5. Get Regular Sleep
Your body clock is an important aspect of your life that you shouldn’t ignore. It’s not enough to sleep flat-out at the weekends to feel refreshed, you should have a regular sleeping pattern so that you don’t have days where you rely on barely any sleep. Ensuring that your sleeping pattern is regular will leave you feeling refreshed and on top of the world, it will also lower your blood pressure!
Have you tried any of our tips and what tricks do you use to get more sleep easily? Let us know on Facebook or Twitter!
Image credit: Wikimedia Commons
