Falling asleep and getting a restful night’s sleep may seem like an impossible dream when you’re wide awake at 3 a.m. However, good sleep is more under your control than you may think. Following healthy sleep habits can mean the difference between restlessness and restful slumber. If you are a person that feels exhausted through the work week and then tries to catch up on sleep at the weekend, you’re not alone. A great deal of Americans are in the same boat, and it’s more important than ever to prioritize our mental and physical health. Since sleep can impact both, ensure you have healthy sleep practices to improve your weeknights.
Simple Tips to Improve Your Sleep Throughout the Week
- Avoid caffeine and alcohol
As any coffee lover knows, caffeine is a stimulant that can keep you awake. It’s best to avoid any caffeine in the afternoons and evenings – meaning you pass on coffee, tea, soda, chocolate, and some pain relievers). Similarly, to improve your sleep, it’s a good idea to avoid alcohol before bed. Although it may feel as if a glass of wine before bed helps to bring about sleep, after a few hours it acts like a stimulant, increasing the number of times you wake up and decreasing the quality of sleep. Avoid drinking within three hours of hitting the hay.
- Turn your bedroom into a sleep haven
A quiet, dark, and cool environment can help promote good sleep. Make sure your bedroom is used solely for sleeping – not working or exercising – so that your mind associates this as a peaceful place. Keep it at a comfortable temperature and opt for black-out curtains that shut out light that can signal to your brain that it’s time to wake up.
- Wake up at the same time every day
It’s a myth that you can catch up on missed hours of sleep at the weekend. You may be able to recharge when the weekend rolls around, but it’s not possible to get back those precious hours you missed throughout the week. Get yourself into a healthy routine of waking up at the same time every day – even on weekends – so that you feel less groggy getting up when it’s Monday again.
- Lighten up your meals
Going to sleep after a heavy dinner can make our bodies work harder and indigestion can wake us up. Finish dinner several hours before bedtime and avoid foods that are difficult to digest.
- Limit technology use before bed
Although you may feel the need to check work emails right before bed, doing so can disturb your sleep. The blue light emitted from tablets, smartphones, TVs, and smartwatches sends stimulates our brains and tells us it’s time to wake up. The task of replying to emails and thinking about work before bed can also hinder the next day’s productivity if it keeps you awake all night. As much as you want to reach for the phone, try to keep the last 20 minutes before bed completely electronics-free.
- Write down your thoughts
If you have a hard time clearing your mind of the day’s thoughts, try writing them down in a notebook or on a piece of blank paper. This will release the ‘worry list’ that is inside your head and can crop up just before you go to sleep so that you have a peaceful send-off.
We hope that these tips help to improve your sleep throughout the week. Do you need help to find the right insurance policies for your needs? Visit Abbate Insurance for your insurance policies in New Haven and neighboring cities in Connecticut!
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